It’s a slice of luxurious Thames riverside living with green features and plenty of additions to look forward to. We take a look at Barking Riverside’s ongoing development and future plans for the area.
FAQs
What is the Barking Riverside development?
Barking Riverside is another important example of the wider trend of urban regeneration across London. The site for the mixed-use residential and commercial development used to be a power station which closed in 1981. After years of being disused brownfield land, The Greater London Authority partnered with developer Bellway Homes to bring it to life.
The Barking Riverside development project saw 900 new homes constructed under Bellway and the first residents moved in during 2012. However, the planning permission for 10,800 homes was dependent on providing adequate public transport links for the whole community. The plan was always to do this by partnering with TfL and extending the London Overground Line to Barking Riverside.
When will the Barking Riverside Overground station be ready?
Finally, after so much disruption and delay, the new Barking Riverside station is open. This major extension of the London Overground now connects passengers to central London in as little as 22 minutes and to Barking in just seven minutes. This is a major benefit for Barking Riverside residents. The new station gives everyone in the expanding development easy access to both the eastern and western branches of the overground via Gospel Oak.
Also, the completion of the new station will encourage the building of potentially thousands of new homes at Barking Riverside. This process has started already. Current project owners L&Q have partnered with the Mayor of London. They are finalising plans to bring the area up to 10,000 homes.
What are Barking Riverside schools like?
As the development expands, the need for accessing top-quality schooling is on the rise. There are currently three schools serving the area and you can use this London.gov.uk app to check them out in detail. There’s also a Special Educational Needs (SEN) school as well as two private nurseries.
Of all the Barking Riverside schools, Riverside School is the most conveniently placed for most residents. Riverside’s primary school received a ‘good‘ rating from Ofsted while in its most recent inspection, the secondary part of the school was rated ‘outstanding‘. The reports highlight the generally exemplary behaviour of students, as well as excellent safeguarding procedures and provisions for disadvantaged students.
What are Barking Riverside’s green features?
Barking Riverside is a sustainable development project. This is the general direction of urban regeneration for London and other major UK cities in general. While more homes are needed across the capital, building responsibly while bearing environmental issues in mind is something everyone wants to see happen.
This is why Barking Riverside has a number of green features prominently on display, including:
- A pioneering automated underground waste disposal system called Envac.
- The Wilds Ecology Centre, due to open this year, where community organisations and a local university will work with residents to increase the knowledge and understanding of Barking Riverside’s unique wildlife.
- Systems for harvesting and storing rainwater.
- Green roofs for protecting wildlife habitats.
- Advanced drainage systems, used to grow plants and provide irrigation.
- 41% of the development is open space, linked with cycle routes, footpaths and parkland.
What is a ‘Healthy New Town’?
Barking Riverside has been developed with a particular focus on health and wellbeing, and it’s London’s only ‘Healthy New Town’. This is an NHS-led project to develop spaces and communities that encourage residents to priorities their physical and mental health. Barking Riverside incorporates events, facilities and open spaces that facilitate healthier lifestyles of residents.
Barking Riverside also includes a new ‘Wellbeing Hub’. The venue includes a GP surgery, a gym, community activities and a state-of-the-art water park, all designed to help residents improve their mental and physical health.
What new homes at Barking Riverside are available?
While we may have to wait until later in 2023 to see some major movement with this ongoing project, there’s still plenty to explore right now. Both the original developer Bellway Homes and the current project owner L&Q have new homes at Barking Riverside to offer. The Eastbrooke Village development launched in late November 2022.
Bellway’s Phase 2 Barking Riverside homes range from 1, 2 and 3-bedroom apartments, as well as 4-bedroom houses. Their prices range from £249,995 to £400,495 and each comes with a private terrace or balcony. Overall, Bellway will account for 1,500 of the planned 10,800 homes at Barking Riverside.
L&Q also has a range of attractive rental homes in the area. These offer stylish, minimalist interior design and a high-quality finish:
Barking Riverside: One to watch
The next few years could be very exciting for Barking Riverside. The development is already a ‘proven concept’, and has established itself as an award-winning development ready for expansion once conditions are right.
With the new Overground station now complete, we can expect to hear a lot more about Barking Riverside developing its masterplan of reaching 10,000 homes.
If you’re interested in riverside property in London, we can show you the top 20 riverside views the capital has to offer. If you’re interested in other London areas undergoing massive urban regeneration, check out our guide to the best places to live in Nine Elms.
HomeViews provides verified resident reviews of the UK’s housing developments. We’re working with developers, landlords and the Government to recognise high performers and help to improve standards in the built environment.
