Hackney Wick

Hackney Wick Central Masterplan

We’ve collaborated with our partner organisations to put planning rules in place to control development and ensure existing small businesses are provided with genuinely affordable workspace in new buildings within the  Hackney Wick Central Masterplan area. The masterplan seeks to deliver a mixed-use scheme of residential, employment, retail, community space and public realm on both public and private land around Hackney Wick Station. For more information, see Hackney Wick Masterplan.

East Wick and Streetwater

We have overseen the delivery of a new neighbourhood, East Wick and Streetwater, which will deliver:

• 1,500 homes
• a health centre
• a library
• a community-led housing scheme
• high street shops
• a nursery
• a supermarket
• play facilities

Eastway

In response to findings in the Hackney Wick Through Young Eyes report, highlighting a lack of amenities for young people in the area, and with some funding from the Olympic legacy, we opened a multi-use sports facility for young people behind The Baths on Eastway in Hackney Wick in February 2022. For more information, visit Hackney News.

Gascoyne 2 community hall

The Gascoyne 2 community hall, situated on the Gascoyne Estate, was redeveloped with funding from us to create an inclusive space for local residents, businesses and the wider community to benefit from.

Creative Enterprise Zone

Our successful bid to the Greater London Authority to establish the Hackney Wick and Fish Island Creative Enterprise Zone (CEZ) is protecting one of the world’s most recognisable at risk communities of creators by maintaining affordable workspace, increasing skills and training for local people and securing the long term future of the area’s cultural anchors.

Although creatives faced challenges over the pandemic, the CEZ saw remarkable growth in businesses and jobs since the zone was created. There was a 64% increase in creative sector jobs and a 27% increase in creative sector businesses between 2018 and 2021.

Hackney Wick and Fish Island CEZ benefits from its closeness to some of East London’s largest areas of growth and regeneration. This includes areas such as Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and the major new cultural destination, East Bank. Building on its strong textile and industrial heritage, the area is a thriving creative hub. It’s also becoming known as an emerging innovation and circular economy cluster.

CEZs remain one of the key parts of the Mayor of London’s Cultural Infrastructure strategy. For more information about the CEZ programme and the Hackney Wick Fish Island CEZ, visit the Mayor’s Creative Enterprise Zone Programme. To find out more about the benefits of the CEZ, visit Hackney News.

Wick Workspaces

By utilising meanwhile council buildings, The Baths and Depot sites and the nearby Trowbridge Gardens, we were able to create a range of services as part of Wick Workspaces programme. These include amenities and opportunities for residents and businesses, such as sports facilities, business premises, work and training opportunities,  music and arts, food growing and horticulture, cafes and community events.

According to a social value report (PDF 22.3mb), published in September 2023, Trowbridge Gardens has transformed into a place where people of all ages and demographics work, learn new skills and socialise together.

Hackney Wick station

Hackney Wick station benefitted from a multi-million pound upgrade, part-funded by us, which has provided a new underpass, lifts and overall improved access to the station.

We worked with a creative agency to deliver a community-led mural on Hackney Wick underpass wall.

The artwork shows the area’s youthful, united, resourceful spirit. It reflects priorities in the public realm framework. In particular, it focuses on wayfinding (helping people plan their routes between places in the area). This is a joint project delivered by us, Network Rail and the LLDC.

Hackney Wick and Fish Island public realm framework

In February 2023, along with Tower Hamlets Council and the Hackney Wick and Fish Island Community Development Trust, we commissioned muf architecture/art. They created a vision for public areas in Hackney Wick and Fish Island, based on input from the local community.

The Hackney Wick and Fish Island public realm framework focuses on sustainability and circular economy principles. It also focuses on how public spaces in the area can be designed to benefit the local community. The document includes an ‘Ideas Bank’, drawing on research into ideas that can be developed and used to secure future funding.

See Hackney Wick and Fish Island public realm framework – summary (PDF 43.8mb).

See Hackney Wick and Fish Island public realm framework (PDF 25.7mb)

Why we need the Hackney Wick and Fish Island public realm framework

Hackney Wick and Fish Island continue to experience significant levels of change. This has led to concerns from the local community about whether everyone is benefiting from this equally.

There is a feeling that investment has tended to focus on public spaces around new developments and in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

The framework will help determine how the area’s public spaces should evolve with changes delivered to provide benefits to everyone.

How we’ll use the Hackney Wick and Fish Island public realm framework

This public realm framework is a shared vision. It builds on the unique character of Hackney Wick and Fish Island. Regeneration, planning, highways, and design teams will use the framework as a resource.

The Hackney Wick and Fish Island public realm framework is not an indicator that all of the projects in the framework will be delivered. It is intended as a guide to future public realm projects when the relevant funding and approvals are in place.