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News & Insights

<p>Stay up to date with the latest developments across Royal Docks Waterways, from project milestones and partnerships to events, community activity and future plans.</p>
<p>This section also brings together updates on how the Royal Docks are being transformed into a vibrant new floating destination for London, supporting wellbeing, biodiversity and everyday life in the Royal Docks.</p>
<p>Explore the stories shaping a new era for East London.</p>


Latest news from Royal Docks Waterways

<h3>We will have a table and some boards in the foyer of Britannia Village Hall with information about our design principles and early design ideas for the Floating Residential project, on <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Thursday 8 October 3-6pm</span>.</h3>
<p>Building on our visioning work earlier this year, we want your help to understand which initial ideas provide most for the community and what are the top priorities for community facilities.</p>
<p>You are welcome to pop in just to have a chat with us about the latest information we have produced about the Floating Residential project for Royal Victoria Dock, or it&#8217;ll be easy to talk on your way in or out from another session at the village hall. We&#8217;ll be in the foyer with a couple of tables and some large printed boards, so you can&#8217;t miss us!</p>
<p>Britannia Village Hall &#8211; 65 Evelyn Rd, London E16 1TU</p>


Thursday 8 October 3-6pm – Britannia Village Hall foyer Community Drop-in

<h3>After its popularity earlier this year, we&#8217;re bringing back the historic Thames Sailing Barge <em>Will, </em>a 100-year-old boat that has sailed the Thames throughout its life. Join us during a weekend of drop-in conversations about our design principles and early design ideas for the Floating Residential project.</h3>
<p>The boat will be moored on the southern edge of Royal Victoria Dock West, next to Britannia Village at approximately E16 2SF, on 10 and 11 October (open 11am-4pm).</p>
<p><strong>What is happening at the Community Drop-ins?</strong></p>
<p>Building on our visioning work earlier this year, we want your help to understand which initial ideas provide most for the community and what are the top priorities for community facilities. There will be project information boards, lots of post-it notes and space for conversations about the past and future of the docks. <span style="text-decoration: underline;">You are welcome to pop by at any point 11am-4pm on Saturday 10 or Sunday 11 October.</span></p>
<p><strong>What &#8216;walk-around&#8217; workshops are happening on Saturday?</strong></p>
<p>&#8220;Dock stories and ecologies&#8221; &#8211;<span style="text-decoration: underline;"> on Saturday 10 October 12 noon to 1pm</span>, our architects from Gort Scott will be hosting a guided walk around the local area. We want to gather your stories and lived experience around special places, local heritage, dock identity and ecology which we will consider in our developing designs.</p>
<p>&#8220;Community infrastructure and belonging&#8221; &#8211; <span style="text-decoration: underline;">on Saturday 10 October 2-3pm</span>, join our architects from Gort Scott for a focused walk and discussion about community facilities, capturing what is already here, what is missing and what facilities are most useful and important to you.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Both walks will start at SB <em>Will</em>, which will be moored at Royal Victoria Dock at approximately E16 1SF.</span> There is no need to book, but if you have any questions in advance, please let us know on <a href="mailto:rvdw@royaldockswaterways.com">rvdw@royaldockswaterways.com</a>.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>


Saturday 10 October 11am-4pm – Community Drop-in event and ‘walk around’ workshops at SB “Will”

<h3>After its popularity earlier this year, we&#8217;re bringing back the historic Thames Sailing Barge <em>Will, </em>a 100-year-old boat that has sailed the Thames throughout its life. Join us during a weekend of drop-in conversations about our design principles and early design ideas for the Floating Residential project.</h3>
<p>The boat will be moored on the southern edge of Royal Victoria Dock West, next to Britannia Village at approximately E16 2SF, on 10 and 11 October (open 11am-4pm).</p>
<p><strong>What is happening at the Community Drop-ins?</strong></p>
<p>Building on our visioning work earlier this year, we want your help to understand which initial ideas provide most for the community and what are the top priorities for community facilities. There will be project information boards, lots of post-it notes and space for conversations about the past and future of the docks. <span style="text-decoration: underline;">You are welcome to pop by at any point 11am-4pm on Saturday 10 or Sunday 11 October.</span></p>
<p><strong>What &#8216;walk-around&#8217; workshop is happening on Sunday?</strong></p>
<p>&#8220;Fair and inclusive dock access&#8221; &#8211; <span style="text-decoration: underline;">on Sunday 11 October 12 noon to 1pm</span>, our architects from Haptic will be hosting a walk around the local area to help us understand priorities for fair and safe access to the water. <span style="text-decoration: underline;">The walk will start at SB <em>Will</em>, which will be moored at Royal Victoria Dock at approximately E16 1SF.</span> There is no need to book, but if you have any questions in advance, please let us know on rvdw@royaldockswaterways.com.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>


Sunday 11 October 11am-4pm – Community Drop-in event and ‘walk around’ workshop at SB “Will”

<h3>We will have a table and some boards in the foyer of Britannia Village Hall with information about our design principles and early design ideas for the Floating Residential project, on <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Monday 12 October 3-6pm</span>.</h3>
<p>Building on our visioning work earlier this year, we want your help to understand which initial ideas provide most for the community and what are the top priorities for community facilities.</p>
<p>You are welcome to pop in just to have a chat with us about the latest information we have produced about the Floating Residential project for Royal Victoria Dock, or it&#8217;ll be easy to talk on your way in or out from another session at the village hall. We&#8217;ll be in the foyer with a couple of tables and some large printed boards, so you can&#8217;t miss us!</p>
<p>Britannia Village Hall &#8211; 65 Evelyn Rd, London E16 1TU</p>


