Plan for new 2,000-home east London neighbourhood

The mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has confirmed plans for the redevelopment of industrial land in Rainham, east London, into a new 2,000-home neighbourhood.

Beam Park, a 29-hectare site, will also be home to a new rail station providing quick travel into central London station Fenchurch Street.

Around 35% of the housing is expected to be affordable housing delivered by a mix of tenures.

The new station is to be part-funded by £9m from Transport for London’s (TFL) Growth Fund and will be built by Network Rail, TFL and C2C Rail.

The mayor and his team are also to work with developers to provide a wide range of industrial premises to bring new jobs to the area.

Alex Williams, director of borough planning for TFL, commented that “transport links are key to supporting growth and regeneration across London”, aswell as unlocking developments such as Beam Park.

Darren Rodwell, leader of Barking and Dagenham Council said: “Barking and Dagenham is London’s growth opportunity. Beam Park and the adjacent Ford Stamping Plant comprise one of our six growth hubs which collectively will deliver 35,000 new homes and 10,000 new jobs by 2035. These sites have the potential for 2500 homes and will not only enjoy access to the new Beam Park Station but also convenient access to the existing Dagenham Dock Station.”

Beam Park sits within the London Riverside Opportunity Area, which aims for the creation of 26,500 new homes and up to 16,000 jobs across the boroughs of Barking and Dagenham and Havering.

The development is part of the mayor’s plan to build nearly half a million homes over the next ten years. The annoucement follows the release of other major land parcels including the Royal Docks and the 40 hectare industrial land portfolio in London Riverside.