Southern Housing Group has welcomed its first residents into their new homes at Barking Riverside.
Construction on the block of six three bedroom houses was recently completed, marking the first of the Group’s 167 homes to be built in Stage One. The homes meet excellent design and sustainability standards with three allocated for social rent and another three for intermediate rent.
A further 105 of the Group’s social and intermediate rent homes are due for completion in 2012.
Resident Nikisha Lewis said she was delighted with her new home.
“I feel really excited to move into this property with my family, I grew up around this area so it is nice to come back and settle here.”
One of the largest development opportunities in London, Barking Riverside is a 443 acre site situated in the heart of Thames Gateway along the River Thames.
The Group is the affordable housing provider for the first four sites with a total of 114 social rent and 53 intermediate homes underway in Stage One. Affordable housing accounts for 42 per cent of homes on the first four sites.
Barking Riverside Ltd, a joint venture between the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and Bellway Homes, is working in partnership with the Group, London Thames Gateway Development Corporation (LTGDC) and the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham to deliver the 10,800 homes proposed for the site over the next 20 years.
Group Development Director, Dale Meredith, said the site was a major opportunity area for regeneration.
“Barking Riverside provides a best practice model for sustainable living in the 21st century with all homes meeting Level 4 of the Code for Sustainable Homes.
Our affordable properties are a mix of one, two and three bedroom flats as well as three and four bedroom houses, with over 80 per cent of housing within the first four sites catering for families. The development offers a mixed tenure, environmentally sustainable community and is an ideal location for those seeking affordable family homes with easy access to Central London.”
The high quality homes are complemented by the recently completed Rivergate Centre. This community amenity includes a new primary school and proposals for retail and healthcare facilities as well as space to support social enterprise.
With 40 per cent of the site designated as open green space, the development also incorporates a range of environmental measures including green roofs and a proposed ecology park.
Further information on Barking Riverside can be found at http://barkingriverside.co.uk/.