Monday 12 October 3-6pm – Britannia Village Hall foyer Community Drop-in

<h3>This is the session to come to if you have the time and interest to get into the details. Our design team will facilitate a workshop session in a room at Britannia Village Hall on <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Thursday 15 October 6-8pm</span>. We will go through the full range of information available about our design principles and early design ideas for the Floating Residential project.</h3>
<p>Building on our visioning work earlier this year, we are particularly keen to understand which of our initial ideas provide most for the community and what are your top priorities for community facilities.</p>
<p><strong>Please let us know if you plan to attend</strong> by emailing <a href="mailto:rvdw@royaldockswaterways.com">rvdw@royaldockswaterways.com</a>, so we can structure the session well. And if we have too many sign-ups then we may need to arrange an extra session on another date.</p>
<p>Britannia Village Hall &#8211; 65 Evelyn Rd, London E16 1TU</p>


Thursday 15 October 6-8pm – Community workshop at Britannia Village Hall

<ul>
<li>Are you 16-25 and living or studying in Royal Victoria and the surrounding areas?</li>
<li>Are you interested in a career in design or architecture?</li>
<li>Would you like to get paid to help develop ideas for floating residential and community facilities?</li>
</ul>
<h3>APPLY FOR OUR YOUNG DESIGNERS PROGRAMME THIS HALF TERM!</h3>
<p>Tuesday 27 and Wednesday 28 October 2026; 2pm &#8211; 4pm both days<br />
The Britannia Village Hall, 65 Evelyn Rd, London E16 1TU</p>
<p><strong>Participants will receive a £30 voucher per session!</strong></p>
<p>This is a two-day programme. Please let us know when applying if you can only attend one day.</p>
<p>Note you must be over the age of 16 in order to take part.</p>
<h3>How to apply</h3>
<p>Visit <strong><a href="https://wemakegood.typeform.com/to/NXgPsgTb">bit.ly/rvdyoungdesigners </a></strong>to find out more and tell us why you want to get involved. The deadline for applying is 21 October 2026. Places are limited.</p>
<p>For more information contact: <a href="mailto:jasper@make-good.com">jasper@make-good.com</a></p>


Tuesday 27 and Wednesday 28 October – Young Designers Workshops

<h4><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-4828 size-full" src="https://cms-live.royaldockswaterways.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/coming-soon-floating-residential-public-engagement-news-royal-docks-waterways-feature.jpg" alt="Dock cranes lined along the side of a dock." width="740" height="533" /></h4>
<h4>We have appointed a consultant team for “Floating Residential” and we’re close to deciding on our preferred bidder for “Floating Wellness”.</h4>
<p><em>The next phase of the Royal Victoria Dock West Vision is underway: Haptic Architects, Gort Scott, Stace and Oakridge are leading a nine-month feasibility study about the Residential concept, and we are close to deciding on our preferred bidder for the Wellness project.</em></p>
<p>In July we appointed a multidisciplinary consultant team to lead the next phase of work on the “Floating Residential” element of the Vision for Royal Victoria Dock West. The consortium is led by Haptic Architects with Gort Scott, with Stace and Oakridge responsible for the business case element.</p>
<p>Over nine months, the consultant team will work on design ideas and a business case. This will include two periods of public engagement and pre-application meetings with Newham Council’s planners. Royal Docks Waterways will remain responsible for delivering community and stakeholder engagement on the project, providing continuity for the public while benefiting from the consultant team’s expertise.</p>
<p>Scott Derben, Managing Director of Royal Docks Waterways, said:</p>
<blockquote><p><em>We were impressed by the way Haptic Architects, Gort Scott and the wider team approached this project. They are well placed to help us to understand whether and how to take forward a first phase of Floating Residential. And they’ve also identified how this project is a catalyst for the holistic improvement of all of Royal Victoria Dock West – carefully balancing public good with private investment to deliver London’s most welcoming, open and vibrant water-place. We’re looking forward to working with the team over the coming months to bring that thinking to life.</em></p></blockquote>
<p>Scott Grady, Director of Haptic Architects, said:</p>
<blockquote><p><em>This is a genuinely unique commission, and we’re excited to be taking it forward with Royal Docks Waterways, the Royal Docks Team, and an exceptional group of consultants. Royal Victoria Dock is a remarkable place with a long and layered history that we are building on. Our job is to bring new life to the water here thoughtfully, with proper care for the dock, its heritage, and its community, designing a place that enables more people to access and enjoy the benefits of being near London’s waterways.</em></p></blockquote>
<h3>Floating Residential</h3>
<p><strong>What is it about?</strong> The Floating Residential project is seeking to create a new waterside community for Royal Victoria Dock West through residential moorings and floating homes, with additional communal infrastructure for both existing land-based and new water-based residents. It is intended to bring year-round life and activity to the area, responding to growing interest in blue-space urbanism and recognising the role water plays in health, identity, ecology and quality of life.</p>
<p><strong>How does public engagement fit in?</strong> Public engagement is an important part of the feasibility study, to ensure that the work is informed by and benefiting the local community. Local public engagement experts make:good are guiding our strategy. The first period of public engagement will happen in early October, with the second in January or February next year. We will look to build on what we learned from the hundreds of local people who took part in the engagement process earlier this year. This time the sessions will be more focused on the Floating Residential concept.</p>
<p><strong>What’s the focus of the October engagement?</strong> In the first instance we will be looking to understand which initial ideas offer the most benefit to the community and what the top priorities for community facilities are. We are inviting everyone to come along to meet the design team and feed into the assessment of initial ideas within the feasibility study.</p>
<p><strong>What events are happening?</strong> As with earlier this year, there will be a range of options for finding out more and contributing your views:</p>
<ul>
<li>Drop-in sessions in the foyer of Britannia Village Hall</li>
<li>A return for the very popular Thames Sailing Barge “Will”</li>
<li>An online form for sharing your views</li>
</ul>
<p>This time we are expanding our programme by including a community workshop and dedicated sessions:</p>
<ul>
<li>Young designers’ programme</li>
<li>Fair and inclusive blue access</li>
<li>Youth futures – climate career mentoring</li>
<li>Community infrastructure and belonging</li>
<li>Dock stories and ecologies walk</li>
</ul>
<p>Find out more soon, including the full schedule, on this website.</p>
<h3>The wider Vision</h3>
<p>The Vision for Royal Victoria Dock West, a 12-hectare stretch of water set to become one of London’s most significant new public spaces and the capital’s first large-scale floating destination, was published in February 2026. The Vision comprises three elements:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Floating Residential (see above)</strong></li>
<li><strong>Floating Wellness</strong> – A year-round wellbeing destination combining floating lido, sauna and spa experiences, alongside expanded support for open-water swimming and increased safe, seasonal and free access to the water. Royal Docks Waterways plans to select its preferred developer-operator for the Floating Wellness project by the end of September. After entering into contract, public engagement will be the responsibility of the developer, with Royal Docks Waterways coordinating across all the projects.</li>
<li><strong>Floating Park</strong> – A new floating park for Newham comprising landscaped green space, art installations and cultural programming, addressing the borough’s shortage of accessible public green space and contributing to wider climate-resilience objectives. The concept for the Floating Park will continue to be developed within the Residential and Wellness projects as they progress.</li>
</ul>
<p>The Vision is targeting early phases of delivery in three to five years, supporting the Mayor of London’s wider regeneration of the Royal Docks, delivered in partnership with the Mayor of Newham and backed by £5 billion of investment over the next 20 years.</p>
<p>Following the original announcement in February, nearly 400 local people took part in ten public engagement sessions, generating findings that have shaped the procurement processes for both Floating Wellness and Floating Residential. The full Early Stage Engagement Report is available to download in the <a href="https://royaldockswaterways.com/explore/royal-victoria-dock-west/#resources">Resources section.</a></p>
<p>Royal Victoria Dock West is well placed to be among the first waterscapes in London to benefit from the Mayor’s recently published <a href="https://www.london.gov.uk/programmes-strategies/environment-and-climate-change/climate-change/climate-adaptation/cleaning-londons-waterways" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Clean Rivers and Waterways Plan</a>, a ten-year plan to improve water quality, expand public access and restore London’s waterways as essential environmental assets. Biodiversity improvements, climate resilience and enhanced water quality remain central to the Vision, as shown in the Environmental Strategy, also available in the <a href="https://royaldockswaterways.com/explore/royal-victoria-dock-west/#resources">Resources section.</a></p>
<p>The full Vision for Royal Victoria Dock West can be read <a href="https://cms-live.royaldockswaterways.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Vision-for-Royal-Victoria-Dock-West-Full-Report.pdf">here</a>.</p>


