THE cloud of pessimism that hangs over the Thames Gateway is now looking darker than usual, with increased fears that flood risk makes the building of 160,000 new homes in this area a foolhardy proposition. But Wayne Hemingway refuses to accept this downbeat view. He declares: “If The Bridge goes under water, then London will have gone under first.”

The Bridge, a development of 1,500 homes in Dartford, Kent, is a collaboration between George Wimpey and Hemingway Design (see details). The project’s construction may represent a struggle against the Thames Gateway’s social problems and environmental obstacles. But Hemingway, the 46-year-old designer who turns his talents to everything from streetscapes to clothing for Top Man, emphasises that flooding is not at the top of the list of difficulties, thanks to a number of safeguards (see opposite page).

Hemingway also emphasises the benefits of the proximity of the river: the person who steps on the housing ladder at The Bridge (prices start at £175,000) is making the same risk/reward calculation as the buyer of a £5 million property by Chelsea Embankment.

Hemingway, who with his wife Geraldine built Red or Dead, one of the quirkiest British fashion brands of the 1990s, believes that, as a result of the current concentration on flood risk, “the Thames Gateway has turned into a negative brand”. But he also questions the decision to adopt a brand for the area in the first place. After all, the Thames Gateway, Europe’s largest regeneration project, covers a 40-mile tract of land that stretches from Canary Wharf to Southend in Essex and Sittingbourne in Kent and includes the Olympic Village site in Stratford: “It’s not a single location – the distance from one side to another is equivalent to that between Leeds and Manchester. Each neighbourhood has its own identity.”

The creation of neighbourhoods with their own identity and sense of community is a Hemingway fixation. A favourite excursion for the Hemingways and their four children is a visit to a housing estate with a formula that works. Architectural style is part of this recipe for successful living, but Hemingway believes that good design is as much about practicalities as aesthetics. He takes exception, for example, to schemes where every house has its own drive: “People park their car and shut themselves away.” If residents have to stroll to their doors from their parking spaces, this increases the chances for friendships.

Hemingway believes that such social interaction will stop The Bridge from becoming a kind of gritty Poundbury, a model but soulless community in an edgy spot. The inimical nature of much of the surroundings should also encourage closeness. “You’ve got to be bloody brave to come to live at The Bridge, between a motorway and a power station. As pioneers, people will do things differently.”

Among those doing things differently will be the Hemingways. The family, who have one of their homes at another Hemingway Design development near Newcastle, will also live in a house at The Bridge from time to time. Residents should be aware that Wayne has high standards: he jogs with two empty bags for the litter he picks up en route.

WHAT’S THE RISK OF FLOODING?

EVER since the Government announced plans to build up to 200,000 new homes in the Thames Gateway, the question of how susceptible the area is to flooding has been ever-present. The Environment Agency says the risk is relatively low. “The major risk of flooding in the Thames estuary is from storm surges coming in from the North Sea,” says Chris Burnham, Thames estuary policy manager for the agency. “We have a very high standard of defence against that risk through most of the estuary, with a 1: 2000 standard of protection.” This means that the risk of flooding is low, at about 0.05 per cent. Insurers classify areas with a probability of flooding of more than 1 in 75, or 1.3 per cent annual probability, as high risk.

Although the standard of defences means that flooding in the Thames Gateway is unlikely, Mr Burnham says that, if there were, “the consequences would be huge”. Figures from a London Assembly environment report estimate the cost of a major flood in the Gateway at up to £12 billion. Steps are being taken to minimise the flood risk to Gateway properties: high-rise homes are built closer to the river, with houses set farther back, while some developments, such as Mast Quay at Woolwich, are built on stilts. PAULA HAWKINS

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