Barking and Dagenham Councillors granted outline planning permission earlier this week (11 June) for an exciting 850 home development on the Gascoigne West estate, in Barking.
The proposal, which involves demolishing and replacing 179 flats bordering St Pauls Road and Abbey Road, Barking, will also mean an extra 671 homes are built, with more than 40% at rents below market rent levels, and shared ownership.
Planners recommended approval of the £250 million project, pointing out that the development would result in much-needed regeneration comparable to the award-winning redesign of the Gascoigne East estate, promising significantly more and better-quality housing, in a mix of sizes, in a safer and healthier designed environment.
Pat Hayes, Managing Director of Be First, the council’s pioneering development company which is leading the project, said: “We aim to surpass the quality and design standards that we have set at Gascoigne East, offering hundreds of badly needed, new homes for local people at a range of rent levels and prices.
“This is a huge milestone for this exciting project, which will make much better use of the space, with more traditional street patterns and green spaces.”
The project team will now be starting to generate the detailed designs, and a further planning application is expected late 2018 with work on site estimated to begin in 2019.
Existing residents are being offered help to move and the chance to return if they wish.
Councillor Cameron Geddes, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Social Housing, said: “It is fantastic to see good quality proposals being drawn up that capture a mixture of realistic renting and affordable buying opportunities for local residents.”
During the first six months of the flats going on sale, the properties will be subject to restrictions that will stop individuals or companies from buying more than one.
Cllr Geddes added: “We recognise the difficulties people face in getting on the property ladder and we are determined to try and prevent people coming here and buying up lots of flats that they have no intention of living in so it’s residents first and foremost who benefit.”
