BOLD #12 by 3Fox

BOLD Barking and Dagenham Issue 12 | Spring 2020

FRESH IDEAS

MOVING EAST

The Estates & Agency Group has a strong track record of successful involvement in Barking and is committed to the continuing exciting regeneration of the Borough Sites Previously Developed by E&A A

Roding House Cambridge Road

Trocoll House Wakering Road

Radial House Ripple Road

Central House Cambridge Road

Maritime House 1 Linton Road

Clock House East Street, Barking

Focal House 12/18 Station Parade

50-74 Station Parade Barking

Former Abbey Retail Park Abbey Road

Editor-in-chief Suruchi Sharma Design Smallfury Production manager Christopher Hazeldine Deputy managing director Paul Gussar Senior business development manager Shelley Cook Projects manager Sue Mapara Subscriptions manager Simon Maxwell Managing director Toby Fox

Print Bishops Printers Cover Image Fruit market by Christian LathomSharp / Alamy Stock Photo Images Barking Riverside, Kois Miah, © Ben Pipe Photography, Andrew Baker, Secret Cinema / Luke Dyson – lukedyson.com, Jamie Lorriman, UCL, Lordprice Collection / Alamy, ©CLIVE.TOTMAN 2019, World History Archive / Alamy, Trinity Mirror / Mirrorpix / Alamy, Jimmy Lee Photography / jimmylphotography. com, Barking and Dagenham College, Participatory City Foundation Published by Sunley House, Bedford Park, Croydon CR0 2AP T 020 7978 6840 W 3foxinternational.com Subscriptions and feedback boldmagazine.co.uk

CONTENTS 04

Culture, housing, employment, leisure: the latest updates.

The borough’s vision and plans to bring affordable homes to the area.

How heritage and culture shape Barking and Dagenham’s identity.

How the new East London Institute of Technology is linking pupils to work.

The exciting changes due to transform Dagenham East.

Regeneration reports, detailing the progress of important schemes.

Smithfield, Billingsgate and New Spitalfields markets move east.

The positive actions happening as the council declares a climate emergency.

Why creating a community is vital for the major Barking Riverside scheme.

BOLD speaks to Participatory City about neighbourhood-led projects.

News

Art in the heart

Data entry

Marketing success

©3Fox International Limited 2020 All material is strictly copyright and all rights are reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without the written permission of 3Fox International Ltd is strictly forbidden. The greatest care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of information in this magazine at time of going to press, but we accept no responsibility for omissions or errors. The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of 3Fox International Ltd.

Riverside days

Building hope

On the job

Projects

Current climate

Group work

BOLD NEWS

NEWS Public consultation for borough’s future development

Bus tours discover regeneration highlights Developers, potential homeowners and visitors can take a unique guided bus tour of Barking and Dagenham to see how regeneration is evolving in the borough. Be First, the council’s regeneration arm, is putting on free monthly tours for the third year in a row, taking guests on a circuit of the borough which starts and ends at Barking Town Hall. They will see sites including The Ice House Quarter, Barking Riverside and the industrial and residential areas of

Dagenham, as well as the site of the film studios planned for Dagenham. Be First managing director Pat Hayes said: “Be First’s mission is to accelerate growth in the borough so that we can provide homes and jobs for local people. It’s a huge task and we hope to deliver 50,000 new homes and 20,000 new jobs over the next 20 years. “But to appreciate the scale and the opportunity, it’s not enough to read about it – you have to see it with your own eyes.”

Residents have been asked to help shape the future of development in Barking and Dagenham by taking part in a consultation on the Local Plan. All boroughs are required to have a Local Plan setting out where growth is expected to occur, and what kind of new buildings and infrastructure the local authority will support. Barking and Dagenham Council has asked its urban regeneration firm Be First to draft the all-important document, to help planners determine whether the designs of investors, developers and builders are permitted. Caroline Harper, chief planner at Be First, said: “We want to be sure the right sort of housing is available for our young people. We want to attract new businesses that will generate good jobs for local people. The Local Plan guides those who want to invest in our community to deliver what the community has said it wants between now and 2034. “The Local Plan talks about lots of key policy issues such as how we protect and enhance the environment, and how we encourage residents to live more active, healthier and more sustainable lives.”

