The Mayor of London has confirmed plans for an empty piece of industrial land in Rainham to be transformed into a new neighbourhood with thousands of homes and a train station with easy access to central London, accelerating the regeneration of east London and opening the way to the creation of thousands of new jobs. A 29-hectare site in Beam Park, bisected by the Beam River, is one of the largest areas of land earmarked for new development currently owned by the Mayor of London and the last major site released for development. It is thought that the area could host close to 2000 new homes with the potential for up to 5000 in associated nearby developments. In concert with a brand new rail station, Beam Park is set to become a highly-connected residential hub for the fast-growing east London region. London’s Deputy Mayor for Housing and Land, Richard Blakeway, said: “The development of Beam Park will result in a vibrant new neighbourhood with major transport links, providing a new locus of jobs, activity and growth for south Dagenham and east London. We’re looking for some truly visionary proposals in response to this exciting opportunity.” Beam Park rail station will provide a rapid 20-minute link into Fenchurch Street in the heart of the City, giving residents a quick trip into work and also encouraging businesses to move into the area. The station is fully funded and will be built in partnership with Network Rail, Transport for London and C2C Rail, and has been awarded £9 million from TfL’s Growth Fund. The Fund is designed to provide targeted investment in transport improvements to help unlock regeneration areas across the Capital, in instances where funding is difficult to secure from other sources. Transport for London’s Director of Borough Planning, Alex Williams, said: ““Excellent transport links are key to supporting growth and regeneration across London. Beam Park is a prime example of how TfL is using its Growth Fund to work with the GLA and the boroughs to secure the delivery of transport schemes that will unlock development.” Councillor 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.” Cllr Roger Ramsay, Leader of Havering Council said: “The news from the Mayor of London that the Beam Park development is set to go ahead is wonderful. I am delighted that residents in the Rainham area will see a dramatic improvement in the provision of homes and jobs, and significantly improved transport links.” The Mayor is now asking members of his London Development Panel to provide him with proposals on how to best develop the site into a new residential area and vibrant neighbourhood with close to 2000 high-quality mixed homes. Thirty-five per cent of the development is expected to deliver affordable housing, through a mix of tenures. The Mayor has pledged to exit all areas of land currently owned by City Hall by the end of his mayoral term in 2016. Beam Park follows the release of other major parcels of land including the Royal Docks in east London, the 10.6 hectare Stephenson Street site near West Ham station and the 40 hectare industrial land portfolio in London Riverside. Development proposals should include well-thought out connections to bus, pedestrian and cycle routes on top of the Beam Park station to maximise transport options for residents. The site is also a five-minute drive to the M25 via the A13, and is surrounded by open green spaces. The new station will support the Mayor’s wider aspirations to improve the employment opportunities in the Rainham area. His team will work with development partners to provide a wide range of industrial premises which are expected to bring new jobs to the area. 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 will help to achieve the Mayor’s London Plan target of building nearly half a million homes over the next ten years. To achieve these ambitious goals the Mayor will designate up to 20 Housing Zones across London to speed up development, which will deliver 50,000 new homes and over 100,000 associated jobs in the next ten years. In May 2015 the first allocations of the Mayor’s £200 million Housing Bank were announced, which will provide low-cost loans to enable homes to be brought forward faster than would otherwise be the case. The Mayor is also on track to see 100,000 affordable homes built over his two terms, with 94,000 completed already, and more affordable homes completed last year than any since 1981.
Created on
09 June 2015