The green light has been given to plans for 20 acres of carbon neutral factories and warehouses in Rainham.

The latest stage agreed to by Havering Council is part of a comprehensive scheme to redevelop derelict industrial land along the Thames, from Rainham to the Royal Docks in Newham.

Units are now being offered on the market before construction starts at the Segro Park complex in Courier Road, next to the A13 London Gateway, following completion of an earlier industrial park in Ferry Lane.

Both sites are part of the East Plus regeneration by developers Segro in deals with Havering, Barking and Dagenham and Newham local authorities to regenerate derelict land.

“The Courier Road site will be carbon neutral with sustainability features,” the company’s Bonnie Minshall revealed. “We are working with the local authorities to create sustainable spaces and jobs.”

Features include solar panels to convert the sun’s energy for power to run the factories and electric vehicle charging points, all to reduce costs. 

Sustainable construction methods are also being used to minimise carbon emissions during building, the company assures.

Part of the site, up to a fifth, is being set aside for biodiverse natural habitat.

Courier Road will reportedly be one of the largest industrial and logistics sites within the M25, chosen for its easy access to the Barking intermodal shipping terminal, the port at Tilbury and London Gateway Docks, as well as connection to National Rail and the HS1 line to Europe.

The developers have been working with the East London Business Alliance charity to tackle social mobility issues, arranging site visits and running workshops to help people get into sustainable employment.

They are also running sessions at Rainham’s non-profit Centre for Engineering and Manufacturing Excellence in Marsh Way.

But the “skilling up” also involves secondary education, with workshops being run in Havering, Newham and Barking and Dagenham schools in science, technology, engineering and maths.

More than one thousand pupils have already taken part this year alone, with the idea of creating an up-and-coming generation of skilled workers in east London.