Coming soon: Floating Residential public engagement

<h3>INFORMATION NOTE ON RVD FOOTBRIDGE — May 2026</h3>
<ol>
<li>The Royal Victoria Dock (RVD) Footbridge is a high-level bridge which bisects RVD and provides a route from Excel (close to the DLR Custom House Station) over to Britannia Village. It had two lifts that were installed at each end of the bridge. These lifts were poorly designed for the situation. The top of the lifts is open to the elements and should have been fully enclosed. This has caused numerous issues over the years. The lifts are now beyond their economic/operational life and have real reliability issues, regardless of the sums of money which are spent on them. All attempts to get these lifts going have now ceased and metal covers have been placed over the doors to prevent access, prevent further vandalism and risk to the general public.</li>
<li>Royal Docks Waterways (RDW) are responsible for the maintenance, refurbishment and replacement of the RVD Footbridge. In 2014 it was announced that the developer for the Silvertown Quays (Millennium Mills) had included in their design a new bridge at dock level to cross RVD from the same location on the Excel side to link up with the new development and provide direct access from the planned Crossrail Station. The intention was to have an opening (swing bridge) mechanism to allow vessels to pass into the western end of RVD. The plan was that the high-level bridge would then be removed. At this point it was decided that no further options would be considered for replacement of the lifts and that their life would be extended until the new bridge was constructed. This was delayed when the investor pulled out of the development but was recommenced by the new developer, Lendlease, in 2018.</li>
<li>A decision was made by the GLA to retain the high-level bridge and in the bridge agreement Lendlease became responsible for all the refurbishment works specified by RDW required of the existing bridge to make it fully operational. This included the lifts. There was no timeline included in the bridge agreement, so this has been on hold while Lendlease have been securing the S106 agreement for the new bridge. Now this is in place, Lendlease will turn to rectification of the lifts. This will need to be in place before the new bridge commences construction. Meanwhile, RDW have continued to refurbish the wooden decking and supporting structure as required.</li>
<li>We apologise for the inconvenience this may cause the people which live and work around the area, but we are in the hands of Lendlease.</li>
</ol>


