Barking & Dagenham Council’s regeneration arm, Be First, introduces closer ties to the Council to take advantage of scale of opportunities in the Borough
Be First, the regeneration arm of Barking and Dagenham Council, is evolving into its next stage, signalling the adoption of a new business model that prioritises public-private partnerships. Several officers have been appointed to the Board, demonstrating the Council’s commitment to Be First, and to its continuing regeneration and growth ambitions.
This new stage of Be First’s business model will set the conditions for private capital to flow into Barking & Dagenham, with developers and investors being able to rely on the groundwork that the company has put in place over the past year to ensure certainty when working in the Borough. Be First will be moving away from a business model driven predominantly by the Council directly delivering development, to focus on establishing public-public and public-private partnerships and utilising the Council’s assets in the best way to facilitate growth. This new model is reflected in the Board’s changes, which will be slimmed down and have greater Council involvement with the appointment of Nigel Pickup and Jahangir Mannan.
As of February 4, Geoff Raw stepped down as Managing Director, with Caroline Harper becoming Interim Managing Director. She joined Be First in its fledgling months and has been integral to its story to date. Jeremy Grint joins Be First’s Board as Chair, bringing his experience of chairing Reside, the Council’s housing management company, and years of having worked previously as the Council’s Divisional Director of Regeneration and Economic Development. The refreshed senior leadership team will allow Be First to build upon its success, having established itself as the largest council-owned developer for the last two financial years.
The Council would like to extend its gratitude to the outgoing Board members for their leadership, dedication, and stewardship in guiding Be First through its formative years. Alongside the work of the terrific team at Be First, their commitment has been instrumental in transforming Barking & Dagenham into a leading example of public sector-led regeneration, delivering thousands of new homes, employment spaces, and vital infrastructure that have significantly benefited local communities.
The scale of opportunity for Barking and Dagenham to deliver against the Government’s growth agenda is unparalleled. Our proposal for South Barking New Town initially identifies scope for 48,000 homes which combined with employment opportunities from extensive industrial land and a new rail freight terminal at Box Lane, means that this New Town would be a place in and of itself, speaking to sustainability, longevity and good placemaking. This growth agenda is supported by the new Local Plan, which was adopted last year, and identifies eight Transformation Areas as the focus for regeneration, housing delivery and economic growth. One of these Transformation Areas- Thames Road- is due to complete phase one shortly, with the opening of Crossness Yard at 12 Thames Road. This is a £58m development of 156 affordable built-to-rent homes co-located with 5,000 sq. m. of light industrial units for new and expanding businesses. Be First is currently working with MHCLG with a view to unlocking subsequent phases at Thames Road, and bringing in investment partners to ensure delivery at scale and pace.
The opportunity is significant, and the Be First team will continue its commitment to regeneration. Positive growth will have profound impacts for aspirational working Londoners. The Council is supporting Be First’s evolution in current market conditions to continue delivering against the Council’s – and Government’s- growth ambitions.
Cllr Dominic Twomey, Leader of London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, said: “I’d like to thank the outgoing leadership of Be First for the successful delivery of thousands of new homes, employment space, parks, play spaces and public realm. The Council remains committed to delivering inclusive growth and the new phase of Be First with greater Council involvement will continue to improve the life chances of our residents.”
David Harley, Strategic Director of Inclusive Growth and Place, London Borough of Barking & Dagenham, said: “Barking & Dagenham Council remains as committed as ever to delivering for our residents recognising how lives are transformed through delivering new homes and the wider benefits of growth. There is also clear alignment with the Government’s growth agenda. The transformation of the Borough since Be First was established has been phenomenal, and we look forward to seeing this next chapter unfold.”
Caroline Harper, Interim Managing Director, Be First, said: “Barking & Dagenham has become a blueprint for regeneration, and we have no plans to slow down. We are all working in a very uncertain world, and Be First Phase II is a considered move to ensure that we continue to offer developers, investors and strategic partners certainty, bolstering our ability to attract inward investment and ultimately deliver homes, jobs and good places in Barking & Dagenham.”
