The £95m Arthur Street scheme will feature 80% affordable and shared ownership homes

Wates Residential and Orbit housing association have started work on nearly 300 homes in Bexley, south east London, after completing a neighbouring scheme featuring almost 600 units.

The pair have kicked off construction of the 280 units on Arthur Street after spending six years developing 587 homes (pictured) on nearby Erith Park on the Larner Road estate, for Bexley council, and marking that scheme’s completion with an opening party for local residents.

The £95m Arthur Street scheme will feature 80% affordable and shared ownership homes.

The Erith Park tenure-blind scheme also featured 80% affordable and shared ownership homes and was supported by grant funding from the GLA.

Work on that development resulted in the demolition of seven towers top be replaced by 587 new homes across a mix of mid-rise apartments and houses.

Paul Nicholls, managing director of Wates Residential, said: “Our vision for Erith Park was to create delightful contemporary homes in a beautiful new neighbourhood.

“This event was where it finally all came together and we can confirm that, together, we’ve created a brilliant new community we can all be proud of.”

Orbit operates more than 42,000 homes across the country and said it planned to build a further 20,000 units in the next 10 years, of which 65% would be affordable.