Information Note RVD Footbridge – May 2026

<p>Since publishing the Vision in February, we have undertaken a <a href="https://royaldockswaterways.com/news-events/what-weve-learned-from-our-early-engagement-in-february-and-march/">period of public engagement</a>, published an <a href="https://royaldockswaterways.com/explore/royal-victoria-dock-west/#resources">environmental strategy</a>, and kicked off procurement processes for the Residential and Wellness projects.</p>
<p>Today, we are happy to share the names of the organisations that have made it to the shortlists for those projects.</p>
<h3><strong>Floating Residential</strong></h3>
<p>We received 28 expressions of interest from teams of consultants seeking to work with us on a feasibility study for <u><a href="https://royaldockswaterways.com/explore/royal-victoria-dock-west/opportunities/floating-residential/">Floating Residential</a></u>. The vast majority of the bids were very strong, so it was a challenging process to decide who to shortlist. After review by Royal Docks Waterways and the Royal Docks Team, we have invited a shortlist of four bidders to progress to the detailed proposals phase.</p>
<p>In alphabetical order, the shortlist comprises: <a href="https://adamkhan.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adam Khan Architects</a>; <a href="https://hapticarchitects.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Haptic Architects with Gort Scott</a>; <a href="https://www.howells.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Howells</a>; <a href="https://www.innercircleconsulting.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Inner Circle Consulting</a>.</p>
<p>Next steps: the shortlisted bidders have until 31 May to review more detailed materials, and submit their proposals. After a period of decision-making in June, the target is for the appointed consultant team to start work in July.</p>
<h3><strong>Floating Wellness</strong></h3>
<p>We received five expressions of interest from potential development partners for the <u><a href="https://royaldockswaterways.com/opportunities/floating-wellness/">Floating Wellness</a></u> opportunity. After review by Royal Docks Waterways and the Royal Docks Team, we have invited a shortlist of three bidders to progress to the detailed proposals phase.</p>
<p>In alphabetical order, the shortlist comprises: <a href="https://www.loylyhelsinki.fi/en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Löyly Finland</a>, <a href="https://www.nordicurban.fi/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nordic Urban</a>, <a href="https://www.sealanesbrighton.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sea Lanes</a>. (None of the links show the proposals for Royal Victoria Dock West, which will be bespoke, however they show the track records of the organisations.)</p>
<p>Next steps: the shortlisted bidders have until 19 July to review more detailed materials, meet with us to discuss their bids, and submit their proposals. After a period of decision-making in July and August, the target is to decide on a preferred bidder in September.</p>
<h3><strong>Ongoing engagement</strong></h3>
<p>We are committed to continuing our open and transparent approach. We engaged extensively with local stakeholders on the Vision in 2025 and we had a very useful period of public engagement in February and March 2026 (the fruits of which are captured in this <a href="https://cms-live.royaldockswaterways.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/3.-RVDW-Early-Engagement-Report_RevB-1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Early Engagement Report</a>). The next round of engagement is likely to relate to Floating Residential and we will share more details once we are in contract with the consultant team and have a firm programme of activities.</p>
<p>Any questions in the meantime, please contact <a href="mailto:admin@londonsroyaldocks.com">admin@londonsroyaldocks.com</a></p>


