Gascoigne estate
Number of homes: 179
Landlord: Barking and Dagenham Council
Ballot Status: Exempt
Planning Status: Approved
Developer: BeFirst
Architect: Levitt Bernstein
The Gascoigne Estate is composed of an East and West section, which counted 2 342 homes combined. This estate is being demolished as part of the Area Policy SPP1(Strategic Planning Policy) of the Barking and Dagenham Local Plan 2020-2037. The eastern part of the estate was approved for demolition by the GLA in 2015 and has already completed 3 of 4 redevelopment phases, providing 1 193 new units (with 474 still to be provided in the subsequent phase). The western part of the estate received planning permission in 2018 and has since completed two redevelopment phases with 586 new units. Some residents of the old Gascoigne Estate continue to live on the estate. Overall, there is expected to be a minimum of 2,793 new units, or an increase of 469 units. The redevelopment is expected to be completed by 2032.
- The estate’s 2,324 homes are being demolished (with most already having been demolished).
- The minimum capacity indicated in the Site Allocation Proforma and Dagenham Local Plan 2037 Appendix 2 Site Allocation Proformas.pdf) is 2,793 new units (equivalent to an increase of 469 new units)
- 'Right to return' only if they can afford to pay the rent in one of the new shared-ownership flats.
- Mayor's own estate regeneration policy requiring no net loss of social rented housing.
- Big Picture Neighborhood Plan for Gascoigne
- Contains design principles relating to the Gascoigne Estate, including how it connects to the surrounding area.
- It is part of the Area Policy SPP1 of the Barking and Dagenham Local Plan 2020-2037.
- Area to be redeveloped with new homes, shopping, leisure and workspace facilities.
- It will establish a claimed “clearly defined hierarchy of public, private and semi-private outdoor spaces”, but it is not specified if this means a decrease of public spaces.
- As of July 2025, there are still residents living in the Old Gascoigne Estate.
Gascoigne East
- Demolition of Gascoigne East was approved by the GLA in September 2015.
- Overall, developers want to build 1943 units between 2020 and 2032, with 900 expected to be complete by 2025.
Gascoigne West
- Outline planning permission for 850 new homes in 2018.
- 179 homes approved for demolition in December 2018, with expected 671 homes (40% claimed to be below market rents (up to 80% of market rent) and shared ownership homes).
- Overall, developers want to build 850 units between 2020 and 2032, with 600 expected to be complete by the end of 2025.
Previous update
In Dec 2018, the Mayor approved the demolition of 179 homes on the latest phase of Barking & Dagenham's Gascoigne estate regeneration, to be replaced by 850 new homes of which 78 at 'London Affordabe Rent' (defined as up to 80% market rent). Leaseholders have the 'right to return' only if they can afford to pay the rent in one of the new shared-ownership flats.
The Mayor's planning report approves the demolition of 179 homes on this latest phase of the scheme, Gascoigne estate West - the east side of the estate having been approved for demolition in September 2015.
This is despite the Mayor's own estate regeneration policy requiring no net loss of social rented housing. Indeed, the replacement 'social' housing is all 'London Affordable Rent' which is defined in the planning consent's section 106 legal agreement as up to 80% market rent.
These replacement 'affordable' homes have been funded by the Mayor and the estate was exempted by the Mayor from his requirement to ballot residents on the demolition of their homes.
Planning application documents confirm that tenants have been offered the 'right to return' to new homes on the estate, but acknowledge that (because the estate is being redeveloped by the Council's new Housing Company) the terms and rent levels of new tenancies would differ from those that tenants currently enjoy:
Completed in 1971, the estate is divided into Gascoigne East and Gascoigne West by a main road running through the middle of the estate. The original estate had 2,260 homes across both the East and West sites, all of which are to be demolished. The planning application for the demolition of Gascoigne East was approved by the GLA in September 2015, planning for Gascoigne West was approved by the GLA in December 2018. The first phase of the redevelopment of Gascoigne East was completed in 2019, its full completion date is expected to be 2024. Work on phase 1 of Gascoigne West started with demolition in January 2020.
Barking and Dagenham Council only offers an option of shared ownership for leaseholders who want to return to the estate - i.e. paying rent on the unowned share.
Similarly unfair policies were deemed unlawful by the Secretary of State at the 2015 Aylesbury estate CPO inquiry and required Southwark to amend its policy.
In June 2025, the BBC reported on defective new-build properties already completed in the first phases of the scheme.
Links: Mayor's stage 1 and 2 reports https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/planning/planning-applications-and-decisions/planning-application-search/gascoigne-estate-west
Planning consent's section 106 agreement
(Photo credits: Andrew Brown)