Ambitious plans to create Europe’s largest circular construction hub in London’s Royal Docks are underway with the opening of the facilities gates today.

The new facility, delivered with Newham Council and climate charity Tipping Point East, will recycle and reuse construction materials that would otherwise head to landfill.

Backers say it will become the largest circular construction hub in Europe once fully operational and forms the first phase of a wider Circular Economy Village planned for Silvertown over the next five years.

The hub sits on GLA land and is designed to support the delivery of 36,000 homes and 55,000 jobs across the Royal Docks Enterprise Zone.

A key beneficiary will be the Lendlease-led Silvertown scheme, backed by The Crown Estate, which has consent for 7,000 homes with at least 30% affordable.

By capturing materials from construction and demolition projects, the hub aims to divert at least 950 tonnes of waste from landfill over five years and cut embodied carbon in new developments.

Construction currently generates 62% of UK waste, with more than 100m tonnes produced annually. Despite high recycling rates, over 5m tonnes still end up in landfill.