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Barking and Dagenham’s drive to become a centre for digital and media industries has received a massive boost after the council gave the thumbs up to plans to build two of the UK’s largest data centres. The planning decision, which had been referred to the Mayor of London’s office for review, gives the seal of […]

Tenants of a brand new ‘old east end style’ bungalow development met Barking and Dagenham Council leader, Councillor Darren Rodwell, this week as he viewed a pioneering council home swap scheme. Mr Rodwell went to see how Josephine Rudd and her neighbours Pauline Branch and Brenda Lowe were settling in to their new homes in

Double decker buses, Land Rovers and a range of guided tours feature in September’s London Open House festival in Barking and Dagenham. The annual festival of architecture, which runs over the weekend 22-23 September, encourages the public to visit little known venues and areas, and the tours and attractions are free of charge. In Barking

Work is underway on a new state of the art school in the heart of one of east London’s largest regeneration schemes. The latest phase of Greatfields School, in Barking’s Gascoigne Estate, will provide 18 new classrooms and specialist teaching areas, including science, design technology and music, for 540 new pupils. The works will mean

Barking and Dagenham’s regeneration company Be First has announced its sponsorship of Barking and Dagenham Cycling Club as part of its drive to improve the life chances and opportunities of local people. Be First, has backed the club with £6,000 to help get more young people into cycling. Pat Hayes, Managing Director of Be First,

New images and plans have been released by Be First of the first stages of a re-developed Barking town centre – recently dubbed mini-Manhattan. The plans feature 400 new affordable and shared ownership homes as well as private rental, in two sky scrapers which will replace a run-down tower block, Crown House in Cambridge Road.

Plans, backed by Turner prize winner Grayson Perry, to build innovative and affordable homes for artists in Barking have been given the green light. The proposal for the £3.5 million ‘artists’ house’ has been developed by Be First, Barking and Dagenham Council’s pioneering regeneration company, together with partners Create London. It will see 12 below

A row of seven houses for local people will be built on a former site of garages in Barking after councillors gave the green light to plans from Be First at a town hall planning committee this week. The development in Wivenhoe Road, Barking, will feature five two-bedroom houses and two three-bedroom houses. Jennie Coombs,

A statue of Jesus at a former convent in Dagenham has found a new home in Southend this week after an agreement between The Sacred Heart Church in the seaside town and Be First, Barking and Dagenham Council’s pioneering regeneration company. The celestial move will allow Be First to develop the former Sacred Heart Convent

Barking and Dagenham Council’s cabinet member for education met the Head Teacher and pupils to see how the building works at Barking Abbey School are gathering pace. Councillor Evelyn Carpenter met Head Teacher, Jo Tupman, and students at the school’s Longbridge Road campus to see how the new specialist teaching accommodation with dining hall, and