Regeneration area policy SFRRA
South Fulham Riverside
The council will work with landowners and other partners to secure the phased regeneration of the area to become a high-quality residential area together with a mix of other uses. In order to achieve this, the council will work with:
- neighbouring boroughs, strategic partners, and landowners to secure regeneration of the SFRRA; and
- actively engage with local residents and community groups to ensure that regeneration delivers benefits for the surrounding area.
Proposals for development in SFRRA should:
a) predominantly be for residential purposes to contribute to the South Fulham Riverside target of 4,000 additional dwellings by 2035;
b) include employment-based uses that will meet local business needs and are compatible with residential development in the most accessible parts of the area, particularly in the vicinity of Imperial Wharf Station and on sites close to the Wandsworth Bridge Road, Townmead Road and Carnwath Road junction;
c) include appropriate small-scale retail, restaurants, cafes and leisure uses to support day to day needs. These uses are likely to be appropriate on the Thames frontage to provide activity adjacent to the river. Opportunities for river related uses will be encouraged in accordance with the objectives of the Local Plan River Thames policies;
d) create a high-quality urban environment. On the riverside, a very high standard of urban design will be necessary. Opportunities will be encouraged that maximise the permeability and connectivity between sites, including the extension of the Thames Path National Trail and provision of open spaces that create interest and activity;
e) demonstrate how they integrate and connect with the surrounding context, particularly the river;
f) support the implementation of a pedestrian and cycle bridge that will provide access to the south of the river;
g) provide appropriate social, physical and environmental infrastructure to support the needs arising from development and the area as a whole;
h) secure economic benefits for the wider community around the South Fulham Regeneration Area by providing programmes to enable local people to access new job opportunities through training, local apprenticeships or targeted recruitment;
i) be acceptable in terms of their transport impact and contribute to necessary public transport accessibility and highway capacity in the SFRRA and surrounding areas; and
j) be sensitively integrated with the existing townscape, ensuring no substantially harmful impact on heritage assets, and respect for the scale of the surrounding residential buildings. Building height can be gently stepped up toward the riverside, to provide a presence and give definition to the river frontage.
Map - South Fulham Riverside regeneration area
3.100 The area around the South Fulham riverside has experienced significant change from its industrial history to become a residential mixed use area integrated with employment, community and leisure uses.
3.101 A series of high quality developments in the area including Fulham Reach, Imperial Gasworks, and Fulham Riverside (at Townmead Road) have significantly altered the character of the area to create an urban environment with a distinctive modern character. The sweeping curve of the Thames is a particularly important feature defining the character of the area and views from Wandsworth Bridge up and downstream of the river are important views.
3.102 Away from the immediate riverside, the area is characterised predominantly by terraced residential dwellings, as well as a number of post-war housing estates. These are predominantly two storey terraced properties in long streets which has created a fine urban grain. This contrasts with recent development on former industrial sites in the area where development has been characterised by larger building plots and taller buildings.
3.103 The riverside is also home to a number of sporting venues, including the Hurlingham Club and Fulham Football Club, who play at Craven Cottage to the west of the area.
3.104 Public transport in the area consists of numerous bus routes and rail and tube access via Imperial Wharf, Parsons Green, and Putney Bridge stations. However, there are some areas that continue to suffer from poor access to public transport, such as Carnwath Road.
3.105 The South Fulham Riverside, along Carnwath and Townmead Roads, is in a variety of uses: residential, commercial and industrial, retail and leisure. The overriding need is for new homes and much of the area is not accessible enough for significant new employment space. Individual development sites may need to be supported by Transport Assessments which detail the impact of any scheme on the highway, walking and cycling networks, public transport routes and taking into consideration any committed developments within the area.
3.106 With much of the area having a low PTAL rating, it is important that employment space should be located in the most accessible parts of the regeneration area, being Imperial Wharf Station, with a secondary location around the junction at Wandsworth Bridge Road, Townmead Road and Carnwath Road where it is closest to a number of bus routes that run both along Wandsworth Bridge Road and along Townmead Road. With many previous employment sites being redeveloped for housing, it is important that some replacement employment opportunities are provided in new development schemes to create a mixed use area and provide jobs locally.
3.107 Small scale retail, restaurants and cafes should be provided as part of mixed use developments, primarily to meet local need, particularly on the riverfront to provide a vibrant and high quality environment that will increase riverfront activity along the Thames Path National Trail. The riverside walk should connect to a series of public spaces along its length to accommodate active uses and interest along the linear spaces. The council does not consider that it is appropriate for additional major stores to be considered in the area. Any additional floorspace in the area should primarily cater for local needs in order to sustain the town centres. The majority of the SFRRA is within the Thames Policy Area where specific design policies apply, as set out in the borough-wide policies. It is also a key priority to extend and improve the Thames Path National Trail, together with pedestrian routes linked from the river and canal to the surrounding area. The riverside walk should be at least 6 metres wide. Much of this will depend on the development of vacant and underused riverside sites. The River Thames also has a significant potential for water based activities that can increase opportunities for sport and recreation in the borough.