50,000 homes Be First hopes to deliver 50,000 new homes over the next 20 years to the borough

BOLD NEWS

New modular council homes delivered in a week Thirteen new council homes at Sugden Way in Barking were delivered and lifted into place in the space of just seven days. Barking and Dagenham Council’s regeneration company Be First commissioned specialist construction company Rollalong for the modular homes, built off-site and then bolted together and finished on-site. The first of the new homes at Sugden Way were lifted into place on January 20, and just seven days later the last home was in position. Councillor Cameron Geddes, the council’s cabinet member for regeneration and social housing, said he was “astonished by the progress”. He added: “The beauty of this system is that we can construct top-quality permanent new homes twice as fast as

using traditional methods, and in half the time, meaning significantly less disruption to the neighbours.” The modern mode of construction is widely used in Europe and known for its quality, as the homes can be constructed in controlled conditions and tested rigorously before being delivered. Rollalong managing director Steve Chivers said: “There is a shortage of housing in the borough and our modular alternatives to traditional construction offer a real opportunity to address the shortfall in approximately half the time.” Tom Mather, construction director at Be First, added: “This is very much the future of the building industry and we expect to use off-site construction regularly, since we can reliably deliver more quality homes much more quickly.”

New Travelodge opens in Dagenham Dagenham’s newest addition to its selection of hotels opened for business on a site near the much-anticipated Dagenham film studios. The 78-room London Dagenham East Travelodge opened its doors in February, with Barking and Dagenham Council leader Darren Rodwell paying a visit to mark the occasion. Rodwell was joined on his site visit by Paul Mathias, district manager for Travelodge, David Harley from the council’s regeneration arm Be First, as well as Jonathan Carkeet from Berkeley Square Developments. The hotel and a Costa Coffee drive-thru were built by Barnes Construction through a funding agreement with Berkeley Square Developments on behalf of Be First. Mathias said: “The central location of this hotel will help attract more business and leisure visitors to the area which is great news for the local economy.” Carkeet says the hotel development “has regenerated a key part of the former Sanofi facility to create new local employment opportunities, supports inward investment within the area and provides residents with new amenities.”

BOLD NEWS

Historic lemonade bottle discovered Eagle-eyed excavators discovered a piece of Barking’s history in the shape of a 100-year-old R. White’s bottle, unearthed as they laid the ground work for 95 new council-owned homes. The Doulton Lambeth Salt glazed pottery bottle was spotted among the soil on the Upney Lane site in Barking by Rob Finbow, site manager for contractors Jerram Falkus. He said: “We were surprised to find it in such good condition – it’s certainly captured the interest of our team in the local area’s history.” The bottle, which is inscribed with the brand name R. Whites, is believed to have been produced locally at the lemonade firm’s factory in Barking town centre. The factory was in existence for many years before, in 1972, closing down when production moved to Beckton. The bottle will be preserved by Be First‘s heritage engagement manager, Simone Panayi, who will be using it in the work she does with schools to explore local history.

She said: “I am really excited by the find, it’s a really important part of Barking’s industrial heritage, so I’m so pleased that Jerram Falkus have donated it to us.”

The development at Sebastian Court will provide a mixture of new one and two-bedroom affordable homes due to be completed by 2021.

Developer celebrates award win New homes by development firm L&Q were heralded with a top prize at the 2019 National Housing Awards. The Parklands scheme located at Barking Riverside was named Best Large Development in October, and praised for the types of homes and range of prices available to potential homeowners. The 300 homes have one to threebedroom apartments mixed with family townhouses, each with private outdoor space and access to landscaped gardens. The new homes have been made available through a shared ownership scheme and Help to Buy, aiding first-time buyers to get on the property ladder.

BOLD CULTURE & HERITAGE

HeART of the matter Barking and Dagenham is working hard to preserve its impressive heritage while building a creative future to be proud of. Jane Thynne finds out more

Pictured: Cllr Darren Rodwell and colleagues in a Downton Abbeyinspired photoshoot at Barking Abbey.

arking and Dagenham has a proud cultural heritage: from the ruins of the 7th century Barking Abbey to its former Assembly Hall (now Broadway Theatre) where Neil Young recorded his classic album Harvest, as the birthplace of such seminal performers as Billy Bragg and

U2 legend The Edge, to the site of St Margaretâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Church where adventurer Captain Cook got married. Whichever way you look at it, the borough has certainly made its mark.

