Key Points
- East London Waterworks Park (ELWP), a charity, aims to transform a 14-acre former Thames Water depot on Lea Bridge Road, between Hackney Marshes and Walthamstow Marshes, into a community-owned biodiverse park with wild swimming ponds.
- The site, currently a concrete slab, has been targeted by ELWP since 2019; they crowdfunded £500,000 in 2023 but do not yet own it.
- After four years of community discussions, ELWP unveiled an ‘inclusive design proposal’ based on the ‘Listening Project’, engaging underrepresented groups like young offenders, homeless people, and women/girls from the orthodox Jewish community.
- Key priorities from the Listening Project: feeling safe, wellbeing, and belonging, leading to features like sensitive lighting, exercise infrastructure, park wardens, nature activities, and wildlife-friendly planting.
- Abigail Woodman, chair of ELWP, stated the insights offer takeaways for developers and policymakers, thanking volunteers and participants.
- A consortium of London councils decided in January 2024 to use the site for a secure children’s home (Pan-London Secure Children’s Home for up to 24 vulnerable youths aged 10-17), funded by the Department for Education with £3.7 million allocated; Waltham Forest Council to oversee, no planning application submitted yet.
- Nathan Miller, co-chair of ELWP, opposes the children’s home, arguing the Metropolitan Open Land status mandates minimal development and public access to strengthen the Lea Valley green corridor.
- Proposed park features include two Olympic-sized wild swimming ponds (3,000 sqm swimming area, 5,300 sqm reed bed filtration, 1,600 sqm beach), accommodating 1,000-1,200 swimmers daily for free, using rainwater naturally filtered; sandy beach for nearly 100 people; spaces for research, arts, workshops; habitats for rare species.news.
- Historical site: part of Lea Bridge Waterworks from 14th century (mills, then drinking water); ‘Essex Number One Beds’ concreted over; government bought in 2017 for schools (rejected 2019), leased to Thames Water.
- First new London swimming ponds since Hampstead Ponds in 1777; largest community rewilding plot from UK government; links Walthamstow Wetlands, Hackney Marshes, Olympic Park.
- Opposition from groups like Save Lea Marshes, who question site selection (one of 70 shortlisted, called ‘most suitable’ not ‘only’); prefer community care investment.
- Listening Project involved 19 organisations, 100+ participants; design ideas: wardens not police, quiet spaces, accessible loos, wayfinding, nature advocate.
East London (East London Times) January 10, 2026
Hackney, East London (East London Times) January 10, 2026 – East London Waterworks Park (ELWP), a volunteer-led charity, has unveiled its latest inclusive design proposal for transforming a derelict 14-acre Thames Water depot on Lea Bridge Road into a biodiverse community park featuring wild swimming ponds, amid ongoing opposition to an alternative plan for a secure children’s home.
What is the vision for East London Waterworks Park?
The vision centres on creating London’s first new public wild swimming ponds since Hampstead Ponds in 1777, with two Olympic-sized ponds covering 3,000 square metres of swimmable area, 5,300 square metres of reed bed filtration, and 1,600 square metres of beach, capable of hosting nearly 100 people and accommodating over 1,000 swimmers daily for free using naturally filtered rainwater.
As detailed by The Forest Mag, the park would include spaces for scientific research, arts, and a make-and-repair workshop, while serving as the largest community rewilding plot purchased from the UK government, fostering habitats for rare butterflies, invertebrates, bats, and birds.
ELWP, formed in response to the 2012 Olympics to extend its legacy beyond Stratford, aims to reconnect the marshes and nature reserves of the Lower Lea Valley, linking sites from Walthamstow Wetlands to Hackney Marshes and the Olympic Park.
Where is the proposed East London Waterworks Park located?
The 14-acre site straddles the borders of Hackney and Waltham Forest on Lea Bridge Road, E5 9HP, positioned between Hackney Marshes and Walthamstow Marshes in the Lea Valley, currently a concrete slab used as a Thames Water storage depot.
Historically, as reported by Living London History, the area formed part of the Lea Bridge Waterworks dating back to the 14th century for grain milling, later pumping drinking water for East Londoners from the 18th century, with the specific ‘Essex Number One Beds’ concreted over after demolition of old buildings.
