Berkeley South East London has announced that several construction milestones have been hit at its West Ham development, TwelveTrees Park, including the use of the tallest freestanding crane known to be used in the UK.
Standing 119.8m, the crane is being used to construct the first phase of homes by contractors O’Halloran & O’Brien Ltd.
Evergreen Point is the first private sale building within phase one; a 32-storey tower providing 205 new homes for West Ham that’s expected to be completed in Q3 2025. The building will also house a state-of-the-art gym, screening room, business lounge and 24-hour concierge. A Sainsbury’s Local will also be added in the first phase as part of Berkeley’s ‘amenities-first’ build approach.
Due for full completion in 2034, the entire £1billion scheme, will span 26.2-acres and provide Newham with 3,847 new homes, alongside 12 acres of open green space and a 4.5-acre Wi-Fi-enabled park at the heart of the site.
Berkeley is investing heavily in improving local infrastructure, in which the first of three major new footbridges connecting TwelveTrees Park to West Ham station and the existing community was installed in July. A modular build approach was used to drop the 58m bridge into place above the rail tracks in the early hours of the morning.
Peter Davidson, operations director at Berkeley Homes, said: “TwelveTrees Park plays a pivotal role in West Ham’s transformation. The successful completion of the first bridge marks a huge milestone for the site and is a symbol of the progress that we are now making, working closely with our lead contractors O’Halloran & O’Brien.”
“When finished, this scheme will represent one of the best-connected developments in the whole of London, with five key transport links serving West Ham station and a new station entrance sitting right at the heart of the scheme. This sits alongside new retail spaces, cafes and restaurants for a truly thriving community. Most importantly, this 26-acre site bridges the gap between Stratford, the Olympic Park and Canary Wharf.”
The former disused brownfield site was once home to the Imperial Works soap factory, owned by 19th-century industrialist Harper Twelvetrees who the site is named after.
Today, the new development has big plans to give back to the community with an extensive new retail and leisure quarter, community facilities, acres of open green parkland, as well as providing an exciting new 1,000-pupil state-of-the-art home for the East London Science School with a specially designed ‘Newton’ science garden, sports hall and lecture theatre. To further positively impact the community it sits within, TwelveTrees Park will consist of 40% dedicated affordable housing in collaboration with Peabody.
In phase one alone, Peabody will deliver 229 homes for shared ownership and 99 for affordable rent. It will include a mix of one, two and three-bedroom apartments, with the first occupations expected in spring 2024.
James McMylor, regional managing director at Peabody, said: “Providing affordable housing is central to what we do, and we’re pleased to be working with Berkeley Homes to deliver much-needed affordable homes in Newham. With fantastic facilities on-site and outstanding access to the rest of London, TwelveTrees Park will have much to offer residents and visitors alike, transforming a disused industrial estate into a thriving community. We look forward to welcoming new residents to the neighbourhood in 2024.”
Berkeley has imposed strict sustainability goals on contractors. At least 95% of the waste generated will be recycled, all fuel on site is derived from vegetable sources, while 100% of timber will be sourced from sustainably managed forests. On-site, remediation will also enable over 40,000m3 of soil to be reused on-site rather than sent to landfill. All the carbon emissions generated from on-site construction will be monitored and offset via verified carbon offsetting schemes, enabling the site to be carbon positive.