In 2017, the council published its ambitious Culture Everywhere document, outlining a five-year strategy designed to

promote arts and culture in the borough, not just in terms of economic growth but also to stimulate a sense of civic pride, wellbeing and community inclusion. Organisations such as Studio 3 Arts, Create London and A New Direction have flourished under the banner, while heritage schemes at Barking Abbey and

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East Street, are benefitting from more than a little TLC. “We really see art and culture as future key growth areas,” says David Harley, head of regeneration at Be First, the council’s regeneration arm. “There is a real chance to create real opportunities. We have a lot of talented people and it’s important to unlock that talent.” While much of the planned activity is focused on the new, it certainly doesn’t mean the borough has forgotten about its past. “We cherish our rich heritage,” says Harley. “We want to make sure our history and sense of place are reflected in our future projects.” One of the key areas is East Street, where, thanks to £1.8 million from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, renovations are shortly taking place to preserve its historically-important shops. Be First has been working with a group of local volunteers to collate a history of the street and there are plans to create public artwork to celebrate its fascinating past. Money has also been made available from the fund for crucial restoration work to improve the setting of the Curfew Tower, which stands on the ruins of Barking Abbey – a Scheduled Ancient Monument, held as a site not just of local importance but for the nation. “Barking Abbey has got a really fantastic history,” explains Harley. “William the Conqueror was based here while the Tower of London was

being built. Yes, we have got a lot of redevelopment going on but we want to make sure our heritage is protected and enhanced for future generations.” One of the cornerstones of the future plans for the borough is the creation of Dagenham film studios. London’s largest film studios to be built for 25 years, it will be situated on the former Sanofi site in Dagenham East. A planning application for the 18-acre studio site was submitted in March. “We will be working with schools, colleges and the universities to maximise the opportunities for local people,” explains Harley. “We want to make sure they have the right skills to meet the demand – from hair and make-up to carpenters and caterers – there is a whole range of jobs and that’s before you consider actors and crew.” Planning for the 20-acre plot is due to be submitted this spring, but a section of the site has already played its part in the film industry as a base for immersive theatre company Secret Cinema, which staged a showing of Casino Royale in Dagenham last year. The business, which offers audiences the chance to become

We really see art and culture as future growth areas part of the film’s story via ‘top secret’ means, attracted an audience of over 120,000 during the autumn run of the James Bond classic. According to Anna Wilson, Secret Cinema’s community engagement manager, it was drawn to Dagenham because of its reputation as a culturally forward-thinking borough. “Dagenham had everything we were looking for,” says Wilson. “We were welcomed with open arms by the council. As a local authority it is really receptive towards arts and culture and it is prepared to help, encourage and support those who want to bring something to the borough.” And Secret Cinema brought lots. Aside from employing local people,

Pictured: (above) the Abbey building and (main) the famous Dagenham Idol photograph by artist David Bailey at Barking station’s pop-up gallery.

BOLD CULTURE & HERITAGE

Pictured: Immersive theatre company Secret Cinema staged a showing of James Bond film Casino Royale in Dagenham last year.

mostly through Job Centre back to work schemes, the company also ran workshops and careers sessions for pupils and college students. It offered a work shadowing programme for those aged 18-25, held a three-week intensive film course, and hosted a National Citizen Service (NCS) summer volunteering programme. “The area is a really good fit for us,” says Wilson. “And we are already seeing the legacy elements as we have been able to offer paid employment to some of last year’s graduates.” Barking town centre is also set to get a culture makeover thanks to a series of collaborations and partnerships. Be First has recently signed a lease with Bow Arts, a social enterprise offering affordable creative services, to open inexpensive workspace on Abbey Road and the development of ThreeSixty – a new arts destination on the ground floor of Barking 360 – a landmark build of 195 apartments housed in four cylindrical towers on Cambridge Road. ThreeSixty is putting art, makers

Dagenham had everything we were looking for and we were welcomed with open arms and creators at the very core of the scheme which will feature a central atrium performance area surrounded by workspaces, offices and a gallery. The project is being designed by Turner Prizewinning team Assemble and is due to open this summer. Karen West-Whylie, chief executive at Barking Enterprise Centres, which is behind the ThreeSixty project, explains: “We are also working with Create London to ensure ThreeSixty has the right cultural and artistic blend. It is being built for the creative industries

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and it can house around 85 businesses.” The development is just metres from Barking and Dagenham’s revolutionary build, A House for Artists – which aims to offer affordable accommodation

for those in the sector who have been forced out of central London owing to high rents. Backed by artist, sculptor and broadcaster Grayson Perry, who is ambassador to the project, the first

Pictured (L-R):Children’s books and toys creators Irina Goncherenko and Liliana Hristova at Barking Station pop-up shop Rock Paper Scissors.

