This spike in housing development was a direct result of the ‘Homes fit for Heroes’ initiative implemented in the wake of the First World War.
Minister of Health Dr Christopher Addison’s eponymous ‘Addison Act’ was a turning point in the provision of corporation (council) housing as its legislation made housing a national and social responsibility. This tasked local authorities with developing new housing and rented accommodation where needed by working people. One of the area’s most famous public housing developments, the Beacontree Estate, is made up of over 27,000 homes and is spread across 10km. Constructed during the interwar period, Beacontree was once considered the largest public housing estate in the world.
21st Century property development
Situated at the edge of Barking town centre, the Northern section of the Fresh Wharf Estate will provide 950 new homes in a mixed use development once complete. Additionally, the Barking Riverside development is expected to provide 10,800 homes, including family homes and riverside apartments, across the whole site once finished.