Thameside West

Thameside West in the Royal Docks

Thameside West, a waterfront development project situated at the western end of London’s Royal Docks, spans 47 acres. In November 2025, Arada acquired an 80% interest in the project and will jointly develop the site with GLA Land and Property. The development is planned to deliver at least 5,000 residential units, 35% of which will be affordable housing, with a total development valuation of approximately 2.5 billion British pounds.

This undeveloped site on the banks of the River Thames has 1 kilometer of unbuilt waterfront. It faces the Greenwich Peninsula and The O2 Arena across the river. Half of the site’s land area is designated as green space, where over 1,000 trees will be planted, and a public open waterfront zone will be constructed. Stepped building forms are adopted to preserve sightline corridors, enabling views of Canary Wharf and the expansive skyline of East London.

First Stage and Architectural Design

The developer of this project led the completion of the first-phase planning revision. The original master plan was developed by Foster + Partners, and a new design team joined the collaborative work on this update. The revised plan includes 1,500 residential units and 6 buildings, and the revision was formulated in accordance with building safety standards, regulatory requirements, and the overall vision of the project.

Real estate developer Arada has voluntarily disclosed that it will submit the planning application for the first phase of its residential project in summer 2026. Pending approval, construction is scheduled to start in early 2028. No units of the project are currently available for separate sale. The apartment configurations and sale prices will be confirmed at a later date. When sales officially launch, buyers will be able to compare core indicators of the properties, including their specific building location and landscape views, among other key dimensions.

Parks, Schools and Mixed-Use Facilities

The recently approved urban waterfront community planning framework breaks away from the conventional practice of only developing residential properties. Centered on constructing a fully functional waterfront community, the early iteration of this plan integrates a diverse set of supporting facilities and synchronously allocates resources for employment, education and other key needs to prevent the formation of a single-function, purely residential district.

The core component of this development plan is public space. The plan’s programming covers four categories: riverside parks, pedestrian and cycling paths, recreational zones, and natural habitats. As part of the first-phase renovation, construction of the large-scale core park was launched ahead of schedule. At present, three types of vibrant completed waterfront scenarios (including landscape platforms) are presented via CGI.

Royal Docks Transport Connections

London’s Thameside West will be home to a new Docklands Light Railway (DLR) station, which is scheduled to enter service before the first batch of local residents move into the area. Arup is responsible for all relevant transportation engineering works for the project. The station is located along the existing DLR line, between Canning Town Station and West Silvertown Station, and will boost transportation convenience for local residents and commercial operators.

Based on the labeling on location maps, London’s West Thames area is adjacent to multiple major transport routes in the city’s East End. Within the area, Custom House Station connects to the Elizabeth Line and DLR, while Canning Town Station connects to the Jubilee Line and DLR. It takes around 4 minutes to travel from the area to Canary Wharf, and around 20 minutes to reach Bond Street. The Silvertown Tunnel, which is scheduled to open in 2025, will link the West Thames area to the Greenwich Peninsula.