AF01 Lee Valley and Finchley Ridge.pdf - Greater London Authority

Area Strategy – Vision
1 From the M25 to the Thames
The Lea Valley will continue to operate as a distinctive
regional scale landscape resource. The delivery of
major new open spaces within the Lower Lea Valley
will finally make possible a generous connection to the
River Thames - symbolically completing, after some
50 years, Abercrombie’s vision for a regional park
connecting the city to the country. This continuous
spine of open space must - work with its unique
industrial heritage and landscape character - and must
continue to develop the diversity and quality of its
offer as a visitor destination for all Londoners.
4 Water landscapes
The Lea Valley benefits from a unique range of waterscapes
- from the linear spaces of Lea River and Lea
Navigation, through to the expansive reservoirs in the
Upper Lea. Future projects should work to maximise
the landscape quality and visibility of these spaces,
and their potential to operate as visitor destinations.
This will include working to transform the accessibility
of existing areas of operational utility space - such
as the Walthamstow Reservoirs - and exploring the
potential to to transform them, where appropriate, into
genuine visitor destinations.
2 Connections across the Valley
Major transport infrastructure at its edge, and the
presence of large areas of utilities compounds and
industrial land within, have historically combined
to make the Lea Valley into an unknown space
which operates, both physically and perceptually,
as a barrier. Future transformations will improve
connections into and across the Valley, helping to
better connect it to its neighbouring communities; a
place which encourages use and a sense of ownership
amongst local residents.
5 Green Belt
The extensive spaces of the Green Belt will be
developed as a key landscape resource for London,
building upon the particular qualities and activities
which are already found there, and which will
complement the presence of the Lea Valley to the east
- the possibility to take a long walk out of London, or go
on a big circular walk, go horse-riding, or pick your own
fruit. Strengthening the visitor offer of these spaces,
and promoting distinctive activities, will be important
strategies to encourage Londoners to take a trip to the
Green Belt, and to explore its possibilities.
3 Shaping urban regeneration
Within the Lower Lea Valley, the creation of major
new open spaces associated with the Olympic Park
and the Lea River Park will transform the Valley into
a new centre. These important new park spaces will
operate as a focal point for new development at the
edge of the valley, and should act as a key structuring
device which helps to shape the form and character of
development. In turn, the making of high quality built
edges in the Upper Lea Valley will help to better define
the green space corridor, and to enable and encourage
its use.
6 A good local park network
The various open spaces within the Finchley Ridge
should be developed into a robust local park network,
with good facilities and connections to the surrounding
urban fabric. The potential of the tributaries to the
River Lea (including Salmons Brook, Pymmes Brook
and Mosselle Brook) to contribute to this network
should be maximised - using these linear routes to
strengthen connections between park spaces and to
support sustainable travel routes where possible, and
building upon the capacity of the brooks to enhance
biodiversity and address flood relief requirements.
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