We’re taking steps towards turning the Vision into a reality

<h4>Since publishing the new <a href="https://cms-live.royaldockswaterways.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Vision-for-Royal-Victoria-Dock-West-Full-Report.pdf">Vision for the future of Royal Victoria Dock West</a>, we have undertaken a period of public engagement – and today we are publishing an Early Stage Engagement Report which sets out what we learned and what we are going to do with the information we gathered.</h4>
<p>The full report is <a href="https://cms-live.royaldockswaterways.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/3.-RVDW-Early-Engagement-Report_RevB-1.pdf">available for download</a> – and this post gives you the headlines.</p>
<h3>Summary of the early stage engagement</h3>
<p>In February and March we hosted six drop-in sessions and four online sessions as well as meetings with local organisations. The aim of these was to inform, speak to and get feedback from local residents, organisations and businesses about the future vision for new floating residential, wellness and greening in Royal Victoria Dock West. This feedback will then be used to help shape the brief for design teams and developers who will take the project forward into feasibility studies and beyond.</p>
<p>Throughout the sessions representatives from Royal Docks Waterways and the Royal Docks Team were on hand to have conversations with residents about their hopes and fears for the vision. 757 post it note comments were made by nearly 400 people and 39 online surveys were filled in over the initial engagement period. 80 people have signed up for newsletter updates ongoing. Thank you to everyone who gave us their time and attention – your input will help us to get things right as we progress the Vision and the individual projects.</p>
<p>At Royal Docks Waterways, we are committed to providing oversight and continuity for public engagement activities relating to all projects on the water going forward. Responsibility for engagement strategies, activities and insights will sit with Royal Docks Waterways and its consultants regarding Residential; and with the developer for Wellness – both the consultants and<br />
developers remain to be appointed.</p>
<div id="attachment_4094" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4094" class="wp-image-4094 size-full" src="https://cms-live.royaldockswaterways.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/what-weve-learned-from-our-early-engagement-in-february-and-march-royal-docks-public-engagement-news-royal-docks-waterways.jpg" alt="Royal Docks Public Engagement | What we’ve learned from our early engagement in February and March | News | Royal Docks Waterways" width="1024" height="806" /><p id="caption-attachment-4094" class="wp-caption-text">Two people at public engagement event on SB Will 7 March</p></div>
<p><strong>Floating Wellness</strong> was the most commented upon category. The key focus was in water sports, leisure &amp; activation. Participants showed a desire for new high-quality facilities and the preservation of well-loved existing facilities (Wakeboarding, Sauna, open water swimming and The Oiler Bar).</p>
<p>“I’d love to see open water swimming and wakeboarding to be continued as both have built large communities right now that should be further nourished.”</p>
<p>“Wellness centre will benefit residents – special discounts for residents!”</p>
<p>“Year-round swimming would be fantastic.”</p>
<p><strong>Floating Residential</strong> was the most contentious element of the proposal, with concerns about water management, quality of housing, impact on existing residents in terms of views, pressure on local services and crime. There was some acceptance that well-implemented change would be beneficial.</p>
<p>“Breaking up the open water is good, the right sort of boats will lift the view.”</p>
<p>“The dock should be kept for everyone, and not cluttering it up with floating houses. It would be an eyesore and impact the view for thousands of current residents.”</p>
<p><strong>Other key comments</strong> were voiced with regards to the broken bridge lift, enthusiasm for increased biodiversity in the docks as well as questions of how the project could reduce existing antisocial<br />
behaviour.</p>
<p>“We need a place that serves as a town square … with play areas for younger kids which are currently lacking at the docks.”</p>
<p>“A fun, happy place that is eco-friendly and brings new wildlife to the area!”</p>
<p>“It’s great to see investment in the local area and more services for local people.”</p>
<p>“These plans will make our area even better.”</p>
<h3>Royal Docks Waterways responsibilities ongoing</h3>
<p>The initial engagement work is the start of a cycle of listening, analysing, working, feeding back and listening again, and we want to ensure that this continues throughout the design and feasibility processes. Part of this commitment is to make clear to residents and organisations what is in their scope of influence and at what stages in the process decisions become fixed. Royal Docks Waterways is part of the Silvertown Social Infrastructure Forum and is working with others to finalise and commit to a Charter which will help to hold Royal Victoria Dock West and other developments to high standards of delivering social infrastructure locally.</p>
<p>The feedback that was received during the visioning stage has provided clear parameters (detailed in the <a href="https://cms-live.rvdwactivated.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/3.-RVDW-Early-Engagement-Report_RevB.pdf">downloadable report</a>) for the project to respond to going forward. This has been used to<br />
create a series of requirements, which – as part of ongoing tender processes – organisations bidding to be involved in any of the projects will be judged against on their proposed local offer. In both the Floating Wellness and Floating Residential sections of the report specific requirements for each project are outlined. Below are some general ambitions for the overall Royal Victoria Dock West project:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Local Steering Group</strong> made up of a selection of representative bodies to be involved in design reviews. This group is anticipated to meet approximately every other month during the feasibility and design phases for the projects.</li>
<li>A commitment to explore with other Royal Victoria developers the creation of a <strong>Community Review Panel</strong>. This would be a chance for residents, with appropriate support, to be paid to review proposals coming forward across the Royal Victoria area over the coming months and years.</li>
<li>Commit to a <strong>Community Chest</strong> for ongoing local investment as part of the overall business model: A proportion of the ongoing revenue to contribute to a Community Chest which can pay for ongoing services. Suggestions for how this could be spent have included additional youth services to create opportunities and reduce anti-social behaviour (ASB), additional security, a sinking fund for new capital projects to support residents as they emerge.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Next Steps</h3>
<p>The different components of the vision (Floating Residential, Floating Wellness and Floating Park) will progress on different timelines. This is due to differences in how each of them will be financed and delivered. All will undergo more public engagement and consultation prior to decisions being made.</p>
<p>The Early Engagement Report is being shared with shortlisted bidders for the Residential feasibility study and the Wellness development opportunity. The report will form part of the assessment of bids and will be used to hold appointed bidders to account ongoing.</p>
<ul>
<li>We are about to start the shortlist phase to decide which team of consultants we are working with on the <strong>Floating Residential</strong> feasibility study. We aim to be in contract with the consultants in July 2026 who will test the concept’s viability. We expect that commission to last nine months, before any further decisions are made about next steps.</li>
<li>The goal is to be in contract with a developer for <strong>Floating Wellness</strong> in December 2026. The developer will then be responsible for design development, engagement, planning and delivery of the scheme over the following year or two.</li>
<li>We will publish our Environmental Strategy for Royal Victoria Dock West soon. The <strong>Floating Park</strong> proposal will be developed once both the Residential and Wellness proposals have more clarity.</li>
</ul>
<p>Thank you again to everyone who has contributed so far. We look forward to more conversations over the coming months and years. If you have any questions arising from this, please get in touch with us on <a href="mailto:admin@londonsroyaldocks.com">admin@londonsroyaldocks.com</a>.</p>


What we’ve learned from our early engagement in February and March

<h3>Current situation:</h3>
<ol>
<li> The Royal Victoria Dock (RVD) Footbridge is a high-level bridge which bisects RVD and provides a route from Excel (close to the DLR Custom House Station) over to Britannia Village. It had two lifts that were installed at each end of the bridge. These lifts were poorly designed for the situation. The top of the lifts is open to the elements and should have been fully enclosed. This has caused numerous issues over the years. The lifts are now beyond their economic/operational life and have real reliability issues, regardless of the sums of money which are spent on them. All attempts to get these lifts going have now ceased and metal covers have been placed over the doors to prevent access, prevent further vandalism and risk to the general public.</li>
<li>RoDMA are responsible for the maintenance, refurbishment and replacement of the RVD Footbridge. In 2014 it was announced that the developer for the Silvertown Quays (Millennium Mills) had included in their design a new bridge at dock level to cross RVD from the same location on the Excel side to link up with the new development and provide direct access from the planned Crossrail Station. The intention was to have an opening (swing bridge) mechanism to allow vessels to pass into the western end of RVD. The plan was that the high-level bridge would then be removed. At this point it was decided that no further options would be considered for replacement of the lifts and that their life would be extended until the new bridge was constructed. This was delayed when the investor pulled out of the development but was recommenced by the new developer, Lendlease, in 2018.</li>
<li>A decision was made by the GLA to retain the high-level bridge and in the bridge agreement Lendlease became responsible for all the refurbishment works specified by RoDMA required of the existing bridge to make it fully operational. This included the lifts. Lendlease are now working with RoDMA to replace the lifts, but there is no timeline at present. Meanwhile, RoDMA have also continuing to refurbish the wooden decking and supporting structure as required.</li>
<li>We apologise for the inconvenience this may cause the people which live and work around the area, but we are in the hands of Lendlease working for when they decide they are going to procure and replace the lifts.</li>
</ol>


