Type Conservation park Created 2006 (first phase) Area 6.4 km² | Location Rainham, London Status In development Operator Greater London Authority | |
 | ||
Operated by Greater London Authority | ||
The Wildspace Conservation Park, also known as London Riverside Conservation Park or Wildspace, is a major new conservation park under development. The conservation park is predominantly in London, within the London Borough of Havering, but also extends across the capital's administrative boundary and into Thurrock in Essex. It covers much of the Rainham Marshes near to Rainham and Wennington and its area is 645 hectares.
The conservation park is being developed by the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation (LTGDC) along with The London Borough of Havering, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), the Mayor of London, Thurrock Council and the Thurruck Thames Gateway Development Corporation on land that is owned by the LTGDC, the London Borough of Havering, the RSPB, the Port of London Authority, Oldrealm Ltd and Cleanaway Ltd.
It was opened to the public in 2006 and plans for its future development were set out within a new joint publication, endorsed by Bill Oddie, which illustrates that the first phase of development is expected to be completed in 2008, following which subsequent phases are planned in order to develop the conservation park into a visitor attraction capable of attracting 1,000,000 visitors per annum when completed in 2023.
The conservation park is seen as a flagship new green space within the London Riverside section of the London Thames Gateway regeneration area. When complete, it will form a 6.4 km² (640 hectares / 1580 acres) conservation, recreation and amenity zone twice the size of Hampstead Heath.