Be First, the urban regeneration arm of Barking and Dagenham Council, celebrated the ‘topping out’ of 149 new, sustainably heated, homes as part of the redevelopment of the council-owned Transport House site. The topping out ceremony saw the completion of the building’s frame with key project partners and several local councillors, including the new Leader of Barking and Dagenham Council, Cllr Dominic Twomey.
The Transport House site, formerly home to Unite Trade Union, and the adjoining car park is being transformed into brand new homes for residents. Barking and Dagenham Council’s commitment to boosting affordable housing is clear, with more than half the number of new homes available at either London affordable rent or affordable rent.
The project has been designed with energy efficiency in mind, and homes will be heated by air source heat pumps. The move to use full Modern Methods of Construction will lead to a significant reduction in the development’s carbon footprint as air source heat pumps in a residential setting use up to 20% less CO2 than gas boilers and up to 70% less than electric systems. Homes will also be cheaper to heat meaning reduced energy bills for residents.
The work has been completed in partnership with contractor Hollybrook, and this is the second collaboration between Be First and Hollybrook, having successfully delivered the 90-home Chequers Lane development in 2022.
Leader of Barking and Dagenham Council, Cllr Dominic Twomey, said: “We’re dedicated to delivering the highest quality homes for people in Barking and Dagenham, and the sustainable homes being delivered at Transport House will help residents reduce their energy bills in warm, comfortable, and healthy homes. topping out of Transport House is the latest in a string of events celebrating significant milestones in the regeneration of Barking and Dagenham.”
Tim Porter, Director of Delivery at Be First said: “The topping out of Transport House is the latest in a string of events celebrating significant milestones in the regeneration of Barking and Dagenham. Be First has completed over 600 homes so far this financial year, and we’re well on the way to completing hundreds more homes, helping local residents get onto the housing ladder with more energy efficient and cheaper to run homes.”
Kevin Parsons, Development Director of Hollybrook said: “Hollybrook is thrilled to collaborate with Be First once again. The assembly of this site was complex and challenging and was only possible through close co-operation and mutual support of both Be First and Hollybrook. It is another good example of public/private partnership at its best. This development will result in affordable and sustainable homes of the highest quality. By utilising Modern Methods of Construction, we’ve ensured the process is as sustainable as it can be. With 60% of the building constructed off-site, we’ve minimised disruption to our neighbours, significantly reduced our vehicle movements and carbon footprint. Additionally, we’ve saved approximately 25% of on-site time while maintaining quality control and consistency in the products used in the development. We look forward to working again with Be First on other regeneration projects in the future”.
