Greenwich Peninsula Regeneration

The regeneration of the Greenwich Peninsula is a long-term project to turn the heavily contaminated post-industrial site into a new London district providing some 15,000 new homes, the now celebrated O2 Arena, and extensive office space. New landmark buildings and facilities have created one of London’s most well-known destinations and new urban quarters. Dr Mike Wells, Director, since 1999 in former employ and thereafter since founding BbD up to 2010 was the lead ecological adviser for this key regeneration project.

In former employ Mike was ecological designer of the award-winning Greenwich Peninsula Ecology Park working with Luke Engleback (then at Battle McCarthy) and the highly successful intertidal terraces along the Thames. Mike was also ecological consultant for the creation of environmental signage across the peninsula and lead author of the management plan for the peninsula, working with Atkins Global.

Biodiversity by Design then continued to provide advice on detailed urban ecological design to the project teams delivering detailed planning solutions for development plots in relation to maximising ecological credits under BREEAM and Code for Sustainable Homes. We undertook detailed ecological monitoring of the site and the waterfowl of the adjacent Thames. We also provided advice on remediation of locally unsuccessful areas of intertidal habitats, the design and function of temporary landscapes, ecology and art; and the contribution of the new green and blue infrastructure to human health/well-being.

Our work necessitated carrying out extensive fieldwork over several years including habitat survey, detailed botanical, survey of terrestrial invertebrates and survey of both terrestrial and riverine birds. Data on fish populations of the Thames were gathered from the Environment Agency and analysed. We participated fully in scheme design team meetings, led ecological discussions with the Environment Agency and consulted widely amongst nature conservation and management bodies across London.

The key idea created and nurtured has been the development of an ecologically-led masterplan design that combines high density housing for people with high levels of biodiversity. The site is now considered to be a European exemplar of ecourbanism.