A masterplan for a mixed-used development with more than 3,500 homes at the site of the old Ford Dagenham stamping plant has been revealed.

An outline planning application has been sent to Barking and Dagenham Council for the scheme, called Dagenham Green, the developer Peabody said on Friday (October 29).

Peabody has already reached a deal with the council to build 1,500 affordable homes on the huge 45-acre site.

%image(14871286, type="article-full", alt="More than 1,500 "genuinely affordable" homes are proposed to be built on the site of the former Ford Stamping Plant in Dagenham.")

If approved, the scheme would include shops and restaurants; new cycling, pedestrian and public transport connections; public realm spaces and landscaping, including a central five-acre "urban park"; and land for a secondary school to be built.

The developer has said it wants to focus on making the new area sustainable and eco-friendly, with an emphasis on green spaces for residents.

Peabody’s executive director Dick Mortimer said: "We’re excited to be working in Dagenham, engaging collaboratively with the local community, Barking and Dagenham, BeFirst and the GLA to bring this former industrial site back to life as an exciting new place for residents and the wider community, which Peabody will manage into the future.

"Dagenham Green’s new central park, play areas, proposed community facilities and cafés and restaurants will provide a local meeting point for everyone to use with sustainability considered throughout."

The plans include a diagonal route that connects from the north-east of the site to the nearby Dagenham Dock station and incorporates a heritage trail, referencing aspects of the site and local history including natural wetlands, culture, and manufacturing.

Peabody says other facilities such as a health centre, gym and potentially a nursery may be included at a later stage.

It has held early public consultation sessions to hear the views of local people on the principles of the plans.

The developer says it expects to launch more detailed consultation on the design of the first phase later this year.

Detailed planning for phase one is expected to be submitted in spring next year before work begins on site the following spring.

The development will replace the now-demolished Ford car factory, which built almost 11 million cars from 1931 until its closure in 2013.