Boris Johnson’s ‘Floating Village’ plans for homes slammed as a titanic mistake
Boris Johnson has announced that he is launching an international competition to find developers to design and deliver a scheme for a “floating village” at Royal Docks, Newham, close to London City Airport. Homes there would be in, or very close to, the Public Safety Zone (PSZ) for the airport, and would be subject to enormous amounts of aircraft noise. It would not be a desirable place to live for anyone bothered by noise – or indeed the risk of wake turbulence. Stop London City Masterplan, the local campaign group, have accused Boris of gross negligence because of these plans for housing close to the PSZ. The floating village would be under and close to Boris’s economically unsuccessful Cable Car. Safety concerns were raised during the building of the Cable Car which is in the Crash Zone with the Mayor of London being forced to launch a safety probe. A planning application will soon be submitted by London City Airport to increase the size of it’s stands so bigger jets can be used at the site.
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12.3.2013 (Stop City Airport Masterplan)
- Homes would be built in the London City Airport Crash Zone.[1]
- DfT Public Safety Zone Policy objective is that there should be no increase in the number of people living, working or congregating in Public Safety Zone. [2]
Mayor of London Boris Johnson been accused of gross negligence with the announcement that he plans to build a “Floating Village” in the London City Airport Crash Zone. [3]
The ‘floating village’ in Royal Docks Newham beside the London Cable Car will feature homes, hotels, offices, shops, bars and restaurants. The Royal Docks contains the London City Airport Public Safety Zone – also called a crash zone.The Department for Transport strictly forbids development in a Crash Zone that will see an increase in the number of people congregating there.
Safety concerns were raised during the building of the Cable Car which is in the Crash Zone with the Mayor of London being forced to launch a safety probe. [4]
Residents of the ‘floating village’ would also be at risk from aircraft noise and wake turbulence. Air Quality would also be a serious issue with the village being opposite the mouth the proposed new Silvertown tunnel.
A planning application will soon be submitted by London City Airport to increase the size of it’s stands so bigger jets can be used at the site.
London City Airport Campaigner Alan Haughton said
“This ‘floating village’ would be a village of the damned.Nobody wants to live with the risk of an aircraft coming down on their family, never mind all the other associated risks like noise. London City Airport will soon be coming up for sale. If Boris Johnson really thinks that the Royal Docks has the potential to become one of the most sought-after addresses in London he needs to use his powers to buy or shut the airport down and unlock the true value of the area.”
Map below shows position of the Cable Dar,
This map shows the position of the PSZ for London City Airport
[1] Public Safety Zones (PSZ) / Crash Zones are areas of land at the ends of the runway within which development is restricted in order to control the number of people on the ground at risk of death or injury in the event of an aircraft accident on take-off or landing.
[2] DfT Circular 01/2010 CONTROL OF DEVELOPMENT IN AIRPORT PUBLIC SAFETY ZONES https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/36536/circular.pdf
[3] Crash Zone Map http://www.lcacc.org/safeguarding/revisedPSZ(CAA).pdf
[4] http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-12465842
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‘Boris Island 2’ plan for floating Docks village
12 March 2013 (Evening Standard)
The 15-acre development will be modelled on successful schemes at Ijbury near Amsterdam and Hafen City in Hamburg and others in Scandinavia. Sitting directly under the new Thames cable car, the capital’s first liquid postcode is part of Boris Johnson’s drive to transform the Royal Docks.
When complete it will be one-and-a-half times the size of Green Park and have a Crossrail station and transport links to Canary Wharf.
The Mayor today launched an international competition at MIPIM, a major property conference in Cannes, to find developers to design and deliver the scheme.
He said: “This site is unique. It has the potential to become one of the most sought after addresses in the capital while breathing new life back into London’s waterways. But it’s not alone.
“Right across London there are incredible investment opportunities that I’m determined to bring to market, creating more homes and jobs for Londoners. My message to the developers gathering at MIPIM is that London is the best place to invest.”
Mr Johnson said the redevelopment of the Royal Docks area was one of his key priorities. He has already opened the Emirates cable car and the Siemens Crystal Centre and there are future developments at Silvertown Quays and Royal Albert Docks. The Mayor was today meeting investors and property developers at the Cannes conference. City Hall is one of the largest owners of public land in London having inherited more than 600 hectares last year under the Localism Act.
The floating village scheme has cross-party support. Labour Newham’s mayor Sir Robin Wales said: “London is moving eastwards and the Royal Docks offer an investment opportunity in scale unmatched anywhere in Europe. This exciting development is a pivotal part of their reanimation.
“As today’s announcement shows, they have the capacity to attract modern sustainable businesses and deliver 21st century growth for the capital. It is essential that the transformation of the area translates into long-term prosperity, growth and jobs.”
The architect behind the 41-floor Gherkin is planning the Square Mile’s tallest tower. Ken Shuttleworth, a former partner of Lord Foster with whom he designed the Gherkin, wants to create a building 100 metres higher on the site of the stalled Pinnacle project. He is one of several architects and developers pitching proposals for a building in its pla
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http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/boris-island-2-plan-for-floating-docks-village-8531083.html