Information Note on RVD Footbridge – August 2025

<h4>We’ve been busy since last Monday’s publication of the <a href="https://cms-live.royaldockswaterways.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Vision-for-Royal-Victoria-Dock-West-Full-Report.pdf">Vision for Royal Victoria Dock West</a>.</h4>
<p>Later today we’re hosting our sixth public engagement event, where everyone is welcome to drop in to find out more about our proposals, ask questions and share their initial thoughts about hopes and fears. We’re grateful to everyone who has stopped to talk to us about the project – all feedback is going to help us to focus on the right areas in future phases of work.</p>
<p>One young resident misunderstood the ‘hopes &amp; fears’ idea, in a beautiful way. Rather than responding to the Vision ideas, they put down their general hopes and fears!</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-4075" src="https://cms-live.royaldockswaterways.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/taking-stock-halfway-through-the-engagement-events-fear-brittania-village-hall-news-royal-docks-waterways.jpg" alt="Fear | Taking stock, halfway through the engagement events | News &amp; Insights | Royal Docks Waterways" width="123" height="124" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-4076" src="https://cms-live.royaldockswaterways.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/taking-stock-halfway-through-the-engagement-events-hope-brittania-village-hall-news-royal-docks-waterways.jpg" alt="" width="118" height="102" /></p>
<p>Please do join us later <a href="https://royaldockswaterways.com/news-events/wednesday-4-march-3-6pm-britannia-village-hall-foyer-drop-in/">today at Britannia Village Hall 3-6pm</a>, or over the weekend on <a href="https://royaldockswaterways.com/news-events/saturday-7-march-10am-3pm-drop-in-exhibition-space-at-sb-will/">Saturday</a> and <a href="https://royaldockswaterways.com/news-events/sunday-8-march-10am-3pm-drop-in-exhibition-space-at-sb-will/">Sunday</a>, when a historic Thames sailing barge will be moored on the Britannia Village dock edge and open for drop-in conversations 10am-3pm both days. We also have two more online sessions next Thursday too, at <a href="https://royaldockswaterways.com/news-events/thursday-12-march-12-1pm-online-town-hall-style-meeting/">noon</a> and <a href="https://royaldockswaterways.com/news-events/thursday-12-march-6-7pm-online-town-hall-style-meeting/">6pm</a>.</p>
<p>And if you can’t make any of the events, then please <a href="https://royaldockswaterways.com/share-your-views/">share your views</a> by filling out a brief form on our website. We will be <strong>closing the form on Monday 16 March</strong>, so that we can analyse all of the feedback received and include our conclusions in the procurement briefs that we will share with shortlisted teams bidding for the <a href="https://royaldockswaterways.com/opportunities/floating-wellness/">Wellness</a> and <a href="https://royaldockswaterways.com/opportunities/floating-residential/">Residential</a> opportunities after Easter. Public and stakeholder engagement will continue in future phases of both projects, with a long way to go before any potential planning applications may be submitted.</p>
<h3>A selection of pictures from the engagement events so far</h3>
<div id="attachment_4077" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4077" class="wp-image-4077 size-full" src="https://cms-live.royaldockswaterways.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/taking-stock-halfway-through-the-engagement-events-feb-26-brittainia-village-hall-news-royal-docks-waterways-two.jpg" alt="Feb 26 | Britannia Village Hall | Taking stock, halfway through the engagement events | News &amp; Insights | Royal Docks Waterways" width="1024" height="768" /><p id="caption-attachment-4077" class="wp-caption-text">26 February at Britannia Village Hall</p></div>
<div id="attachment_4078" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4078" class="wp-image-4078 size-full" src="https://cms-live.royaldockswaterways.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/taking-stock-halfway-through-the-engagement-events-silvertown-oasis-academy-news-royal-docks-waterways-two.jpg" alt="Silvertown | Oasis Academy | Taking stock, halfway through the engagement events | News &amp; Insights | Royal Docks Waterways" width="1024" height="768" /><p id="caption-attachment-4078" class="wp-caption-text">27 February at Oasis Academy Silvertown</p></div>
<div id="attachment_4079" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4079" class="wp-image-4079 size-full" src="https://cms-live.royaldockswaterways.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/taking-stock-halfway-through-the-engagement-events-feb-26-britainnia-village-hall-news-royal-docks-waterways.jpg" alt="2 March | Britannia Village Hall | Taking stock, halfway through the engagement events | News &amp; Insights | Royal Docks Waterways" width="1024" height="768" /><p id="caption-attachment-4079" class="wp-caption-text">2 March at Britannia Village Hall</p></div>
<div id="attachment_4081" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4081" class="wp-image-4081 size-full" src="https://cms-live.royaldockswaterways.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/taking-stock-halfway-through-the-engagement-events-mar-2-brittainia-village-hall-news-royal-docks-waterways.jpg" alt="2 March | Britannia Village Hall | Taking stock, halfway through the engagement events | News &amp; Insights | Royal Docks Waterways" width="1024" height="768" /><p id="caption-attachment-4081" class="wp-caption-text">2 March at Britannia Village Hall</p></div>
<div id="attachment_4082" style="width: 1510px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4082" class="size-full wp-image-4082" src="https://cms-live.royaldockswaterways.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/taking-stock-halfway-through-the-engagement-events-sailing-barge-will-under-sail-brittainia-village-hall-news-royal-docks-waterways.jpg" alt="4 March | Barge Will | Royal Victoria Dock West | Britannia Village Hall | Taking stock, halfway through the engagement events | News &amp; Insights | Royal Docks Waterways" width="1500" height="2000" /><p id="caption-attachment-4082" class="wp-caption-text">4 March Sailing Barge Will under sail on way to Royal Victoria Dock West!</p></div>


