A huge “new town” in east London has been given the green light in a bid to tackle the capital’s housing crisis.
Barking and Dagenham council last night signed off plans to expand the Barking Riverside development to 20,000 homes.
Two schools and space for hotels, a care home, shops, pubs, bars, parks, offices and student accommodation, were also officially signed off as part of the project.
Barking Riverside Ltd, a partnership between the Mayor of London and housing association L&Q, had already received approval for nearly 7,000 properties.
The overall capacity for the site, previously occupied by Barking Power Station, has now doubled from just over 10,000 to 20,000 homes as a result of the approval.
Around 50,000 people, the population of Winchester, will be able live in the development on the 443 acres of brownfield land, an area larger than Hyde Park.
Over 4,000 of the homes will be “affordable” once it is completed, Barking Riverside Ltd said.
Deputy Mayor for Housing and Residential Development Tom Copley said: “Barking Riverside is one of the most significant and exciting housing developments not just in London but anywhere in the UK.
“It is a fantastic example of a major brownfield regeneration, supported by City Hall and partners, which is delivering for the local community in this vibrant part of east London.
“I welcome the news that the Barking Riverside story is set to enter its next phase, ensuring thousands of more high-quality and affordable homes for Londoners in the coming years as we continue to build a better and fairer capital for everyone.”
Most of the properties in the development will be flats, but a minimum of 25% of the social housing units must be family sized.
New home starts in London have slumped 30%, official figures in January revealed.
Data show there were an estimated 4,220 new home starts in the capital in the year to September 2025, down from 6,000 in the previous 12 months.
Fiona Fletcher-Smith, Group Chief Executive at L&Q, said: “Delivering well-designed affordable homes and community infrastructure at scale at Barking Riverside represents our long-term plans to tackle the housing crisis in London.
“We believe it could be a blueprint for brownfield development across the country.
“This milestone reflects the ambition of the partnerships involved, from L&Q and the Mayor of London to the many others contributing to the success of the project.
““Delivering these new homes and infrastructure will be an exciting next step, creating a sustainable new neighbourhood in the capital, where communities can thrive for generations to come.”
