Tales From The Dock Edge (in which, not for the first time, I walk along the Royal Docks and spot things to write about)
1) City Hall update: A year ago the mayor signalled his intention to move City Hall to the Crystal at the western end of the Royal Victoria Dock. The access road'll need a name change, I blogged, and so it's proved.
Kamal Chunchie Way: Named after a race relations pioneer from Sri Lanka who in 1926 founded The Coloured Men’s Institute on Tidal Basin Road for the benefit of sailors and local residents People's Way: Emphasises the civic role of the site for all Londoners, as well as referencing the ‘People’s Plan for the Royal Docks’ created by local activists opposed to the building of City Airport World's Gate Way: Refers to the area’s international perspective, highlighting the Royal Docks as London's gateway to the world
I hope I'm not alone in this, but World's Gate Way is so appallingly contrived that it should never have seen the light of day, let alone made it to the final vote. I had assumed it dribbled off the desk of a Royal Docks marketing wonk but no, it appears they held a programme of community workshops to discuss ideas and naming principles, then trimmed down selections to a longlist of 20 and eventually 3. It's such a bloated process that the final report is a 25MB pdf, but that's Bermondsey-based brand strategists for you.
The two remaining choices could hardly be more different. One highlights historic diversity with aname that'll make most Londoners go "Who?", which is entirely the point, boosted by the brilliant coincidence that his Institute was located almost precisely here. The other ticks all boxes with its bland inclusivity, and'd give City Hall a cohesive address, but nobody's ever going to notice the alternative rooted reference to environmental activism. So long as the abominable World's Gate Way doesn't win, I'm happy either way. [vote]
2) Dangleway update:Ridership on London's favourite cablecar remains down on 2019, as you'd expect, but inequitably. Passenger totals are about 50% lower than they used to be during term time but oddly about 20% higher during school holidays. All I know is that every time I walk past, even on a Saturday, several staff are standing around waiting for nobody to walk up while vacant pods inch across the river.
3) Argh! Mateys update: Newish at the Royal Docks is an eight-stop augmented reality trail whereby you're supposed to "discover stories created by young people hidden in digital portholes" by pointing your smartphone at a colourful square and navigating to ar.arghmateys.org. I saw them putting one of the signs up earlier this year. But I've never got past the stage where the site wants access to my camera, and the view-at-home website isn't working, and I couldn't tell you where the full set of locations is, and all the effort expended in creating theproject appears to have fallen flat through poor delivery.
4) ExCeL update: One thing nobody says about ExCeL is that it isn't long enough. 600m of exhibition centre ought to be perfectly sufficient, as anyone who's yomped down its cavernous central walkway knows. And yet it turns out the building's owners aren't satisfied and intend to extend the building to the east, boosting its length to a full half mile. This is why I always stop and read planning notices attached to lampposts, because you never know what megaproject might be about to arise.
The extension will be built across what's currently ExCeL's eastern car park, a fairly desolate space, stretching as far as possible without demolishing the hotels alongside. Officially it's described as ExCeL Phase 3, following on from a pre-Olympic extension in 2010, and has been lurking in the pipeline ever since outline planning proposals were submitted in 1996. It's going to be more of the same, i.e. exhibition halls at ground level and a suite of conferencing facilities above because that's where the big money is. As Project Vision Statement Bullet Point 1 confirms, the chief aim is to "Maximise Revenue Generation To Ensure ExCeL London's Long Term Economic Sustainability".
One innovation lurking in the planning documents is the addition of a floating walkway along the edge of the dock. It sounds more exciting than it is, not so much a bobbing adventure as an excuse to locate the new extension as close as possible to the water while maintaining sufficient circulation space. The new building also cuts off the most direct route from Prince Regent DLR to the dockside, so it's fascinating to read the spin which claims the new longer route will be an improvement. Students of urban planning should file away the useful buzzphrase "activation of the public realm", an excuse which can be deployed whenever transforming an empty space into a new development.
If all goes to plan construction will begin this autumn with Phase 3 opening to the public some time in 2024. The hope is that 130 new jobs will be created, and I wouldn't be surprised if a burrito bar and a noodle concession are among the top class refreshment opportunities providing employment. We might even have a flourishing international events industry again by then, unlike this summer when ExCeL isn't risking a scheduled exhibition any time in the next two months.
5) Rowing update: Saturday's the best day to see the dockside properly activated, awash with oarspeople aboard boats and/or fours and/or eights and/or whatever these are officially called, I always get told off for using the wrong term, anyway it's fun to watch, and if you're willing to joinin probably more so.
