A “topping out” ceremony took place for a new council housing complex for low-cost rental flats and town houses for 70 families.

Newcombe House, next to the newly-completed Padnall Lake development in Marks Gate, is being built by Barking and Dagenham Council’s 'Be First' regeneration wing.

It has 26 three-bedroom town houses and 44 flats of one and two bedrooms at “affordable” rent, expected to be ready by 2024.

“We aren’t just building flats,” deputy council leader Cllr Saima Ashraf explained. “This includes town houses so families can stay local, with our promise for more affordable housing.”

The area around Chadwell Heath’s Padnall Lake is being revamped. The lake has been cleaned to improve biodiversity, with new cycling and walking paths laid out and public open spaces created.

Work started in 2021 and is expected to be completed in May next year, with a “move in” date for tenants by the end of 2024.

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