3.108 A holistic approach to the regeneration of SFRRA will provide opportunities to improve local connectivity in the area. The whole stretch should be dealt with in a comprehensive way. The area was shaped by its industrial heritage and this pattern remains apparent today. Without consideration of how the schemes relate to one another and have regard to its setting and context, there is a danger of isolating communities 3.109 The council will expect developers to demonstrate how the development approach will optimise the site for development, accessibility and recreational benefit, along with how it will benefit neighbouring developments and local residents. Each development should identify key spaces and nodes where routes intersect or are prominent. Connections to and from Imperial Wharf West London Line Station will be key for providing direct access to the key transport connections.
3.110 There are three safeguarded wharves, with only Comley's Wharf still in use for waterborne freight transport. The adjoining Swedish Wharf is still used as an oil storage depot but does not currently use the river for transport. Hurlingham Wharf is currently in use by Thames Water as part of the Thames Tideway project however the site is expected to become vacated within the lifetime of the Plan.
3.111 The London Plan and the Port of London Authority seek to protect safeguarded wharves for cargo handling uses. The Mayor of London's most recent review of safeguarded wharves contained, among other things, recommendations to continue to safeguard Hurlingham, Swedish and Comleys wharves.
3.112 The council will protect the three safeguarded wharfs in accordance with the London Plan. However, it is the council's view that vacant and under-used wharves should continue to be comprehensively assessed by the Mayor of London approximately every 5 years to determine their longer term use. The council will continue to promote the consolidation of wharf capacity downstream of Wandsworth Bridge on Swedish and Comleys Wharves, where road access to the strategic road network can be improved.
3.113 Where possible, the council will support non-river related uses on safeguarded wharves where wharf capacity can be protected and consolidated as part of mixed use schemes, and where proposals meet the requirements of policies set out elsewhere in the Plan and the London Plan.
3.114 A new pedestrian and cycle bridge would provide a key link to allow more people to access the south of the river and the Clapham Junction Town Centre. Pedestrians and cyclists could use either side of the river, providing alternative leisure and commuter routes, and will be likely to increase the number of pedestrians and cyclists using the Thames Path National Trail. Planning permission has been approved for a footbridge adjacent to Cremorne Bridge, as it is located most centrally between the other crossing points of Wandsworth Bridge and Battersea Bridge, which are approximately between a 1km and 1.2km walk in either direction. Proposals will have to be carefully considered in relation to any impact the footbridge may have on the setting of and views toward the Grade II* Listed Cremorne Bridge.
3.115 It is anticipated that most physical and social infrastructure capacity required by the increase in resident and worker population will need to be provided on site or in close proximity to the development. This will need to include facilities such as primary and secondary school places, contributions toward health facilities, public open space, play space, a community centre and policing. There will also be requirements for highway network and public transport improvements throughout South Fulham Riverside particularly at the Wandsworth Bridge Road junction.
3.116 Regeneration in the SFRRA provides opportunities to secure economic benefits for the wider community in the borough. Training and employment funding and initiatives, including through pre-employment support activity and local recruitment campaigns will be important. New employment would be expected to stimulate considerable investment in the surrounding area. All this will, in turn, increase local employment opportunities. It will be important to put in place schemes to assist people in gaining access to new jobs. The council will encourage businesses to embrace the London Living Wage.
3.117 Public transport accessibility is generally at a low level with most of the area being at least a 10 minute walk from an underground or rail station. However, bus services have improved in recent years, and the Imperial Wharf West London Line (WLL) station has improved accessibility in the eastern part of the area. The council will work with transport partners to carry out further public transport improvements in this area. The extension of the river bus service will be encouraged to call at Chelsea Harbour Pier. Improvements to transport links in this part of the borough will be necessary to support the new homes and jobs planned for the area, and the council will seek contributions to improve these services from developers where it is appropriate to do so.
3.118 The majority of the South Fulham Riverside Regeneration Area lies within the Sands End Conservation Area, while part of the north east section is included within the Imperial Square and Gasworks Conservation Area. Where developments propose significant massing and height, these should consider any potential impacts of increased height and/or massing on heritage assets in the surrounding area, including any impact of the view from the Brompton Cemetery. The general scale height and massing of any development along the edges of the regeneration area should have a closer relationship to the existing townscape. There is a variation in building height in the area, and it would be appropriate for new development to adopt a similar variety of scale, ensuring that development on the river front provides a clear edge to the riverside walk in order to provide some presence and enclose the area fronting onto the river.