FABULOUS FABRICS Barking resident and designer Georgia Leslie, 25, is one of the creatives who took retail space in the Rock, Paper, Scissors outlet in Barking Station with her business Coconut Palm – which sees her upcycling preloved fabrics into a range of clothing and accessories. Georgia is part of the borough’s Every One Every Day project, which is a local network aiming to make life better in the borough via design, creativity and

economic opportunity. Georgia says: “Being a part of Every One Every Day’s ‘Design, Make, Sell’ project really helped me with the commercial side of the business. I knew what I was producing was good but I didn’t have a route to market. I didn’t know where to start. Making sales in the shop really gave me confidence. It made me trust my brand and now I feel ready to get more products out there.”

occupants are due to take up residency in 2021. Barking has also had a surge in artistic activity with pop-ups appearing in empty retail space in the town centre and railway station. “We have been able to take space in the Vicarage Field shopping centre which gives us a much more immediate presence in the area,” explains Liza Vallance, artistic director at Studio 3 Arts, a non-profit organisation that seeks to remove barriers to art for local communities. “By allowing us to lease this empty space we are reaching a lot more people, different people who may not have come to a theatre or a gallery.” Studio 3 Arts is currently conducting a £1.6 million refurbishment of its Boundary Road venue where it is creating a mixed-model offer to appeal to past, present and future residents. Recent successes run by the charity have included an open mic night, a dance battle featuring local crews and spoken word events, run in partnership with restaurant Relish@BLC. The Vicarage Field space is also flourishing and is now home to an intergenerational singing collective, as well as a samba drumming band. Meanwhile, over at Barking Station, West-Whylie has been working with creative collectives and initiatives such as Every One Every Day to turn a vacant retail unit in the station secured by Be First into pop-up gallery space. “We have had some wonderful art and artists in the station,” says West-Whylie. “Last December a shop called Rock, Paper, Scissors was run for people to sell their home-made goods and now we have an entrepreneurial scheme based there called Young Hustlers. The feedback has been great. Residents and businesses want more of this – it encourages footfall and gives the place a bit of a buzz.” According to Be First’s Harley, the borough’s aim is to “fuse” the areas of heritage, culture and economic opportunity. It’s about improving the quality of life. Our regeneration is about people – as our slogan says, it’s about putting art at the heart.”

Left: UCLPearl – the groundbreaking research centre. Below: Secret Cinema’s exciting production of Casino Royale in Barking & Dagenham.

LONDON’S GROWTH

OPPORTUNITY

From welcoming London’s buzzing, iconic markets – Billingsgate, Spitalfields and Smithfield – to opening the largest Hollywood style film studio in London, the future is bright for Barking and Dagenham. Leading the way for the borough’s digital revolution will be two of the largest data centres in the UK, not to mention UCL Pearl, a groundbreaking state of the art research centre, and so much more. Barking and Dagenham is going places. Are you ready? Work with us: befirst.london | info@befirst.london

BeFirst

Full-time and part-time courses No end of year exams Study one module at a time Block learning

CU London talk. 020 3873 0700 write. cul@coventry.ac.uk CU London is a trading name of Coventry University College Limited, a company wholly owned by Coventry University.

BOLD DAGENHAM EAST

Data Based

Big things are coming to Dagenham East, with the former Sanofi pharmaceutical site set for a huge transformation over the next few years. What will this mean for the borough? Sarah Herbert investigates

he former Sanofi site was one of Dagenham’s major employers, with more than 4,500 staff at its peak. Exciting developments promise a return to similar levels as a range of new industries will soon be based there. The site has a long and distinguished history. Originally home to the Wilkins family of Tiptree jams fame, it was bought by May and Baker in the 1930s, and became a major chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing and production facility, stretching to over 108 acres. By 2009, May and Baker had become Sanofi, and the decision was

