Plans to demolish Barking’s Gascoigne Estate West and replace it with a raft of new private residences have been given the green light.
In what has been a cause for controversy in some quarters, plans for the new development, which is also set to include a commercial space and energy centre, were passed by Barking and Dagenham Council’s planning committee six votes to one abstention.
At present, the Gascoigne Estate West is comprised of 179 homes, with more than 50 per cent owned by the council. The estate was built during the 1960s and has been earmarked for demolition for some time.
The plans for the new development propose 850 new flats in total to ‘optimise’ density. Of these, 97 are intended for social or half the market rate rent levels; 90 will be classed as ‘affordable’ at 80 per cent of the rental market value; 174 will be shared ownership; and the remaining flats are all set to be sold privately.
To prevent an influx of buy-to-let landlords, sales will be restricted to one flat per individual or company for the first six months. The deputy leader of Barking and Dagenham Council, Dominic Twomey, is pressing for this to be extended to 12 months, saying: “We don’t want to see people coming in and buying a number of these and renting them out.”
Commenting on the decision to allow planning permission, Mr Twomey said: “I’m glad to see we have good quality regeneration and design. I’m quite happy with the mixture of rents and affordable.”
He added: “Regeneration will be really good for the area.”