Taking stock, halfway through the engagement events

<div id="attachment_1349" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1349" class="wp-image-1349 size-full" src="https://cms-live.royaldockswaterways.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Vision-Launch-2-1024x682-1.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="682" /><p id="caption-attachment-1349" class="wp-caption-text">Andy McVitty (Royal Docks Team); Ted Maxwell, Martha Greckos (both Royal Docks Waterways); Mete Coban (Deputy Mayor of London); Rokhsana Fiaz (Mayor of Newham); Scott Derben (Royal Docks Waterways). © @amfaphotos</p></div>
<h4>Today we announce a new Vision for the future of the western part of Royal Victoria Dock, a 12-hectare stretch of water within London’s Royal Docks set to become one of the city’s most significant new public spaces and the capital’s first large-scale floating park.</h4>
<p>The Vision outlines how the water of this historic dock can be transformed into a valuable new asset for London and the local area, boosting Newham’s total publicly accessible open space by 5% and supporting the area’s ongoing regeneration into a new waterside destination for residents, workers, and visitors alike – targeting early phases of delivery before 2030.</p>
<p>The Vision supports the Mayor of London’s wider regeneration of the Royal Docks, delivered in partnership with the Mayor of Newham, to create a thriving, diverse waterfront backed by £5 billion of investment over the next 20 years. It will open up Royal Victoria Dock West for everyone &#8211; making the water more accessible, supporting a coordinated multi-partner approach to new proposals, and bringing the area to life through a vibrant mix of uses that attract more visitors.</p>
<p>While East London has undergone significant regeneration over the past twenty years, much of this transformation has been land-led. This Vision marks a new chapter, focusing new attention on the water itself. Royal Victoria Dock West is reimagined as a distinctive new water-based destination, at the heart of the Royal Docks, where people can relax, enjoy water-based leisure and wellness activities, and connect with nature throughout the year.</p>
<p>Three core principles shape the Vision:</p>
<ul>
<li>An enhanced destination offer, growing a range of uses that draw people in and encourage longer visits</li>
<li>A neighbourhood asset that creates new local amenities and is inclusive, welcoming and comfortable for local communities</li>
<li>A place defined by its relationship with water and nature, with success measured by &#8220;more people getting wet every day&#8221;</li>
</ul>
<p>Following an assessment of potential uses across economic, social, environmental and policy criteria, Royal Docks Waterways has identified three Priority Projects that will guide the first stages of delivery, subject to more detailed feasibility studies and agreements:</p>
<h3>1. <a href="https://royaldockswaterways.com/explore/royal-victoria-dock-west/opportunities/floating-wellness/">Floating Wellness</a></h3>
<p>A year-round wellbeing destination in East London, combining floating lido, sauna and spa experiences, along with expanded support for open-water swimming and an aspiration for increased seasonal free access to the water. This reflects growing public interest in health, outdoor activity, and cold-water wellness.</p>
<h3>2. <a href="https://royaldockswaterways.com/explore/royal-victoria-dock-west/opportunities/floating-park/">A Floating Park</a></h3>
<p>A new floating park for Newham, comprising landscaped floating green space, art installations and cultural programming, with capacity for future expansion. The park will help address the borough’s shortage of accessible public green space, creating a distinctive waterside place for people to meet, relax and engage with culture, while also contributing to wider climate-resilience objectives.</p>
<h3>3. <a href="https://royaldockswaterways.com/explore/royal-victoria-dock-west/opportunities/floating-residential/">Floating Residential</a></h3>
<p>Creating a new waterside community through residential moorings and floating homes. This will bring additional communal infrastructure for both the existing land-based and new water-based residents to ensure Royal Docks West remains a prosperous place to live as well as visit. This will help bring year-round life and activity to the area, while responding to the growing interest in blue-space urbanism, and recognising the role that water plays in health, identity, ecology, and overall quality of life.</p>
<p>Scott Derben, Managing Director of Royal Docks Waterways,<em> says, </em></p>
<blockquote><p>This Vision represents the biggest step change in the management and development of the Royal Docks since they were closed to commercial shipping at the end of 1981. Now, 45 years later, our goal is that the Docks that used to feed London will be used to nurture its inhabitants.</p>
<h6>Scott Derben, Managing Director of Royal Docks Waterways</h6>
</blockquote>
<p>The Vision forms part of a coordinated approach to regeneration across the Royal Docks, aligning with the work of the Royal Docks Team and multiple long-term policy frameworks, including the London Plan, the Newham Local Plan, the Royal Docks Delivery Plan and Water Strategy and the Royal Docks &amp; Beckton Riverside OAPF.</p>
<blockquote><p>The transformation of Royal Victoria Dock West is a major opportunity for Newham and for London as a whole, creating what will become one of the city’s most exciting new public spaces. I’m committed to transforming our waterways – cleaning them up, enabling wildlife to thrive and improving Londoners’ access to blue spaces across the city. Royal Docks Waterways’ work will help to ensure that Londoners can experience clean and safe waterways and enjoy the benefits of spending time near water, helping to build a greener and fairer London for everyone.</p>
<h6>Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London</h6>
</blockquote>
<p>It also aligns with emerging regional policy, including the Mayor of London’s forthcoming Clean &amp; Healthy Waterways strategy, a 10-year plan to improve water quality, expand public access and restore London’s waterways as essential environmental assets. With the Mayor having recently signed the Swimmable Cities Charter, Royal Victoria Dock West is well-placed to become one of the first waterscapes in London where these ambitions begin to take shape. Biodiversity improvements, climate resilience and enhanced water quality form a central part of the Vision.</p>
<blockquote><p>Newham Council has worked in partnership with the Royal Docks Team to drive forward a bold, long-term vision for the area, securing investment, unlocking development sites, delivering essential infrastructure, and championing inclusive growth that ensures local residents benefit from new homes, jobs, skills and cultural opportunities. This proposed series of floating developments at Royal Victoria Dock West will reshape the space as a leisure and wellness destination, making the most of the waterway and giving residents and visitors the opportunity to enjoy a new community right on the water.</p>
<h6>Rokhsana Fiaz OBE, Mayor of Newham</h6>
</blockquote>
<p>The focus on open-water swimming, wellness and enhancing biodiversity will establish the Royal Docks as one of the first areas of London ready to support this next phase of water-led urban renewal.</p>
<p>Royal Docks Waterways will now begin a period of public engagement on the overall Vision at the same time as it begins procurement processes to bring in third parties to progress the Floating Wellness and Floating Residential projects. During February and March, they will be looking to work with local stakeholders and residents to develop the briefs for the Wellness and Residential projects so that they can build in local needs from an early stage.</p>
<p>We will now begin a period of public engagement on the overall Vision at the same time as we begin procurement processes to bring in third parties to progress the Floating Wellness and Floating Residential projects. During February and March, we will work with local stakeholders and residents to develop briefs for the Wellness and Residential projects so they can incorporate local needs from an early stage.</p>
<p><a href="https://royaldockswaterways.com/events/">Confirmed public engagement</a> includes:</p>
<ul>
<li>The team will have a table in the foyer of Britannia Village Hall on 25 and 26 Feb, 2 and 4 March 3-6pm, where people can talk about the project too.</li>
<li>Online “town hall style” meetings 3 March at 12 noon and 6pm; and 12 March at 12 noon and 6pm.</li>
<li>A weekend of exhibition space and drop-in conversations on the historic Thames Sailing Barge <em>Will, </em>a 100-year-old Thames sailing barge &#8211; the largest ever built. The boat will be moored in Royal Victoria Dock West from the 7-8 March (open 10am-3pm).</li>
</ul>
<p>Thames Barge <em>Will</em> is a 100ft 1925 Thames sailing barge and one of the most significant surviving vessels of its kind, offering a rare, working insight into the river’s commercial and maritime heritage. Built in Great Yarmouth in 1925 by Fellows &amp; Co and marking her centenary in 2025, Thames Barge <em>Will, </em>now part of the National Historic Ships fleet, continues to sail as the largest Thames sailing barge ever built and a living record of the river’s commercial and wartime history.</p>
<p>Following the public engagement events, there will be further workshops and engagement opportunities. These will be announced shortly. Royal Docks Waterways is also looking to have private meetings with local stakeholders and businesses. Interested organisations should email <a href="mailto:rvdw@royaldockswaterways.com">rvdw@royaldockswaterways.com</a> to set up meetings.</p>
<p>For more information on the Vision please <a href="https://cms-live.royaldockswaterways.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Vision-for-Royal-Victoria-Dock-West-Full-Report.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">download</a></p>


