Hale Wharf, London Borough of Haringey for Waterside Places (a joint venture between Muse and Canal & River Trust), London Borough of Haringey and the GLA with Allies and Morrison

Hale Wharf offers 503 new homes, including 191 for affordable rent, and bridges industry, community and nature innovatively. In 2021, the first phase delivered 249 mixed-tenure homes and the new Hale Wharf Bridge, connecting Hale Wharf to the Paddock Community Nature Reserve. This offers 4 hectares of green space, enhancing the area’s natural beauty and providing a vital recreational space for residents, building a strong connection between the community and its environment.

Who is on the project? 

Architects - Allies & Morrison 

Contractor -  McLaren Construction

Project Manager - Stace 

Planning Consultant - Quod 

Describe the social and environmental context of this project, its neighbourhood and people. What is the purpose of the building? How does this building make an impact in its community?

The area around Hale Wharf was historically a working community, with Hale Wharf itself home to industrial units which eventually fell into disrepair. Juxtaposed to the area’s industrial heritage, the Paddock Community Nature Reserve covers 10 acres of green space adjacent to Hale Wharf – including woodlands, scrub, meadow, ponds, and rivers. Hale Wharf itself, a new community of 503 new homes – including 191 for affordable rent – was an opportunity to bridge the gap between industry, community, and nature in a unique and innovative way. An island site, on the edge of the urban boundary, Hale Wharf was historically poorly connected. It was rarely visited, public access was extremely limited, it felt unsafe and was a wasted opportunity as part of one of the Mayor of London’s priority Housing Zones. The key principles of the regeneration involved utilising this former industrial area to enhance permeability, public waterside spaces, shared public spaces, connectivity, and green edges to deliver homes, along with the provision of public and commercial space that a vibrant new place demands. Alongside new homes, the delivery of three new pedestrian bridges not only improved connectivity to public transport but connected Hale Wharf and Tottenham Hale to The Paddock and a unique urban nature reserve. By making the most of the waterside location, we improved access to the water for commercial barges to once again promote the industrial use of the waterway and have delivered a vibrant new place where industry, community, and nature come together.

What makes this place thrive? How does the community come together? What makes this a great place to live, work, play, visit or learn?

Our objective was to create a new neighbourhood for Tottenham Hale by delivering high quality homes, streetscapes and waterside spaces within the Tottenham Housing Zone. This necessitated delivering a range of housing types including flats and family homes that respond to the surrounding urban environment as well as the ecological context. This is particularly important for The Paddock, Lee Valley Park, and Walthamstow Wetlands. One of the principle aims of the regeneration was to include a visually harmonious palette of robust materials. Reflecting the area’s industrial heritage, materials have been chosen for their durable character. These include brick, zinc roofs, and natural finished metalwork such as galvanized balconies and weathered steel. As the primary material, brick has given the buildings a robustness, which is both durable and low maintenance. It also enables subtlety in the variation, colour, type, and mix to create a rich family of buildings within the masterplan. Whilst unashamedly residential in nature, the new homes have been inspired by the area’s industrial heritage. Whilst there is flexibility built into the masterplan – particularly involving the commercial and public spaces – we hope and anticipate Hale Wharf will be a thriving and dynamic community for many generations to come. Homes have been built for the next 100 years and beyond.

Please share any data or evidence about the social, economic and environmental performance of this place, or any relevant figures such as footfall, visitors, engagement metrics, residents, etc. 

The New London Plan has set out an ambition to deliver well-planned and managed green infrastructure to help the city stay healthy and livable. Places like The Paddock nature reserve provide significant value to communities, and it is vital that they are safe, accessible, and valued. Prior to the regeneration of Hale Wharf, The Paddock had been in a state of disrepair, with the Conservation Volunteers appointed to take over management in 2020. The delivery of a new pedestrian bridge directly to The Paddock, created opportunities for further investments as part of the regeneration with significant upgrades to The Paddock, including the removal of Japanese Knotweed, enhancements to the woodland habitat and the provision of an educational facility. The Engine Room opened in 2017 and serves an ever-expanding multi-cultural community with a church, community centre, café, and nursery. Muse supported The Engine Room throughout the Hale Wharf build including donating Christmas presents and sponsoring their Tottenham 10km run. Working with the North London Hospice and Wild in Art, Muse has brought the ‘Big Fun Art Adventure’ to Hale Wharf as part of a free owl art sculpture trail. Muse has bought their sponsored owl ‘Flora’ in partnership with Grainger PLC, so that she will have her forever home at Hale Wharf for residents to enjoy. Hale Wharf is also connected to the Lea Valley Energy Centre, which has achieved a 35% reduction in CO2 as part of a wider Energy Strategy which continues to contribute to Net Zero ambitions.