The government acquired the land in 2017 for potential schools, a plan rejected by Waltham Forest Council in 2019, after which it was leased back to Thames Water.
What is the Listening Project and its key findings?
To ensure inclusivity, ELWP conducted a four-year ‘Listening Project’, speaking to locals from historically underrepresented backgrounds, including young offenders, homeless people, and women and girls from the orthodox Jewish community, involving 19 organisations and over 100 participants.
The project identified three main priorities: feeling safe, wellbeing, and belonging, informing designs such as sensitive lighting, exercise-promoting infrastructure, park wardens (rather than police), activities connecting people to nature, wildlife-friendly planting, quiet spaces, accessible loos, clear wayfinding, shelter, seating, and end-to-end access.
As covered in the Do London Differently Podcast by London National Park City, practical ideas include good sightlines balanced with prayer/sensory respite areas, cultural relationships with nature, low-cost entry points, and appointing a named nature advocate in meetings.
Who is Abigail Woodman and what did she say?
Abigail Woodman, chair of ELWP, commented on the proposal’s broader impact, stating:
“We believe the insights contained within this proposal hold resonance beyond our specific project, offering valuable takeaways for developers, politicians and policymakers at all levels of government. We extend our sincere thanks to all the volunteers, community groups and, most importantly, the participants whose voices are captured in the Listening Project report and challenged us to act.”
What did Nathan Miller say about the project?
Nathan Miller, co-chair of ELWP, told Time Out:
“The site is Metropolitan Open Land and, as such, its only credible future is one involving minimal development and open public access for all, reconnecting the marshes and nature reserves of the Lower Lea Valley. We oppose the planning application for the secure facility for children, but we are unlikely to receive a definitive decision one way or another for some time. We think the only and best use for the site is East London Waterworks Park, a biodiverse park for everyone, which will significantly strengthen the green corridor in the Lea Valley. The land is Metropolitan Open Land, after all, which means it should be protected from all kinds of development, including a secure facility for children. We’ll continue to work on our fight for our dream.”
What is the competing proposal for a children’s home?
In January 2024, a consortium of London councils, led by London Councils and funded by the Department for Education with £3.7 million for design, surveys, and consultants, selected the site for the Pan-London Secure Children’s Home to house up to 24 vulnerable young people aged 10-17.
As reported by Hackney Citizen, Waltham Forest Council agreed in October 2025 to oversee design and construction after a year-long review, taking over from Barnet Council; first proposed in 2022, it was deemed the ‘only suitable’ of 70 sites, though Save Lea Marshes contested this via an Environmental Information Regulations request, receiving confirmation it was the ‘most suitable’.
No planning application has been submitted yet, and Waltham Forest will formally lead.
Who opposes the children’s home and why?
ELWP strongly opposes the home, citing Metropolitan Open Land protections against development.
Save Lea Marshes, as quoted in Hackney Citizen, stated:
“We were provided with a statement by the project leader that the depot was the ‘most suitable’ site for the project. The promoters therefore misled the public in their public consultation by claiming it was the ‘only’ suitable site. Plainly there are other possible locations for this project,”
and argued:
“We consider investment in care in the community to be a more fruitful approach.”
What is the crowdfunding and ownership status?
ELWP launched a crowdfunding campaign raising £500,000 in 2023 to demonstrate community support and purchase the site, but ownership remains with the government, leased to Thames Water.
The funds underscore local backing for the park over other uses.
When was the inclusive design proposal revealed?
The latest ‘inclusive design proposal’, incorporating Listening Project insights, was revealed recently, as covered by Time Out on January 10, 2026, following four years of community engagement; related launches like the Listening Project report occurred earlier, with podcast coverage in October 2025.
What are the next steps for the park or children’s home?
ELWP vows to continue advocating for the park, awaiting a decision on any children’s home planning application, unlikely soon.
Hackney Council approval would be needed for swimming features, per Yahoo News UK illustrations; Waltham Forest oversees the home process, with pre-application consultations noted.
Community campaigns persist, with ELWP emphasising public access on protected land.
