Site allocation policy
Carnwath Road riverside
The council is supportive of comprehensive redevelopment of land that was used for the construction of the Thames Tideway Tunnel. This land comprises of Whiffin Wharf, Hurlingham Wharf, and the former Carnwath Road Industrial Estate, and work to construct the tunnel is now substantially complete allowing comprehensive redevelopment of the site. Proposals for redevelopment should:
a) interfere with the operation of and access to the safeguarded wharf;
b) allow for the continued maintenance of the Thames Tideway Tunnel;
c) provide new and affordable homes, with supporting social, physical, environmental and transport infrastructure;
d) be of high-quality design that optimises land use, and respects the character and appearance of the Sand End Conservation Area and other heritage assets;
e) ensure that building hights and massing is appropriate for the area, and contributes positively to the surrounding townscape;
f) reinstate riverside access to the Thames Path;
g) ensure that built development does not encroach into the River Thames or impact the ecological value of the River Thames SINC; and
h) explore opportunities for the meanwhile use of the site as appropriate once the site has been vacated by Thames Water for the construction of the Thames Tideway Tunnel.
Map - Carnwath Road Riverside
Site description
3.119 The site is made up of riverside wharf uses, which in recent years have been used as a drive site for the construction of the Thames Tideway Tunnel. Located to the immediate west of Wandsworth Bridge and south of Carnwath Road, the site is comprised of Whiffin Wharf, Hurlingham Wharf, Carnwath Road Industrial Estate and an area of the River Thames foreshore. Works at the site have now substantially completed and will no longer be required for the construction of the tunnel.
3.120 A new riverside space has been constructed on some of the recently vacated site, providing a new route to the river, permanent seating and a community space. Some of the site will be required for the future maintenance of the Tideway Tunnel and it will be important that this is safeguarded as part of any future development.
3.121 The surrounding context to the site is characterised by predominantly residential buildings to the north and west, with a number of scattered employment uses. Wandsworth Bridge Road to the west of the site forms part of the Strategic Road Network. The site is approximately one mile from Imperial Wharf and Wandsworth Town stations. It is a similar distance to the nearest tube station at Parsons Green.
3.122 The foreshore area is within a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation, and the entire site is located within the Sands End Conservation Area. Hurlingham Wharf is a safeguarded wharf per the London Plan.
Site allocation
3.123 Following release of the site from its use as a drive site to construct the Thames Tideway Tunnel, the site has the potential to come forward for a residentially led development to increase the quantity of new housing in the south of this part of the borough, in line with the wider regeneration area policy.
3.124 The safeguarded wharf on Hurlingham Wharf must be protected as part of any future redevelopment, however the council will consider proposals that co-locate uses and result in the intensification of the site. The introduction of sensitive (non-waterborne freight) uses will require creative and innovative design solutions and planning applications should demonstrate that proposed development would not preclude potential future wharf operations and avoid potential conflicts of use. Proposals for the site will be required to demonstrate that the design of the operational part of the wharf will be sufficiently flexible to accommodate a reasonable range of wharf uses.
3.125 Co-locating sensitive uses alongside a working wharf raises concern due to the potential impact of associated environmental issues (such as noise, vibration, dust and artificial light spill) on these sensitive uses and the threat that this may pose to the on-going, 24-hour, operation of the wharf. Mitigation measures will be necessary to reduce the impact on sensitive uses to an acceptable level.
3.126 Development proposals should provide a well-defined built edge to Carnwath Road and Wandsworth Bridge Road, incorporating various ground floor uses and entrance areas to provide activity and overlooking onto the surrounding public realm. A new Thames Path connection along the riverfront will be expected to be provided. It may be necessary to elevate the path to avoid wharf activities. The council will support meanwhile uses for the site once the site has been vacated by Thames Water to avoid long-term vacancy or dereliction of the site.
3.127 Development proposals shall explore the potential of including sewer heat recovery from the Thames Tideway Carnwath Road Riverside Site. It represents a significant opportunity for the decarbonisation of heat particularly when combined with heat networks for a development. The stable temperature of sewage (as compared to ambient air), and the correlation between population density, heat demand, and the scale of the sewer system means there could be potential as a heat source for low carbon heat networks.