A £40million health and wellbeing facility will be built at Barking Riverside after being given the green light by the town hall.

People will be able to visit a GP; speak to nurses, social prescribers, mental health practitioners and social workers; book in with a homes and money hub advisor; and get involved in group activities, all under one roof.

The Barking Riverside Wellbeing Hub will also feature an indoor waterpark, gym, fitness studios, community garden, a large event space, facilities for community groups and a café.

As a bespoke, multi-use venue, which is expected to be finished in late 2024, it is designed to specifically improve the health and wellbeing outcomes for people living in Thames ward.

It’s the result of more than two years of work by Barking and Dagenham Council, the local NHS Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), Barking Riverside Limited (BRL) and the community.

Leader of the council, Cllr Darren Rodwell, said: “This pioneering, state-of-the-art development is much more than just repackaging a doctors’ surgery and leisure centre and calling it a hub.

“It is about bringing together services that we know will improve people’s lives for the better, making it easier to use those services and creating a place where people actually want to visit and spend their time.”

The estimated build cost of £39.95m will be part-funded by BRL as part of the Barking Riverside development, which features more than 10,000 homes, new transport connections and a range of facilities and amenities on the River Thames.

The council will lead on the development of the hub and make up the difference in costs.

BRL managing director Matthew Carpen said: “We are pleased to have worked alongside the council, the NHS and a dedicated group of local people who shaped the initial design work to help secure this incredible new facility for Barking Riverside.

“This facility will be among the most advanced – not only in how it provides healthcare, but also because of the pool offer, which will use state-of-the-art technology to provide one of the most unique swim experiences in London.

“We hope it will become a benchmark for how other facilities should be delivered.”