Announcing a Transformative Vision for Royal Victoria Dock West – Introducing London’s largest floating destination

<h4>Due to the delay with the maintenance on the lock gates, the footpath has been re-opened.</h4>
<p>The works will now take place in the new year when the footpath will be closed once more. The commencement date for the works to be confirmed.</p>
<p>We will update once we have more information.</p>
<p>Royal Docks Management Authority</p>


King George V Lock – Public Footpath

<ol>
<li>The Royal Victoria Dock (RVD) Footbridge is a high-level bridge which bisects RVD and provides a route from Excel (close to the DLR Custom House Station) over to Britannia Village. It had two lifts that were installed at each end of the bridge. These lifts were poorly designed for the situation. The top of the lifts is open to the elements and should have been fully enclosed. This has caused numerous issues over the years. The lifts are now beyond their economic life and have real reliability issues, regardless of the sums of money which are spent on them.</li>
<li>RoDMA are responsible for the maintenance, refurbishment and replacement of the RVD Footbridge. In 2014 it was announced that the developer for the Silvertown Quays (Millennium Mills) had included in their design a new bridge at dock level to cross RVD from the same location on the Excel side to link up with the new development and provide direct access from the planned Crossrail Station. The intention was to have an opening (swing bridge) mechanism to allow vessels to pass into the western end of RVD. The plan was that the high-level bridge would then be removed. At this point it was decided that no further options would be considered for replacement of the lifts and that their life would be extended until the new bridge was constructed. This was delayed when the investor pulled out of the development but was recommenced by the new developer, Lendlease, in 2018.</li>
<li>A decision was made by the GLA to retain the high-level bridge and in the agreement that then made Lendlease responsible for the Refurbishment Works required of the existing bridge. Lendlease are now working with RoDMA to replace the lifts, but there is no timeline at present. Meanwhile, RoDMA have commissioned feasibility studies to look at design options to replace the lifts and are also continuing to refurbish the wooden decking and supporting structure as required. The sub-contractor for this work will commence on 8 August.</li>
<li>Unfortunately, because of the age and uniqueness of the lifts some parts are not readily available, a consequence being that these parts must be made to order, which incurs a heavy cost and long lead times. The lift contractor has attended site many times during recent years with little or no success at maintaining operational capability, to the point that RoDMA now deem them financially unviable.</li>
<li>Over the past five years RoDMA has awarded circa £0.25m towards lift sustainability, and the realisation now is that funds would be better utilised by a change in direction. To this end RoDMA will no longer attempt to maintain lift operations, but instead direct funds into progressing the design for their replacement.</li>
</ol>


Information Note on the RVD Footbridge

<h4>For health &amp; safety reasons we have closed the public footpath that runs along our outer lock gates at King George V Lock.</h4>
<p>The outer lock gates are currently open and require urgent repair before they can be closed. We apologise for any inconvenience that this may cause.</p>
<p>Royal Docks Management Authority</p>


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