A new town is being planned on the banks of the Thames in East London with the aim of providing 20,000 homes as well as schools, parks and other facilities at a cost of £400million
A new town creating as many as 20,000 homes at a cost of £400million could be built on the banks of the Thames in new plans proposed.
Barking Riverside Ltd (BRL), a partnership between the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and the L&Q housing association, has put forward the application for the project in East London.
So far there have already been 2,700 homes built on the 443 acre brownfield site that was once where Barking power station stood. More than £400million has been put into the project with permission to build a further 10,800 homes.
The idea is for there to be affordable housing built as well as two large parks called Ripple Park and River Park which would be 50-acres and 19-acres respectively.
Latest plans also include two more primary schools, a hotel, a communal care home, student accommodation and provision for future shops and businesses.
BRL submitted a New Outline Planning Application to Barking and Dagenham Council’s planning portal. If later approved by the council, the plans could eventually see 50,000 people living there, reported MyLondon.
Matthew Carpen, Managing Director of BRL, said: “Whilst Barking Riverside is a standout brownfield development that has already delivered vitally needed new homes, we also know places like Barking Riverside are truly about people and communities.
“As well as meeting the need for housing, with much of this being affordable, the new masterplan aims to maximise public benefit – both for the growing community here and the whole of east London.” Barking Riverside currently has planning permission to build up to 10,800 homes on the 443-acre site, which was once home to the historic 1920s Barking Power Station.
There are 1,000 homes under construction – according to planning documents and 6,594 homes are expected to be delivered as well as the 2,700 homes that have been built under current plans. The development has also seen four new schools and an ecology centre built on site, as well as a new bus route, Barking Riverside Overground station and Thames Clipper transport services for residents.
BRL said the latest plans are an opportunity “to build on progress” and could see the total number of homes built on site rise to 19,640. Mr Khan said Barking Riverside was a “prime example” of a new town in London and “an inspiring model of how to fix our housing crisis”. He added: “I’m determined to do everything in my power to continue boosting homebuilding across London, as part of my plan to build a fairer, more prosperous city for all Londoners.”
L&Q’s CEO, Fiona Fletcher-Smith praised Barking Riverside as a “solution” to the housing crisis. She said: “We believe Barking Riverside could be a blueprint for brownfield development across the country. None of this would be possible without partnerships, from L&Q and the Mayor of London to the many others contributing to the success of this place.
“Delivering the proposed new homes and infrastructure will be a wonderful next step at this exciting new neighbourhood.” A council spokesperson told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “Barking and Dagenham is London’s biggest growth opportunity, and we are pleased that private sector and public sector partners recognise the many opportunities in the area. This application will be assessed through our regular planning process.”
