L&Q and Countryside get planning consent for 947 more homes at Beam Park
L&Q, one of the largest housing associations in the country, and Countryside Partnerships, the UK’s leading mixed-tenure developer, have secured planning approval for nearly 4,000 homes at their over £1bn Beam Park regeneration scheme in Rainham, Essex, of which 50% will be affordable.
L&Q and Countryside Partnerships (part of Vistry Group) have received planning consent from the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham for a hybrid application for phases B-G of Beam Park. The new plans include an uplift of 947 homes, meaning that when added to the two phases already delivered, 3,947 homes will be created in total, comprised of 50% affordable homes and 25% family homes in a mix of 1, 2, 3 and 4-bedroom units. Phases B-G of Beam Park are the final phases for the wider development and are due to be completed by 2035.
As part of the transformation of the derelict site of a former Ford manufacturing plant into a new and vibrant community, 828 homes have now been delivered in the first two phases of Beam Park, located in the London Borough of Havering. L&Q and Countryside Partnerships are also providing extensive community facilities in these phases including a new nursery, medical centre, retail spaces and primary school.
Designed by award-winning architects Patel Taylor, the new plans will also deliver a brand-new 2.5-hectare public park on the western side of Beam Park which includes a green square the size of the London Olympic Velodrome. The new application will deliver over 58% open space on the previously inaccessible brownfield site, and by working to provide valuable habitats for local wildlife will result in a biodiversity net gain of over 350% at Beam Park.
To further improve transport links in the area, Section 106 contributions from L&Q and Countryside Partnerships will now total approximately £12m, which includes a £900,000 increase in bus route contributions to Transport for London (TfL) to improve transport links throughout the development. The new planning application will also improve pedestrian and cycle routes throughout Beam Park, enabling residents to prioritise active travel.
L&Q and Countryside Partnerships also remain committed to working with the GLA, London Borough of Havering and wider national stakeholders on the delivery of the Beam Park station, with further technical work currently being carried out by Network Rail which will likely continue for most of 2024.
This new masterplan also reinforces the delivery of Beam Park’s second primary school, which is currently being designed by the Department for Education, which will be delivered alongside the site’s second energy centre and 3,508 sq m of commercial, community, and leisure space.
Darren Parker, Director of Development and Regeneration at L&Q, commented:
“We are delighted to have been given the green light for this crucial stage of development at Beam Park. At L&Q, our mission is to create homes and neighbourhoods everyone can be proud of and this is exactly what we’ve been able to deliver at Beam Park together with our partners at Countryside.
"As well as this important planning milestone, our placemaking efforts have led to the recent opening of a new Sainsburys store in the new neighbourhood, a Multi-Use Games Area and the completion of a new medical centre - which will open soon.”
Stephen Teagle, CEO of Countryside Partnership (Part of Vistry Group), said:
“Together with our partners L&Q, we are delighted to have received approval for our revised plans for the final phases of Beam Park, which will build on the incredible transformation that has taken place so far on the first two phases of development.
“Our revised plans for Beam Park will optimise the site’s capacity for housing delivery, and with 50% of all homes being affordable, will make a significant contribution to meeting local housing needs and towards Barking & Dagenham’s housing targets. We are committed to playing our part in improving housing affordability in the area.
“Importantly the planning consent means that we can bring forward the early delivery of 500 quality new homes at Beam Park, with a variety of designs and we will also be providing community facilities for the use of local people as part of our commitment to placemaking.”
Caroline Harper, Deputy Managing Director at Be First, added:
“Be First’s statutory planning service is pleased to have worked with Countryside in securing planning permission for 3,119 new homes as part of this new development. This includes an uplift of 947 homes. Half of these will be affordable homes and many large enough to be family homes, which we know are needed in the Borough.
"The site will also include a large amount of green space, improved bus routes and a new school. Its homes are supported by infrastructure and therefore good place-making. We’re proud to have helped make this happen, and it underlines our commitment to making Barking & Dagenham a great place in which to live and work.”
Andrew Taylor, Patel Taylor, commented:
“Beam Park sits at the centre of a regeneration framework, it’s at the heart of a vast area undergoing significant change. Unlike most opportunity areas there was little context and the masterplan therefore needed to reconnect to create new settings and character areas where none existed. A successful masterplan needs to consider how the place may transform and evolve; it is based on principles of design starting with people, the public realm, and finally buildings.
“Patel Taylor is proud to deliver the final phases of the Beam Park development together with L&Q and Countryside Partnerships, building upon the successful delivery of the first two phases of the development.
"Our integrated approach to architecture, landscape and urban design proposes a framework that repairs and creates a sense of place within a new sustainable community. New high-quality community facilities including a new school and accessible green spaces provide areas for recreation, benefiting the local community. Beam Park will provide a variety of high-quality affordable and family homes within the Borough of Barking and Dagenham creating a huge catalyst for regeneration in the area. Beam Park will be a magnificent place.”