Developer Applies to Build 223 More Homes on Fulham's Riverside

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Plans for five buildings of between five and 13 storeys east of Wandsworth Bridge Road

A company called Ptarmigan Riverside has applied to build 223 more homes on Fulham's riverside.

The development, called Albert Wharf, is located at the junction of Wandsworth Bridge Road and Townmead Road, and as the illustration on the right shows, consists of three wharves on the River Thames occupying a total of three acres - Albert Wharf, Swedish Wharf and Comley's Wharf.

The development would include five buildings of between five and 13 storeys, plus offices and restaurant space and a raised riverwalk also open to cyclists.

The planning application is for:

Redevelopment of site following demolition of all existing buildings to provide a mixed use scheme consisting of the erection of one five storey building facing Townmead Road, one part five/part six storey building facing Wandsworth Bridge Road, one part eight and part nine storey building around a raised podium and one thirteen storey building providing a total of 233 dwellings (use class C3) and ancillary gymnasium;

together with site wide energy centre; 9,875 sqm. Safeguarded Wharf including 8,069 sqm (GIA) of concrete batching plant with ancillary offices (use class B2); 823 sqm (GIA) of retail/cafe/restaurant/bar floorspace (use class A1/A2/A3/A4);

new Thames Path with associated lift/stair access (to both east and west of the site); new jetty within the River Thames to serve the wharf; associated hard and soft landscaping; private open space; vehicular access and servicing facilities; car parking and cycle parking; and other works incidental to the proposals.

The developers have produced this computer generated image of the completed project.

The site is currently comprised of three wharves: Albert Wharf, currently occupied by Fulham Motor Auction, a car auction company; Swedish Wharf, used by Fuel Oils as a storage and distribution depot and Comley’s Wharf, occupied by CEMEX and used for concrete batching.

It does not include Porcenalosa on the corner of Townmead Road and Wandsworth Bridge Road.

As Ptarmigan admit in a recent newsletter the redevelopment of this site is especially complex
because both Swedish and Comley’s Wharves are safeguarded within the London Plan which means they must be reactivated for wharf operations.

Its current industrial use also means the application acknowledges that contamination is suspected for all or part of the site.

The developer says on its website that there are several challenges in achieving the regeneration of the site, namely:

• The protected wharf status on Swedish and Comley’s wharves which are safeguarded by the GLA
• The relationship between residential and wharf use
• The need to accommodate the riverside walk in combination with an active wharf

To overcome these constraints the site will house an enclosure that surrounds the wharf to limit the noise and air pollution and allow it to continue functioning as a working wharf.

This means the riverside walk will be a raised platform above the enclosure, opening up pedestrian and cycle access to the river from Wandsworth Bridge road right through to Sainsbury’s on Townmead Road.

Pgtarmigan Riverside says: " We remain fully committed to opening up this closed-off part of the Fulham waterfront while continuing industrial activity on the river."

If this project goes ahead, it will be one of the last remaining site on Fulham's riverside to be redeveloped, and it will sit between Fulham Riverside to the east, where Barratt is building 460 apartments, and Sainsbury's is building a new superstore, and the planned Hurlingham Retail Park on the other side of Wandsworth Bridge Road, where Londonewcastle has been granted planning permission to build 242 apartments.

 

 

 

July 18, 2014