Work has started on a 21-storey block of flats in Blackhorse Road.

The plans, unanimously approved by Waltham Forest Council’s planning committee in December 2018, will see 350 new homes built on the Forest Road site – 50 per cent of which will be “affordable”.

Of the 50 per cent overall affordable housing, 40 per cent of that will be affordable rent and 60 per cent will be shared ownership.

The flats will include 43 wheelchair-accessible homes and will be called The Blackhorse View.

The project is being headed up by Transport for London, Barratt Homes and London and Quadrant developers.

The development is being built on a 1.8 acre site and will include six separate buildings of different heights – the tallest 21-storeys high.

The new homes will include a mixture of studio, one, two and three bedroom properties.

The site will also include 17,000 square feet of retail and commercial space.

It is expected that the construction phase of the development will create up to 300 new jobs and local apprenticeship opportunities throughout the building process; which is expected to last until the early 2020s.

The site will house 650 cycle parking spaces and is situated close to Blackhorse Road station.

Graeme Craig, director of commercial development at TfL, said: “Blackhorse View is a really exciting development and we are thrilled to be starting construction on the site with Barratt London. This is another key milestone as we drive forward our programme to deliver 10,000 homes across the capital, while also generating vital revenue to reinvest in the transport network.”

Stephen Thompson, managing director of Barratt Homes East London, said: “Blackhorse View is an exciting project for us and we are particularly pleased to be delivering such a high percentage of much needed affordable homes for the borough, alongside retail and co-working space. It is a great privilege to be bringing forward this development in partnership with Transport for London.”

Cllr Clyde Loakes, deputy council leader and cabinet member for the environment, said: “This is fantastic scheme to provide new homes for local people, including genuinely affordable homes, while at the same time improving air quality in this part of the borough by encouraging people to use more sustainable methods of transport and creating secure parking for cycles.

“New trees will also help tackle air pollution, while the children’s play spaces and pedestrian links will transform the area and make is it far more accessible for cyclists and those travelling by foot.”

James Murray, deputy Mayor for housing and residential development, said: “It’s great to see work get underway at Blackhorse View, where half the new homes will based on social rent levels or affordable homes for first-time buyers – the sorts of homes that Londoners desperately need.”