TRY A DIFFERENT SEARCH
Who is behind East Wick + Sweetwater?
1. Why East Wick + Sweetwater?
East Wick was suggested as part of a competition to name the new neighbourhoods on the Park, by Oliver O’Brien from Hackney, to reference its extension of the area of Hackney Wick east into the park.
Sweetwater was suggested by Kevin Murtagh from Reading, as a reference to the area’s former Clarnico sweet factory, along with its waterways.
Read more here
2. Who is developing EW+S?
EW+S is a Joint Venture between Places for People and Balfour Beatty Investments, selected by the London Legacy Development Corporation to deliver the seven development parcels that form EW+S. Balfour Beatty is the lead build contractor for the first phase of development.
3. Who owns the land at East Wick and Sweetwater and the surrounding area?
LLDC is the freeholder of the land at East Wick and Sweetwater, however some homes will be available on a freehold basis.
4. Who is LLDC and where can I find more information?
Formed in 2012, the London Legacy Development Corporation is a Mayoral Development Corporation responsible for delivering one of the Olympic legacy promises; the long-term planning, development, management and maintenance of the Park and its impact on the surrounding area after the London 2012 Games.
For more information about LLDC, visit their website.
5. Who is selling and letting the homes?
East Wick and Sweetwater is responsible for all marketing, advertising, sales and lettings of all new homes at the development.
6. Who has overall responsibility for the project?
East Wick and Sweetwater is responsible for delivering the new homes on behalf of LLDC.
Planning
1. How many homes will be built at EW+S?
Across the lifetime of the development, more than 1,500 homes will be built.
2. Are you providing anything else other than new homes?
Yes absolutely! We’re creating new commercial spaces, which include offices, workspaces and retail premises, as well as spaces for food and beverage businesses. We’re also creating new landscaped outdoor areas and at least one nursery. As the development progresses, we anticipate providing a community centre, library and health centre.
3. What sort of commercial spaces will be available to rent / buy?
The first 18 commercial spaces available are for A1, B1, A1/D2, D1 and A3/A4 uses. More information on the commercial space and these uses can be found here.
4. What is being built first / development phases / milestones
Phase 1 will provide 302 residential units, 18 commercial units (including a nursery) plus an estate management office. These are expected to be completed by Spring 2021.
5. How do you ensure design and build quality for your development?
The architectural design of EW+S has been rigorously reviewed by LLDC’s quality review panel.
The sustainability of the development is measured against standards including Lifetime Homes, Code for Sustainable Homes and BREAM.
A building warranty for the development is also being provided by Building Life Plans (BLP). This is an insurance backed warranty which covers the structural performance of the buildings.
6. Who grants planning permission / who is the planning authority?
LLDC is the planning authority for EW+S.
7. Do you have planning consent for the whole scheme? If not, when will further planning consent be granted?
Zonal Masterplan consent has been granted for East Wick (phases 1, 2, 3 and 7) and Reserved Matters (detailed) planning consent is in place for phase 1. Further planning consents will be granted as the development progresses.
SPECIFIED INFRASTRUCTURE WORKS
1. What does Specified Infrastructure Works mean?
This covers all of the works done to improve the infrastructure around East Wick and Sweetwater, improving the road and connections network between Hackney Wick and Fish Island and Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
2. Who is carrying out these works?
Balfour Beatty is delivering these works on behalf of East Wick and Sweetwater and LLDC.
3. What work does it include?
This work includes two new bridges over the canal and a new road network. This will be connected to the existing network, and include new bus laybys and cycle lanes serving existing and future developments in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
4. Who do I contact if I have a question about these works?
If you have any questions about the works please contact the LLDC 24 hour helpline on 0800 0722 110 or email info@eastwickandsweetwater.co.uk with the quoting reference: East Wick and Sweetwater Specified Infrastructure Works.
You can also visit our dedicated webpage for more information.
5. What is happening to the road bridge in the long term?
LLDC and London Borough of Tower Hamlets are currently reviewing which vehicles may utilise the bridge. More details will be announced in due course.
Existing community
1. We don’t need more homes here, there are already so many being built in the area. Why are you building so many?
The GLA has identified a housing need in the area. Following the London Olympics in 2012, a vision was established to make sure the Olympic Park was developed sustainably and appropriately.
2. Local businesses have struggled to find local business space in Hackney Wick & Fish Island due to redevelopment, how will you make sure that doesn’t happen?
