Minister visits £1bn Hackney project

Housing minister Caroline Flint has visited Hackney to oversee progress in the borough's much-vaunted £1 billion Woodberry Down regeneration project.

Ms Flint attended the Chartered Institute of Housing conference to oversee the latest developments for the self-funded scheme - which has already been described as "leading the regeneration field".

The project, which has selected Berkley Homes as the developer for the first £250 million phase, will add some 4,500 mixed tenure dwellings to the current stock of Hackney property.

The regeneration is going so successfully that representatives from the French, Swiss and German governments have visited the site during the past year - to learn more about the cost-neutral approach to the project, community cohesion plans, and training and employment opportunities.

Councillor Jamie Carswell commented: "This is one of the ground breaking urban regeneration programmes in Europe and is at the forefront of cutting edge urban regeneration thinking.

"I am proud that both Woodberry Down and Hackney is transforming in this way, and that it commands interest from the government here and also from abroad."

In other regeneration news, Westfield has reached a £4 billion agreement with Olympic officials for the development of Stratford City.

Published 3rd July, 2008

© 2008 Estates IT Limited