Nick Williams

African infused art will be on display at east London’s latest pop up gallery over the next few weeks.  Kemi Oloyede’s exhibition will be on display at the gallery in Barking station until the end of October.  Kemi said: “It’s great to be exhibiting my art in Barking which is really becoming a destination for […]

Students from one of east London’s fastest growing schools tried out 11 new science classrooms last week. The newly built science laboratories were among 18 classrooms handed over to the Greatfields School this term by Mid-Group working with Be First, the Council’s regeneration company on behalf of the Council on the £55.8million school build, which

Plans to build 19 affordable homes for local people and a new community facility in the heart of Becontree were given the go-ahead at a planning committee meeting this week. The decision will mean that local people will be able to apply for the shared ownership homes, which will be part rent part buy. Councillor

Three Councillors inspected a newly built two-bedroom flat this week which will soon be home for a local homeless family. Leader of Barking and Dagenham Council, Cllr Darren Rodwell, was joined by Cllrs Sade Bright, Cabinet Member for Employment, Skills and Aspiration, Cameron Geddes, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Social Housing, and Tara Mahony, of

Local residents are invited to a special drop-in session at Woodward Hall, between 3-7.30pm on Tuesday 24 September to view the proposals for more than 50 new homes on Woodward Road, near Becontree station. Architects and project staff from Be First, the Council’s regeneration company, will be attending to gather residents’ views on plans for

Work has begun this week to create a new mini ‘linear’ park which will join up walking and cycling routes from the River Thames at Barking Riverside to Barking town centre and central London.  Thanks to £440,000 from the Mayor of London’s Green Capital Grants and an investment of £350,000 from Be First, the new

Residents have been urged to make their views known on plans to refurbish a former hospital in Dagenham. The proposals to renovate Grays Court Hospital in John Parker Close include temporary accommodation for local people, a flexible use community space, and the continuation of out of hours GP services. Matthew Westwood, Senior Development Manager at

The planning application for the latest stage of redevelopment of the Gascoigne Estate was submitted to the council this week. Be First, the council’s regeneration company, submitted the latest designs for more than 200 new homes, which would be built on Abbey Road on the western side of the estate, on Monday 5 August 2019.

Barking’s burgeoning reputation as London’s latest creative hotspot took another boost this week when Be First issued a call for organisations to run new artist’s studios by the River Roding. Barking and Dagenham Council’s pioneering regeneration company hopes the new Abbey Road studios will be as inspiring to artists as its St John’s Wood’s namesake.

Young east London cyclists took to the streets in a Tour De Becontree to celebrate 100 years of the Addison Act on Friday, 26 July. Around 50 young people from the Barking and Dagenham Cycling Club, Dorothy Barley Junior School and Manor Junior School Cycle Clubs were led on a special circuit by qualified instructors