Planners back Crossharbour mixed-use scheme

Tower Hamlets council has backed the proposed Crossharbour District Centre on London’s Isle of Dogs, and the scheme has now been referred to Mayor of London Boris Johnson.

A mixed-use development comprising a 150,000 ft² supermarket, and a further 130,000 ft² of retail space, the Crossharbour scheme also proposes the construction of up to 850 residential units, a basement car park and public open space.

Broadway Malyan, who designed the development for Ashbourne Beech said work could begin on site in 2013 if Johnson endorses the proposals.

Geoff Brocklehurst, the practice’s director of architecture, said the scheme would reinforce the identity of the local community, provide improved local shopping and employment opportunities and create a vibrant new area with better public transport connections.

“The scheme is extremely complex and this successful milestone is testament to our integrated team of diverse design and public consultation experts working in close partnership with the client and local community over a four year period,” he said.

Broadway Maylan said its design team had sought inspiration from “the everyday characteristics of a hill-top town“ to design a scheme that minimised the “visibility and scale of the commercial elements”.