Countryside and L&Q agree deal to ‘speed up’ 3,000-home regen scheme

Countryside and L&Q have forward sold 963 homes to a local authority in a move which they say will accelerate delivery of a mammoth East London regeneration project.

Barking & Dagenham Council has agreed a deal to acquire the homes which will be built as part of three future phases of the 3,000-home Beam Park scheme.

Half of the homes will be for affordable tenures, including shared ownership, London living rent and affordable rent, and the other half will be for market rent.

The first two phases of the Beam Park scheme, on a 72-acre site of a former Ford manufacturing plant, are already under development, with 1,154 homes under construction of which 235 homes are now completed.

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The site straddles the London boroughs of Barking & Dagenham and Havering.

Ed Skeates, development director at Barking & Dagenham council’s regeneration company Be First, said: “So far all the works have been in Havering and with this deal we have been able to accelerate the project significantly and will now see the development start in Barking & Dagenham on a major scale.”

The scheme, spanning a 72-acre site, will also include two schools, shops, a gym, nursery, multi-faith centre and two energy centres. The project includes a 3.5 hectare park through which the River Beam will run.