A restaurant in Tower Hamlets has successfully won its bid to expand its outdoor seating area, overturning previous concerns about public access and amenity space.
The decision, made by the council's Development Committee on Thursday, July 9, 2026, grants planning permission for expanded outdoor seating for the restaurant Roe at 5 Park Drive, Wood Wharf. The approval also includes a non-material amendment to reposition a fence line and the discharge of a condition related to street furniture.
During the committee meeting, the applicant's agent, Caroline McIntyre, argued that the proposals addressed previous concerns about pedestrian conflict and loss of public open space. The previous concerns raised by the council related to an earlier proposal for terrace expansion, specifically that retaining a two-meter-wide pedestrian walkway through the expanded terrace would be unenforceable and result in an unacceptable loss of public realm. The applicant's revised proposals address this by completely removing any pedestrian route through the expanded terrace area. Instead, a new pedestrian route is created around the north side of the building, utilizing a portion of the residents' private amenity space. This new route is secured by moving the existing fence line and gates, ensuring it is unobstructed and accessible to the public. The boardwalk along the dockside remains unaffected as an alternative route. Ms. McIntyre stated, This scheme completely removes any potential for conflict between the seating and pedestrians and there is no loss of public open space.
The expanded seating is expected to support approximately 80 new jobs, with the restaurant being a significant contributor to the local economy.
However, objectors, including Jonathan Welch and Andreas Barcenas, raised concerns about the lawfulness of the amendments and the potential loss of public realm and communal amenity space. They contended that the replacement pedestrian route was inferior and potentially unsafe, citing issues with fire safety and emergency egress.
Council officers confirmed that the applications were procedurally sound and that the changes were considered non-material in the context of the wider Wood Wharf development. They noted that the amenity space being converted to public realm is an area of hard standing measuring 176 square meters. Officers considered this area to be of lower quality as compared to the rest of the amenity space
and that it does look like a path and it is identical to the path running around the other side of the building.
Residents will retain access to high-quality private amenities
including a swimming pool, a spa, a gym, a screening room, a library
within their buildings. Additionally, they will have access to extensive public realm across the estate,
including parks, landscaping, play spaces and the extensive Board Walk.
The alternative pedestrian route is proposed to be created around the northern side of the building. This involves the removal of the residential gates here and here and the placement of a fence along the current hard standing within the residential garden and the inclusion of two gates one of which will be automated for people with accessibility issues.
The route is described as unobstructed
and available to all.
Safety measures include the fact that the route is a very generous width, removing visual and physical obstructions from pedestrian routes.
Additionally, Canary Wharf do have private security who maintain the presence on the street. And each building also has a concierge who look out for any anti-social behaviour activities.
A condition is also proposed to review secured by design measures in relation to the new route and the outdoor terrace.
To mitigate potential impacts, additional conditions were proposed, including restrictions on live music, use of the terrace for seated patrons only, and limitations on noise levels. The conditions stipulate a restriction on live and amplified music being played from the terrace
and a condition limiting the levels of noise from any amplified music from within the restaurant so that there are acceptable levels within residential apartments above.
The hours of operation for the seating area are also managed by an operational management plan,
and it was clarified that the restaurant, that area has to close and be clear of customers at half past ten in the evening.
The Building Safety Regulator was consulted on fire safety aspects and raised no objections.
Compliance with the imposed conditions, particularly regarding noise levels and the use of the terrace for seated patrons only, will be monitored through additional conditions
and an updated operational management plan.
The operational management plan will control the external seating area including limiting hours.
The council's Environmental Health team will also be involved in monitoring noise levels should the need arise.
The committee voted to grant planning permission for the outdoor seating expansion, the non-material amendment, and to approve the details for the discharge of the condition. For the 5 Park Drive application, the vote on the non-material amendment and the discharge of condition were unanimous.
For the planning application for additional outdoor seating, the Chair asked for those in favour, and then asked for those against, but the vote count itself is not explicitly stated, only that the decision was made. This decision was subject to a Grampian condition linking the seating expansion to the provision of the alternative pedestrian route and additional recommended conditions.
Further details on the committee's proceedings can be found in the Public reports pack and the Agenda frontsheet.
