Image: The project will create a new nature/arts hub

Actor David Suchet is fronting a new campaign to regenerate an historic east London dock near the capital's Olympic Park through the creation of a "crowd-funded" nature and arts hub.

Cody Dock, an area of industrial land on the River Lea, is to be rejuvenated without the help of government funding under plans drawn up by the Gasworks Dock Partnership charity.

Suchet - the man who played television detective Poirot for more than two decades - said the project will reinvent the dock as a new hub for artists and boaters among others.

Members of the public can pledge support towards the proposals through Spacehive.com, a website set up to back community building projects affected by the economic downturn.

More than £56,000 has already been raised but the campaign is nearing its funding deadline and requires a further £83,000 in order to proceed with the 2.5-acre (1-hectare) scheme.

Suchet said: "One of London's most historic docks currently sits behind lock and key in a neglected corner of the capital. This brilliant grassroots project will reinvent it as a vibrant home for artists, entrepreneurs, and boaters."

Spacehive.com founder Chris Gourlay said: "Cody Dock is a great example of how communities can use crowd-funding to cut through the inertia of the planning system."

One example of how crowd-funded schemes are making a difference is Luchtsingel, which is set to transform an area of central Rotterdam, the Netherlands, after it won the city's Stadsinitiatief.

The Luchtsingel project follows the success of The High Line in New York City, US, which has converted a former 1930s rail line into an eco-friendly park above the city's streets.

To read more about the success of The High Line in New York City, US, see Leisure Management 2012 Issue 1, p32

For more on New York-based dot.com Kickstarter, the world's largest crowd-funding platform for creative projects, see Leisure Management 2012 Issue 1, p46

Details: www.spacehive.com/codydock