A pharmacy is set to open at the borough’s newest estate following calls from residents.

Britannia Pharmacy will open a 1,000sq ft branch in Barking Riverside by the start of November – the first health centre in the area.

The Minter Road shop will initially employ four people and have consultation rooms in addition to prescription collection and delivery services.

Company director Gurdev Channa, 63, revealed plans had been in place for more than a year, but it had taken that long to get planning permission from the Department for Health.

“We’re really excited about opening because we’ve been working towards this for a while,” he said.

“There are about four or five thousand people in walking distance and they don’t have any sort of health centre at the moment.”

Residents will be able to access health consultations for a variety of minor issues, without appointment.

The pharmacy will open next door to the estate’s only convenience store, which is also set for a change.

The My Local store faced an uncertain future following the collapse of the convenience chain, but will now become a Nisa branch.

Originally owned by Morrison’s, it will continue to run as a My Local store until an official re-opening is announced.