made to shift production overseas and to close the Dagenham site. Sanofi finally left in 2013, but was determined to leave a legacy and thus sowed the seeds for the current plans for the area’s regeneration. Having donated over 50 acres of sports fields and the May and Baker Social Club to a local community trust, Sanofi sold a major part of the site to AXA, and the front 10 acres to a supermarket chain. Subsequently, Barking and Dagenham Council bought the supermarket site and two-thirds of the AXA holding. The remaining one-third of the AXA holding, on the eastern side of the site, is where

a data centre is being built, by owner NTT Communications. Such large-scale data hosting infrastructure is critical for sectors such as digital media or cloud computing, so will support east London’s emerging technological industries, and make the borough the digital hub of the capital. Occupying a site of 55,000sq m, the hyperscale data centre will open for business in the summer of this year. The flexible and scalable campus, offering wholesale and retail collocation as well as hybrid IT, will also include an innovation test lab facility for customers, service providers and partners.

BOLD DAGENHAM EAST

The buildings are huge. Two data centres of 212m long, 70m wide and 24m high will contain 24,000sq m of IT space and 60MW IT load once fully-developed, and 2,000sq m of back office space. There will also be a single-storey gatehouse, and a dedicated sub-station. Both data centre buildings and the gatehouse will have rooftop PV cells, which together will generate up to 1.75MWh from almost 4,000 cells, making it the capital’s largest new bespoke rooftop array in the capital. Developed by NTT subsidiary e-Centre, the project – known as UK London 1 Data Centre – will include operator Gyron, and be connected by dark fibre to the five existing Gyron data centres in Hemel Hempstead and Slough, offering a networked London operating platform capable of supporting over 100MW of IT load. Rupprecht Rittweger, CEO of e-shelter and Gyron, says: “London is a major global data centre market and this development is driven by continued demand from our customers and partners.” The remaining 17 acres of the Sanofi site, containing the last of the major production and laboratory buildings, was developed into one of east London’s primary business and technical parks, Londoneast-UK. The business park was bought in January 2019 by the BD Group, Barking and Dagenham Council’s trading company, which is investing massively in the site and attracting a range of exciting new

The site as a whole will bring together digital, creative, industry and education organisations. Already supporting 47 individual businesses, Londoneast-UK is fast becoming a major hub for universities seeking new facilities. First of these is the PEARL research laboratory, being built on part of the site sold by BD Group to University College London. PEARL (Person-EnvironmentActivity Research Laboratory) will be at the cutting-edge of research into the movement of people through global transportation networks. Planning permission was granted last November for a building 115m long and 40m wide, comprising an open laboratory space of 3,600sq m, workshops, meeting rooms, a sound laboratory, a ‘maker space’ and working spaces. In the laboratory space, Professor Nick Tyler and his 100-strong team of research staff, students, technicians and administration staff will recreate different life-size environments – such as streets, squares, stations, airport terminals, or even some aspects of natural environments – to investigate how people

Pictured: (main) the planned Pearl UCL site and (below) the data centre due to be created at Londoneast-UK.

respond in every way to different aspects of environment design, such as lighting, sound/acoustics, smell and visibility, as well as its physical properties. The laboratory space will be able to simulate anything from starlight to bright sunlight, and create sounds of all volumes and ‘move’ them around the space, with the acoustic properties of anything from a small room to a large cathedral. Tyler says: “It can even introduce smells into the space, or change the visibility, for example reduce it down to a few centimetres, as in a fog.” So why did UCL choose Dagenham East for such a facility? Says Tyler: “At the technical level, we needed a site that was close to public transport - especially the Underground - and flat enough to have a building of such a size on a reasonably flat site. It also had to be sufficiently far

BOLD DAGENHAM EAST

away from housing that the occasional arrival of 500 participants for the ‘big’ experiments would not be disruptive to local residents, but near enough to the local community that we could develop a good working relationship. Having found the site in Dagenham that met these technical needs, we are really happy to be in a location with such an energised local authority, and where we feel that we can build up the relationships with local people and organisations. “It is very important to us that we listen to their needs and challenges of the community, not only so that we can keep our scientific work relevant, but also so that we can explain to people - including local school students - what we do, what engineering and science really are and what a university can mean to everyone.” PEARL will be UCL’s first net zero

