Masterplan approved for 10,000 new homes in Barking

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has approved a master plan for the single largest regeneration site in the capital.

He has given his consent to the plan to develop up to 10,000 new homes in Barking Riverside on a 180-hectare brownfield site on the northern banks of the River Thames where as many as 50% of the homes could be classified as affordable.

The affordable homes include options to rent and first-time mortgage buyer homes across a mixture of one, two and three-bedroom homes. This is in line with the Mayor’s long-term target that 50% of affordable housing should be included in new developments, up from the previous Mayor’s target of 28%.

The Barking Riverside development still operates under the existing London Plan set by Boris Johnson, but Khan has agreed a scheme that includes a minimum of 35% affordable from the start with provisions to raise this to 50% in the future through additional investment and viability reviews.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “Barking Riverside has enormous potential to deliver thousands of the much-needed homes Londoners so urgently need.

“I’ve made it clear that tackling London’s housing crisis is my number-one priority. Fixing this problem will be a marathon, not a sprint, but developments like this one will play a huge part in our efforts to provide genuinely affordable homes to buy and rent.

“Our next task is to ensure this development includes the facilities and infrastructure which will make this a fantastic place to live and to visit, rather than simply a housing development.”

By July 2016, 734 new homes have been built under stage one of the earlier masterplan, with a further 414 new homes under construction and due to be completed by next summer.

Leader of Barking and Dagenham Council, Councillor Darren Rodwell, said: “We welcome the Mayor’s approval for Barking Riverside masterplan. This is a key part of the regeneration jigsaw, not just for Barking and Dagenham but for London as a whole.

“It will undoubtedly make an enormous contribution to solving part of the capital’s housing crisis and we are determined to create an attractive and prosperous new community there.

“This borough has a very exciting and ambitious growth programme, which includes the delivery of over 45,000 new homes and 10,000 new jobs over the next ten years.”

The site is owned by Barking Riverside Ltd, a joint venture between the Greater London Authority (GLA) and the housing association L&Q.

Chief Executive of London & Quadrant (L&Q), David Montague, said: “L&Q is committed to delivering homes, across a range of incomes, that are genuinely affordable for everyone. The revised masterplan approval helps us achieve this goal.

“The potential of Barking Riverside is enormous and for L&Q it is a significant step forward in delivering on its promise to build 100,000 homes over the next decade.”

The new masterplan paves the way for a further 9,652 homes to be built along with other facilities including a new train station and transport interchange, though this is subject to an inquiry scheduled for 18 October 2016.

Until the 1990s, the Barking Riverside site was home to three power stations and a large landfill site