Bridgewater

A new residential neighbourhood

Bridgewater will be a new community sitting between the Waterworks River, the Greenway and the Manor Gardening Society at Pudding Mill Allotments. It is proposed that there will be around 600 new homes in this predominantly residential neighbourhood.

As part of the proposals an area of land between Warton Road and the Waterworks River is also proposed for redevelopment.

Playable streets and Courtyards

The Bridgewater masterplan is based around a series of streets and courtyards. The neighbourhood is envisaged as a very low traffic environment with parking only available to blue badge holders, meaning streets will have very little traffic. As such the streets are proposed to be playable, with a shared surface and planting encouraging use of the streets.

Courtyards are quiet spaces overlooked by the adjacent homes with dedicated play space for young children. They are fully car-free, rich landscape environments. A local loop connects each of the courtyards allowing people to walk through the neighbourhood via the various courtyards.

Bridgewater Square and the new bridge

There are a series of public spaces in the neighbourhood including at Bridgewater Square. A new bridge from Bridgewater Road will improve access to the site for pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles. Bridgewater Square forms an important entrance to the site and also allows access to the enhanced canal path with a new lower path closer to WaterWorks River.

The allotment edge

The Manor Gardening Society at Pudding Mill are very important neighbours to Bridgewater. Alongside improving access to the allotments through new pedestrian access to the south and improved vehicular access as a result of the new bridge, the treatment of the allotment edge has been very carefully considered. Buildings are stepped away from the boundary to ensure the allotments get as much sunlight as possible. In doing so a new playable street is created alongside the edge, giving opportunity to deepen the planting with new trees.

Greenway Square

Greenway Square is another important entrance to the site from Stratford High Street or from the Greenway. It is largely surrounded by new homes with a small commercial space at the back of the square. In the middle there is a large play space aimed at 5-11-year olds.

This square, improved lighting and the houses to either side help to provide activity on and around the Greenway, ensuring passive surveillance of the space.

Bridgewater Embankment

Bridgewater Embankment is a space at the border of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park next to the Greenway. It provides commercial space for food and drink venues as well as community space. Between the proposed buildings is a steep bank up towards the allotments. Here, play space is proposed, including a slide down the bank.

Warton Road

The Bridgewater site includes a smaller site on the other site of the Waterworks River on Warton Road. This long thin site is proposed to have around 12 new three-storey town houses with gardens overlooking the river.

As part of the works, improvements to the access under the railway bridge is proposed including opening up one of the currently closed arches for pedestrians and cyclists.