Joint venture named for Thames Gateway project

English Partnerships, the national regeneration agency, and Bellway Homes, one of the largest volume housebuilders in the UK, will be partners in a new Joint Venture company to be established for the development of Barking Reach - a 150 hectare brownfield site in the Thames Gateway.

The unique partnership between the public and private sector will see English Partnerships and Bellway sharing investment costs and preparing the land for the regeneration scheme.

Bellway will act as developer for many of the new homes on site and will project manage for the Joint Venture the infrastructure works for the new community.

Proposals currently being drawn up by the Dutch project master planners Maxwan will create a sustainable community of over 10,000 new mixed tenure homes that meet the needs of both affordable and private residents.

In addition, major transport improvements, community facilities, new schools, employment opportunities and the enhancement of over 2km of river frontage will be created. The development of the new sustainable community is expected to take 15 years.

The first details of the Master Plan, which has been jointly sponsored by Bellway, English Partnerships and the London Development Agency working in partnership with the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, will be available for public consultation early in the New Year, and is expected to be complete by next spring.