Half of Barking Riverside homes could be ‘affordable’ says Sadiq Khan

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan. PA images (Image: PA Wire/Press Association Images)

The Mayor of London approved a new masterplan for the capital’s single largest regeneration site, which will create 9,652 homes on 180 hectares of brownfield land.

A target of 50 per cent affordable housing has been set for the development across the mix of one, two and three-bedroom homes, with an initial guaranteed minimum of 35pc.

Plans under previous Mayor Boris Johnson included only 28 per cent affordable housing.

“Barking Riverside has enormous potential to deliver thousands of the much-needed homes Londoners so urgently need,” Mr Khan said.

“I’ve made it clear that tackling London’s housing crisis is my number-one priority.

“Fixing this problem will be a marathon, not a sprint, but developments like this will play a huge part in our efforts to provide genuinely affordable homes to buy and rent.”

The affordable homes will include options for renters and first-time buyers.

The new plans also pave the way for a new train station and transport interchange.

A total of 734 new homes had been built by July, with a further 414 set for completion by next summer.

Council leader Cllr Darren Rodwell said: “This is a key part of the regeneration jigsaw, not just for Barking and Dagenham but for London as a whole.

“It will undoubtedly make an enormous contribution to solving part of the capital’s housing crisis and we are determined to create an attractive and prosperous new community there.”