Key features

Albert Island hopes to become a modern, varied and inclusive project that the local community can be proud of. We would like to bring people closer to the river and improve access to the island for locals, visitors, and businesses.

The vision for Albert Island hopes to build around six key features:

A state-of-the-art commercial shipyard and ship lift

The new shipyard will aim to service and repair Thames riverboats. It will be the first major construction of a shipyard to take place in London since the 19th Century. This will bring in additional, local and sustainable jobs in a high-quality growth sector; creating skills for London and helping to build a “toolkit” for London and its transport system.

A Thames21 ‘River Centre for London’

Discussions are at an advanced stage to partner with the charity Thames21 on the creation of a ‘River Centre for London’ on Albert Island that would attract people from all over London and bring the capital’s relationship with its rivers – including its rich history and the modern working Thames – to life. Thames21 has built up a community network of volunteers, schools, groups and residents associations. A new Centre – the first of its kind in London – hopes to connect residents with the river and to help them care for the natural environment where they live.

Easy access to the Island with attractive river paths

Central to the success of the Albert Island development will be its attractiveness and accessibility to the public. We would like to make the area an exciting place to visit, with a restored, natural river environment. This would be achieved by increasing the ease of cycling and walking through the Island with cycle paths and easily accessible river walkways.

A restored and updated marina for boats on the Thames

The local marina will be fully restored and upgraded to create a fully functioning mooring location for boats on the Thames river. The marina will form the final part of the regeneration jigsaw and will develop the area as an attractive place for locals and the public to visit.

A sustainable and well-connected employment magnet

We hope to create a large-scale and sustainable employment hub which attracts businesses to the Albert Island. The objective will be for the hub to create and develop skilled and sustainable employment for Newham and the surrounding London boroughs. Albert Island aims to attract local, national and international employers that can base themselves on the Island for the long-term.

University Hub for training, innovation and technology

As Albert Island is located close to major rail, river, air and road networks, the regeneration project will aim to maximise the potential of its links and to develop the area’s focus on transport, engineering and infrastructure for the future. The project team have been in discussion with several universities and colleges about the establishment of an innovation and research quarter that focusses on transport, engineering and infrastructure. Albert Island has now been shortlisted as a possible ‘Institute of Technology’.