Work has started on the £6 billion Meridian Water regeneration project in London.

Developer Barratt is working alongside Enfield Council to deliver the first 725 new homes as part of the 20-year scheme. Overall, the development will deliver 10,000 new homes and 6,700 new jobs in North London.

With enabling works now underway at the site, Network Rail will start building an extension to the West Anglia main line to support the development, including a new Meridian Water railway station which will open in 2019 along with the new homes.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan visited the site today, 26 January to mark the start of construction enabling works.

He said: "Meridian Water has the potential for 10,000 new homes and 6,700 new jobs around a new train station with hugely improved links to central London.

"We know that fixing the housing crisis will be a marathon, not a sprint, but that means starting now and being ambitious. I look forward to seeing work getting underway to support the delivery of homes, jobs, transport infrastructure and open spaces in this part of the capital."

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Council Leader Doug Taylor added: "Today is the day that Meridian Water moves firmly from vision to reality. Many people said 'it couldn't be done' but today we have started works to prepare the site for the first 725 new homes, we have the new railway station funded and being delivered and we have the UK's largest homes builder as our selected Development Partner.

"Meridian Water is a dedicated Housing Zone and will deliver enormous benefits for local people, providing much needed new homes, thousands of new jobs – supported by dedicated training programmes to help local people into employment – and a fantastic destination for North London.

"Over the coming months we will be making a series of further announcements as the project gains momentum and I was thrilled to welcome the Mayor of London to kick-off this transformation."

During the Mayor's visit, the council also revealed the following Meridian Water phase one activity timetable:

• January 2017 – Meridian Angel Primary School fully operating from its new buildings

• January 2017 – Construction enabling works start on Meridian Water's Phase One, delivering 725 new homes, shops and public spaces around the new railway station

• Spring 2017 – Development Agreement signed between Enfield Council and Barratt London, the selected Development Partner

• September 2017 – Enfield Council begin construction of the first phase of Meridian Works, a new premises for Building Bloqs and ACAVA (the Association for Cultural Advancement through Visual Art) creating the largest open workshop in Europe, supporting 300 jobs

• Early 2018 – Barratt London on-site constructing Phase One.

• Early 2018 – Building Bloqs @ Meridian Works and ACAVA @ Meridian Works opens.

• 2019 – The new Station at Meridian Water is planned to open, triggering the delivery of the first new homes.

(LM)