Barking and Dagenham Borough Council has approved proposals for 200 new homes to be built on the Gascoigne Estate in Barking.
Councillors from the planning committee gave the green light to the first part of the plan to redevelop the estate in a meeting earlier this month.
In total, 850 new homes will be built to replace the current Gascoigne Estate, with the specifics for the second and third phases yet to be approved.
The first wave of the redevelopment will see 96 homes let at the London Affordable Rent rate, 79 homes will be privately rented and the current 25 council homes on the estate will be replaced with 26 new homes.
As well as the new homes, a play area, electric car charging points and 360 bike spaces have been designed, whilst solar panels will also be included to help reduce the estate’s energy use and impact on the environment.
Approval was given despite opposition to the redevelopment from the Barking and Dagenham Heritage and Conservation Group, who were concerned that the development could threaten the amount of light that would reach the historic Barking Abbey and its grounds.
Gascoigne Ward’s Cllr Dominic Twomey claimed the council was between a rock and a hard place when it came to protecting heritage and trying to alleviate the housing crisis.
He said: “We have an awareness of the heritage, but we also have an awareness of the biggest housing crisis that this country has faced. We have to take into account the part that we play in that.
“At the moment, that social housing on the Gascoigne Estate hasn’t stood up to the test of time. It’s the best possible way forward for the residents, both current and new.”
