Go-ahead for east London green link
A new green link which will help connect the Thames with the 2012 Olympic site has been given the green light from the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation (LTGDC).
Marking the first phase of a development that will ultimately see 61 hectares of new parkland introduced into the capital, the link–dubbed the Fatwalk – will create a wide path running alongside the River Lea in east London, enabling a direct route to the Olympic Park from the River Thames, connecting local communities along the way and unlocking the development potential of the area.
The new two-mile long park will include new footpaths and cycle ways set within new structures aimed at tackling road, rail and river obstacles that frustrate north and south movement. The new linkages include creating a connection at Bow Locks, a new bridge over the River Lea at Poplar Reach and the construction of a series of walkways below the A13 road bridges at Canning Town.
With £15m funding provided by LTGDC the Fatwalk has been developed with the London Development Agency (Design for London), as well as the boroughs of Newham and Tower Hamlets with British Waterways and Transport for London as key partners and will be completed by May 2012.
Subsequent phases will see the Fatwalk joined to the central concourse of the Olympic Park, ensuring continuity between the two parkland areas and opening up a 26 mile path that will take enterprising walkers from East India Dock Basin on the Thames to Ware, in Hertfordshire.
Peter Andrews, Chief Executive of the LTGDC said: “Connecting London’s green belt to the Thames has been the holy grail of city planners since 1944. We plan to overcome the challenges and obstacles such as roads and railways which have been making some of the most picturesque parts of London as accessible as buried treasure.
"The Fatwalk and the Lea River Park project will open up East London’s riverside to Londoner’s, creating a truly special place, while unlocking the immense regeneration potential within.”
