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17 March 2009
Countryside Properties, the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and Metropolitan Housing Trust have achieved planning consent from the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham to develop over 370 affordable new homes at Lymington Fields. The 12.9-hectare former Further Education College site in the Chadwell Heath and Becontree area of Dagenham has been derelict since the 1990s. Consent comes with the finalisation of the terms of the Section 106 agreement.
The scheme, comprising a total of 600 mixed-tenure homes, has been designed by BPTW and WGI architects in two phases with six attractive character areas. The plans will create a vibrant new community and have a strong emphasis on low rise, traditional family housing and high quality public and private open spaces.
The scheme is being delivered as part of the HCA’s London-Wide Initiative (LWI), which seeks to fast track the provision of affordable housing for key workers in the capital. At Lymington Fields, 178 properties will be set aside for shared equity under the LWI and a further 194 affordable homes will be sold for shared ownership and general needs rent. A further 228 properties will be sold to owner occupiers.
Michael Hill, Business Development Director for Countryside Properties said: “We are delighted to be working with the HCA and Metropolitan to deliver this scheme as part of the London-Wide Initiative, which will provide nearly 200 homes for key workers as well as homes for social rent and shared ownership. The partnership’s design team has worked hard to deliver a scheme that exceeds planning policy requirements for sustainable development and is genuinely sensitive to the local community.”
The proposals greatly improve on a previous planning consent for the site, granted in 2003. A new access road will be created which will take traffic away from existing residents’ homes and a site for a new primary school will be provided. A 20% reduction in CO2 emissions compared to similar developments will be secured through renewable technologies such as biomass boilers (using organic fuels) and photovoltaic cells (to convert sunlight into electricity).
David Lunts, London Regional Director at the HCA, said: “The shortage of high-quality, affordable homes in London is a major issue, with many key workers struggling to get a foot on the property ladder. The London-Wide Initiative is an effective way of bridging the affordability gap and this development at Lymington Fields will offer a range of home ownership opportunities. We look forward to working with Countryside Properties and Metropolitan to deliver the regeneration needs of the local community.”
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Note for editors:
The HCA is the single, national housing and regeneration agency for England. We bring together the development and regeneration expertise of English Partnerships, investment functions of the Housing Corporation, and the Academy for Sustainable Communities, with major delivery programmes of Communities and Local Government.
Our role is to create opportunity for people to live in high quality, sustainable places. We provide funding for affordable housing, bring land back into productive use and improve quality of life by raising standards for the physical and social environment.
During the next three financial years the HCA controls a budget of £17.3bn.
www.homesandcommunities.co.uk
The London-Wide Initiative (LWI) is a government-backed scheme managed by The Homes and Communities Agency which enables key workers to buy their own home. The Homes and Communities Agency has purchased a range of 15 development sites across inner and greater London to deliver new, affordable homes. Under the Initiative, the government shares the costs and the benefits of homeownership with purchasers in order to make these homes more affordable.
Three development partners have been selected to work in partnership with The Homes and Communities Agency to deliver homes through the London-Wide Initiative; First Base, Key London Alliance and a consortium led by Countryside Properties plc.
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Information correct as at 17/03/2009