After years of planning, it was in September 2016 that Mayor Sadiq Khan finally approved the masterplan for Barking Riverside, a development bringing over 10,000 new homes to this fast-changing part of east London.
“I’ve made it clear that tackling London’s housing crisis is my number-one priority,” said Khan. “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.”
As the leader of Barking and Dagenham Council, Cllr Darren Rodwell, said at the time, this project is huge yet only a part of even larger-scale plans for the borough, one of the capital’s most neglected for many years.“This is a key part of the regeneration jigsaw, not just for Barking and Dagenham but for London as a whole,” he remarked. “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. We are committed to ensuring that no-one is left behind. These homes should serve local residents too and therefore providing affordable housing is key.”
Varsha Patel, PR, events and marketing manager for Barking Riverside London, is delighted the green light has been given on many areas of regeneration for this Thameside part of the borough: “[It] will offer 10,800 homes and over 65,000 sqm of retail, commercial and leisure space, plus a new London Overground station, connecting commuters to the City in 22 minutes. Once completed it will become a London destination, the size of Windsor, which will integrate design principles that promote healthy lifestyles and culture. There is already a really strong community here at Barking Riverside. We anticipate that this, combined with the fantastic facilities being developed here and its tranquil riverside location, will be a big draw for prospective purchasers.”
Bellway is one of the major housebuilders operating at this huge development. Gemma Bannister, divisional sales manager at Bellway Homes Essex, says of the company’s involvedment with the scheme: “I have no doubt that this area is going to go from strength to strength over the next decade. The council are determined to upgrade schooling, improve health and wellbeing. They are also intent on ensuring that communities can thrive by investing in homes. This mirrors our ambitions for the area and the prospect of a railway extension in the future this will undoubtedly raise the areas wealth and profile.”
Other parts of Barking are also undergoing significant redevelopment to reach the target of homes over the coming decade. The area’s existing transport links on National Rail, Overground and Underground, along with proximity to the Crossrail scheme that launches from 2018, are just part of the appeal, as it is also within easy reach of Stratford in neighbouring Newham, where transformation before and after the Olympic Games of 2012 has made it a great example of what regeneration projects of this size can achieve.
With central London now so expensive, even the surge in prices in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham over the past few years have not affected its affordability in relative terms to the rest of Greater London. Linda Faucher, sales and marketing director at developer NU living; “We wanted to deliver high-quality homes in Zone 4 at an affordable price, and we are delighted to have accomplished this.”
Among the new homes for sale in Barking now are:
Bellway Homes is another company hard at work at Barking Riverside and it is currently offering a collection of apartments available with the Help to Buy London initiative, requiring just a 5% deposit and providing a 40% equity loan to reduce mortgage payments. With one-, two- and three-bedroom options to choose from, prices at Caspian Quarter start at £244,995, £289,995 and £344,995 respectively. Buyers will find high-quality fixtures and finishes throughout.
360º is a development with a very contemporary design that has already won many fans in this part of London, with 95% of the first phase already sold. Prices start at £295,000 for the apartments in these four towers, and all residents get exclusive use of a rooftop garden and ground floor spa to add to their own personal space. The specification from housebuilder NU living includes underfloor heating and engineered wood flooring, as well as integrated kitchen appliances and private balconies. The development is just a few minutes’ walk from the new planned town centre.
One of the UK’s largest housing associations, L&Q, is currently building PRS [private rented sector] homes at Barking Riverside but in 2018, it will be bringing its first homes for sale at this development.
Currently under way north of Barking Riverside is Thames View East, with nearly 1,600 new homes promised in all. A wide spectrum of buyers is being targeted, with one- to three-bedroom apartments and three- and four-bedroom houses suitable for single buyers, couples, families and downsizers.
Transforming the old Gascoigne Estate into Weavers Quarter is developer East Thames Group, which will bring nearly 1,600 new homes to the area by 2024 as well as new primary and secondary schools, a range of office and retail space, a community centre and play areas. Expect homes to rent alongside Shared Ownership and open-market properties for sale. Phase 1 started in 2015, bringing the first 421 homes and a public square to the site.
Housebuilder Lovell has released a second phase of homes at Lymington Mews in Dagenham, just a little east of central Barking. The development is providing a mix of one- and two-bedroom apartments and two- to four-bedroom houses that are under 20 minutes’ walk from Chadwell Heath station, currently served by TFL Overground and soon to be on the Crossrail/Elizabeth Line with fast connection into and through central London. Like WhatHouse? newspaper, Lymington Mews is on the shortlist for a prize at this year’s First Time Buyers Readers’ Awards.
Essex-based and multi-award-winning housebuilder Weston Homes is building 118 one- and two-bedroom apartments in Barking, with a launch planned for summer/autumn 2017. Rivermill Lofts will be set over two buildings, with each unit having its own outdoor space as a balcony or terrace and large windows and open-plan designs to make the most of natural light. Close to the centre of Barking, the development also comes with parking and cycle storage.
Barnardo Developments, Site Sales and the Pure Lake Group are working together on Barnardo’s Garden Village a little further north in Barkingside, with a mix of converted homes and new build close to Central Line connections into the capital