First residents move into Beam Park as former Ford factory site shifts up a gear
The first residents of Beam Park, the 3,000-home regeneration scheme in east London, have now moved into their new homes. Construction has also begun on the second phase of the £1bn regeneration scheme being delivered by Countryside, the UK’s leading mixed-tenure developer, and L&Q, one of the UK’s leading housing associations, which is transforming a former Ford manufacturing plant into a new and vibrant destination.
Five families have now moved into their new homes in the first phase of the development, with an estimated 17 homes due to be occupied before the end of the year. Expected to complete in 2022, the first phase of Beam Park is delivering 640 new homes, a primary school and a new park which will include play areas for children and serve as an exciting community space for residents.
New residents, Carley and Andrew Monk commented: “We were one of, if not the first, to exchange contracts at Beam Park, and we’re delighted to have now moved in. You can already see how the new community is springing up, and while coronavirus has made things a bit more difficult, there’s already quite a big community spirit here. We don’t intend to move for a long time, so it’s going to be really nice to watch the area grow around us and become more established.”
Construction has also started on Phase 2 of the development, which will deliver 514 homes and is expected to complete in 2023. This means there is now a total of 1,154 homes under construction across the 29-hectare site. Crucially, 50% of the homes being delivered at Beam Park will be affordable, making a significant contribution towards tackling the housing crisis in London.
When complete in 2030, the site will have extensive facilities including a new c2c railway station, two schools, retail spaces, a gym, a nursery, a multi-faith centre and two state-of-the-art energy centres. 44% of the development has been allocated for publicly accessible green space, which includes a three-hectare central park in the heart of the development with the River Beam running through it.
Kevin Delve, Managing Director, Partnerships East London, Countryside, said: “We’re so proud to have welcomed our first residents to the promising new community at Beam Park. This is a very significant milestone in our transformation of a derelict site into a thriving new neighbourhood, and we’re looking forward to welcoming further residents before Christmas.
“Even though we’ve been here working every day, we’ve still been amazed by the scale of the transformation at Beam Park, with over 1,000 homes currently under construction. This is a real achievement given that we only started on site one-and-a-half years ago, and testament to the hard work and expertise of our team.”
Vicky Savage, London Managing Director at L&Q, added: “It’s amazing to see the first residents moving in at Beam Park – it doesn’t feel so long ago since we put the first spade in the ground.
“We’re delighted that the new residents here share our vision for this neighbourhood. From these early stages, we’re looking forward to seeing the community here grow from strength to strength – as we continue to bring forward new homes, community facilities and transport connections over the coming years.”
One-bedroom apartments to three-bedroom duplexes are available at Beam Park, with prices starting from £285,000 and Help to Buy available on selected plots. A new collection of houses launches in January, with three- and four-bedroom houses available with private gardens.
L&Q will be launching the first phase of Shared Ownership properties in early 2021, helping to make it possible for first-time buyers and families to get on the property ladder.
Beam Park is located on Cortina Drive, Rainham, Essex, RM13 8DH. The marketing suite is open seven days a week from 10am to 5pm. For more information, call Countryside on 020 3733 1592 or visit www.beampark.com