Accelerating growth in
Barking and Dagenham

More than 400 hectares of land is available for development, and we have ambitious plans to provide more than 50,000 high quality new homes and 20,000 new jobs by 2037, concentrated in five growth hubs.

The Town Centre’s strategic position – just 15 minutes from the City of London – means that the area is experiencing huge growth. It can provide a further 4,000 homes and drive growth in the retail, leisure and creative industries. It promises to become a thriving new centre for east London.

Key development opportunities include London Road, the area around and above Barking station, and the Vicarage Field shopping centre

The nearby Roding Riverside provides an opportunity to deliver residential, leisure and commercial development along the banks of one of London’s least known and most attractive rivers. The home of London’s original fishing fleet, this hidden gem is establishing itself as a vibrant creative hub and has the potential to become the home of an exciting wholesale food and restaurant quarter.

This area has significant potential and some redevelopment is already underway. There are opportunities adjacent to the former Dagenham Civic centre – a listed building that is the focus of the area which has been given a new life as Coventry University's London campus - to create new student accommodation nearby and to intensify residential development in the area.

The Becontree estate itself is an under-appreciated asset, with tree-lined streets, family housing, parks and facilities all in a cottage estate style. As it reaches the 100th anniversary of its inception, there is significant potential to renew its former glory as one of the most successful 20th Century housing developments. We will co-ordinate plans to refurbish existing homes and develop new model homes for the 21st century. There are particular redevelopment opportunities at the various district centres.

A developer is working on plans to create a tunnel for a 1.3km stretch of the A13, London’s main eastern route out to the M25. This would enable the creation of an exciting new mixed-use neighbourhood with a station, capable of delivering more than 5,000 homes and 1,200 jobs. The proposals would transform and regenerate an underused and traffic-blighted area and provide a link between Barking town centre and Barking Riverside.

The Chadwell Heath area in the north of the borough offers several estate renewal and other development opportunities. Chadwell Heath industrial estate, next to the new Crossrail station, is a major opportunity for new mixed-use development 20 mins from the City of London.

Just to the north, the Marks Gate estate is in need of renewal, and has a number of underused open spaces. Neighbouring Redbridge Council has recently released areas of Green Belt land to the west of the estate, opening the possibility of joint work to regenerate this area. A comprehensive masterplanning exercise is just starting. This will look at estate regeneration and higher density housing together with new retail and leisure facilities for residents.

The Made in Dagenham Studios will be London’s largest new film and TV studios for 25 years. We have invited expressions of interest for a public destination and a ‘shiny floor’ TV studio and associated workspace, a leisure, food and beverage offer together with new housing.

North of Dagenham Dock station lies the site of the former Ford car manufacturing plants which are being prepared for residential development. They offer the opportunity to create a new part of the city with its own town centre, some 4,000 new homes, plus retail and employment space. We are keen to see the site develop at pace to complement Countryside’s 3,000 home development at Beam Park.

Dagenham Dock has significant potential for higher density employment and industrial development. It has a rail station on the C2C line and there is potential for new residential development as well as commercial space. The adjacent London Sustainable Industries Park is the UK’s largest concentration of sustainable industries and technologies, which offers an exciting destination for commercial users and the opportunity to create high quality industrial accommodation close to the M25.