We recognise the importance of providing commercial spaces alongside the new homes at EW+S. That’s why we have brought forward an interim use project at Hackney Bridge with our partner Makeshift, alongside the permanent commercial spaces we are creating. Together, these will provide opportunities that would be suitable for a range of businesses. Importantly, East Wick and Sweetwater is being built on previously vacant land we are not redeveloping existing buildings, but are instead providing additional commercial space.
3. Will you provide discounts to local people so they can buy a home here?
We are providing homes in a range of tenures, enabling all types of home owners or tenants to have an opportunity to live at EW+S.
4. What steps are you taking to prevent all these new properties being bought by investors?
Our homes have been built to be lived in. We will not be marketing our homes overseas or to individual investors, as we are seeking owner occupiers who will help to add to the area’s already flourishing community. A large proportion of our homes for rent will be managed by one property manager, significantly reducing the number of buy-to-let landlords, whilst also improving and maintaining a consistent level of service and maintenance.
5. How are you involving the local community in your plans?
We are committed to meaningfully engaging and listening to the community to understand their views and aspirations for future development. We hold public consultation events in advance of larger planning applications, where public feedback is considered and applied to our proposals where appropriate. The community is always well informed of these events in advance.
6. What community facilities will you be providing that we can all benefit from?
Community facility provision is detailed above, and further information will be available at our consultation events.
As part of phase one we are providing a nursery and we’re also creating new landscaped outdoor areas. As the development progresses, we anticipate on providing a community centre, library and health centre.
In advance of these new community facilities being completed, we are temporarily using space at Hackney Bridge to provide a range of community facilities.
7. How does what you are building reflect the character of the area?
The design for East Wick and Sweetwater has been influenced by existing development in the surrounding areas of Hackney Wick, Fish Island and Stratford. Through the use of certain materials and design styles, East Wick and Sweetwater will compliment neighbouring buildings, like Here East and the Copper Box Arena, whilst taking design cues from Hackney Wick and Fish Island to forge a new identity in its own right.
8. What do the place names mean and where do they come from? What is East Wick? What is Sweetwater?
East Wick was originally suggested through a competition to name new areas of the park. A local resident suggested “East Wick” to reference the eastern extension of Hackney Wick into the park. The name Sweetwater was suggested in reference to the area’s former Clarnico sweet factory, along with the area’s meandering waterways and canals.
Shared Ownership
1. What is Shared Ownership and how does it work?
With Shared Ownership, you buy a percentage (25 to 75%) of your home and pay rent to the housing association on the rest.
Buying a percentage means you need a smaller deposit and mortgage. The rent to be paid on the unsold share is capped at 2.75% of its value when the first share is sold.
At any given time, you can choose to buy more shares in your property until you own it outright, this is known as “staircasing”.
2. Do I have to share my home with anyone else?
No, you don’t need to share your home with anyone else. It is called Shared Ownership as you share the ownership of your property with the housing association, and them only.
3. Am I eligible?
To register for a Shared Ownership property, you must fit the eligibility criteria below:
- You must be at least 18 years old.
- Your annual household income must be less than £90,000.
- Shared Ownership purchasers are often first time buyers but if you do already own another home, you must be in the process of selling it.
- You should not be able to afford to buy a home suitable for your housing needs on the open market.
- You must show you are not in mortgage or rent arrears.
- You must be able to demonstrate that you have a good credit history (no bad debts or County Court Judgements) and can afford the regular payments and costs involved in buying a home.
- You should have savings or be able to easily access at least £4,000 to cover the costs of buying a home (this is a guideline figure the actual amount may vary).
You will also need access to the deposit amount required. For Shared Ownership, this will usually be 5-10% of the equity share you are buying.
For more information, speak to our team directly or visit https://sharedownership.net/
4. What types of properties will be available for Shared Ownership and when?
A range of 1 to 3 bed apartments and duplexes will be available and you will be able to reserve these from Q3 2020.
5. How do I register for a Shared Ownership home?
You can register your interest for a Shared Ownership property with us here, or alternatively, come and chat with our team who can tell you more about the Shared Ownership buying process.
6. Why do I pay rent in addition to my mortgage?
Your mortgage is calculated solely on the share you have purchased, and a small rent is payable for the remainder. For more information visit https://sharedownership.net/ or speak to our team.
