The central phase of the Aberfeldy Estate masterplan has secured planning consent from LB Tower Hamlets.

On completion, the entire masterplan will transform the existing estate and create a new residential quarter in Poplar, providing 1,176 homes, community facilities, a health centre, faith centre and a high quality public realm.

This third phase comprises 344 new homes, a community centre, health centre, retail units and energy centre. Located centrally within the masterplan, these non-residential uses will create a new civic centre within the neighbourhood, providing a new linear park and connecting the new and existing communities.

The public realm and landscaping is a major component of this phase. A linear park runs the length of the site and links to surrounding areas and includes elements of a public art and wayfinding strategy, which has been devised by specialists make:good in consultation with the local community.

A key driver of the design has been to make the history of the site visible. Located on the northern boundary of the Import Dock, famous for the importing of exotic goods during the 18th and 19th century, the scheme is a modern interpretation of warehouse architecture. Muscular and robust buildings with crisp detailing and a limited material palette are designed to sit alongside those with a more elaborate and detailed aesthetic centrally located in the new civic centre, reflecting the ‘raw’ and ‘refined’ nature of the traded goods.

The four buildings within this phase range from four to ten storeys. The civic heart is the junction point of all axes within the masterplan and surrounded by taller buildings that create a central marker for the neighbourhood.

The new homes range from studio apartments to six bedroom maisonettes, and in total, 25% are affordable, which includes the reprovision of the existing affordable homes on the site. The variety of new housing aims to support a diverse community with access to excellent local facilities on the doorstep.