A housing development that forms part of a large regeneration project in the Royal Docks has reached another construction milestone.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and Newham mayor Rokhsana Fiaz 'topped out' the latest phase of the Royal Albert Wharf regeneration, Gallions Place, earlier this month.

Construction of Gallions Place began in August last year and will deliver more than 1,850 homes, of which more than 40 per cent overall will be 'affordable'. 

Newham Recorder: The Mayor of Newham and Co-chair of the Royal Docks Enterprise Zone Board Rokhsana Fiaz OBE also attended the eventThe Mayor of Newham and Co-chair of the Royal Docks Enterprise Zone Board Rokhsana Fiaz OBE also attended the event (Image: Tara Mewawalla)

The percentage of 'affordable' housing is increasing with each phase of development and this latest stage has 50pc 'affordable' housing.

The wider regeneration of the Royal Docks area is forecast to see more than 30,000 new homes and 42,500 jobs created over the next 20 years.

Mr Khan said: "There are a number of... sites here where housing could be built [whereas] in other parts of London there already are developments there so you can't build housing there. 

"That's a huge opportunity for Newham residents because it means for those who live in overcrowded accomodation, who are looking for work, who are looking to have a family, there are jobs in your community but also there are homes being created in the community.

"So these jobs in construction here, many of them are going to local residents.

"We've also got trainees and apprentices - many of them are local residents but also when you have a new development like this, it benefits the community because you have new shops, new GP practices so that helps the community as well."

Newham Recorder: The latest stage of the development will host 50 per cent affordable housingThe latest stage of the development will host 50 per cent affordable housing (Image: Tara Mewawalla)

He said that overall housing completions under his office stand at more than 36,000 homes a year on average, which City Hall says is higher than any previous London mayor.

But recent research commissioned by City Hall found that London would require an additional £4.4 billion annually to deliver the number of affordable homes that London needs.

Mr Khan added: "The problem is we're not meeting the demand. We need to build even more genuinely affordable, decent homes... so we're doing what we can but we're lobbying the government for more support."