The “rebirth” of Canning Town centre has moved a step closer - with residents told to expect more jobs and opportunities.

Plans for the first phase of the area’s development, including affordable housing and a supermarket, were approved by the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation (LTGDC).

The new site will reconnect the areas north and south of the A13 flyover, Canning Town corner with Barking Road and Rathbone Market.

It will include space for 179 private and affordable homes, 424 square metres of retail space, a Morrisons supermarket, an ‘energy centre’ and space for car parking.

Work on the scheme, developed by Bouygues Development and One Housing Group, will start towards the end of the year.

Clive Dutton, Newham Council’s executive director for regeneration and inward investment, said: “To be delivering a new, �600m town centre scheme in the current market is huge acheivement.

“The Bouygues Development scheme will spur on not only the wider Canning Town and Custom House regeneration scheme, it will also give momentum to the wealth of opportunities running from The Royals through to Stratford,

“It is further evidence that east London and Newham in particular are at the heart of London’s future economic growth.”

The entire �3.7bn Canning Town and Custom House regeneration scheme will include more than 1,000 housing units, 30,000 square metres of leisure and retail space, and community facilities.

Work is planned to be completed by 2023.

Peter Andrews, chief executive of the LTGDC, said: “The impact of this decision will be truly transformational. “Canning Town’s regeneration did not happen when the DLR and Jubilee lines were put in place but this sustained effort by LGTDC and Newham Council will provide a truer platform for the area’s rebirth.

“Canning Town may well be the last example of substantial regeneration outside of the Olympic Park.”