Historic business barges at Hale Wharf

Regeneration of Tottenham's riverside begins - Waterscape

Oh no it doesn't. Leastways, not as it's being sold by BW:

The riverside regeneration of Tottenham has gained a major boost with the arrival of three stylish business barges at Hale Wharf on the River Lee navigation.

Supported by the London Development Agency (LDA) and British Waterways (BW), the £1million scheme will provide accommodation for small businesses within the creative, cultural and IT sectors.

The three boats, named Renaissance, Judith and Belle are part of a wider scheme to provide Tottenham with a thriving urban centre and a new high quality waterfront.

I don't think 'business barges' count as 'regeneration'.  They won't go anywhere; they can't carry cargo, they are simply floating offices.  Renaissance, Judith and Belle are described in BW's Hale Wharf prospectus (pdf), as

...in the style of traditional River Lee Powder Barges, based on the ‘Lady of the Lea,’ the last wooden sailing barge built in London in 1931.

These historic craft plied the River Lee Navigation, carrying cargoes such as gunpowder from Waltham Abbey to Woolwich Arsenal.  Belle is the third vessel available, which includes a mix of contemporary and heritage features.

This might well be the only way BW can find of turning an honest penny at Hale Wharf; I don't know.  But it's architecture squatting on water, hogging the space from genuine boats.  It's not true waterways regeneration. 

And in a couple of years traditionalists will probably argue that the way to really regenerate Hale Wharf will be to revive the Royal Gunpowder Mills and load up Renaissance, Judith and Belle to the gunwales with their intended products before mooring them back at Hale Wharf again!

Here's Hale Wharf on Google Maps.

Comments

[Alan Stanton]

An interesting contribution to public discussion about the regeneration of Tottenham Hale. I've posted a link to Captainzep's photo in the Flickr: Sunny Tottenham Pool.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/captainzep/1043699991/in/pool-sunnytottenham/

The argument made by British Waterways was that the River is wide enough so these permanent barges don't affect boat traffic. Though I'd guess that the mindset of the developers is to view the river as not much more than an attractive 'water feature' backdrop for their new flats, offices and shops. Including - as you put it - the offices in these barges.