carbon building, offsetting all carbon emissions in both areas of construction and operation. The final set of exciting plans for the site is for London’s biggest film studios. New designs for the studios were unveiled in March when a planning application was put forward by Be First, Barking and Dagenham Council’s regeneration arm. The plans include six large sound stages, offices and workshops, designed to high environmental standards. Council leader Darren Rodwell says: “This is the next exciting stage in our ambition to build the largest studios in London for 25 years.” There’s no doubt the demand is there. Adrian Wootton, chief executive of Film London and the British Film Commission, says: “UK film and high-end TV production contributes billions to the economy each year, and

it is crucial that we capitalise on this by continuing to develop our world-class infrastructure and provide access to as much purpose built studio space as we possibly can. “Our highly attractive tax reliefs remain unaffected by Brexit so for international productions coming to the UK it’s very much business as usual. We’re continuing to see a huge demand by major studios looking for the stability and security of a UK production base.” So what does it all mean for the borough? According to Pat Hayes, who is managing director of Be First: “The studio development will over the next few years create thousands of new jobs both directly and indirectly, while the presence of the data centre, PEARL and business space means the site as a whole will bring together digital, creative, industry and education.”

BOLD MARKETS

Trading up

Three titans of Londonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s market landscape are making the journey east to a new home in Dagenham. Shailja Morris reports on how the world-renowned reputations of the markets were built, why the move will benefit the borough and traders, and how the council clinched the deal

hen Londonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s iconic wholesale markets Smithfield, Billingsgate and New Spitalfields - close the gates to their current premises for the last time, they will be handing a powerful legacy to future generations of residents, businesses and visitors at their new joint home in Dagenham. The world-renowned wholesale

giants will be consolidated into a triple mega-market at the 42-acre site of the disused Barking Reach Power Station at Dagenham Dock. A new training school for market traders and food workers of the future will also be developed nearby in the borough. No firm date has been set for this historic relocation although the City of London Corporation, which owns the

markets, predicts it could take up to three years. What is certain is the move will breathe new life into the markets, provide a bigger and better working environment for traders, and be a huge boost to the boroughâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economy and its residents. The first plans for the scheme went into consultation stage at the end of January and a planning application is expected to be submitted to the council in the

BOLD MARKETS

spring. The markets are at the heart of the capital’s food economy, and Barking and Dagenham Council aims to ensure they remain successful. Council leader, Councillor Darren Rodwell, explains: “We need to make sure we give our people the best offer we can. This isn’t just about a wholesale food and produce offer. “It will bring employment opportunities and a cultural offer with the potential to become the Barbican of east London. Billingsgate was originally in Barking on the banks of the Thames so it’s about bringing it back home along with Smithfield and New Spitalfields. “At the moment the markets are their own ecosystems but you can always get something bigger than the sum of its parts, which is what is going to happen right here in this borough.” Smithfield meat market, which has stood on the same Farringdon location since the 10th century, will be joined by New Spitalfields fruit and vegetable market, which moved from the city to Leyton in 1991, and Billingsgate fish market, which relocated to its new site in Poplar in 1982. Barking and Dagenham clinched the bid to host the £800 million-a-year markets last summer after beating several rivals. These included Silvertown in the Docklands, Fairlop in Redbridge and the Thames Enterprise Park in Thurrock. The borough’s strong road and rail links, and access to the Thames were deciding factors in the selection process. James Tumbridge, chairman of the City of London Corporation’s Markets Committee, says: “If you go back 1,000 years, fruit and veg, fish and meat were imported into the City through our three markets which were within a half mile of each other around the Square Mile. This move brings them together again. “London has changed and transport emissions issues have changed. Bringing large trucks through residential areas in the middle of the night to have a functioning meat market is no longer

Pictured: (left) Etching of Billingsgate Fish Market in 1876 and (main and below) New Spitalfields Market at its current site in Leyton.

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tenable. Billingsgate is hemmed in against the A13 and the river and Canary Wharf and has no space to expand. Its fishmongers and traders want more space. Part of my manifesto to become chairman of the Markets Committee was to do what most cities do and have wholesale markets under one roof. “Delivery vans can come to one place and get different produce without travelling to different locations. There’s a

It will bring employment opportunities and a cultural offer

public transport message here. “The proposed new site will be right on the doorstep of the major trunk roads, like the A13. It is a corner of London that has rail spurs and the river, which needs to be utilised and it is as good as you’re going to get if you’re going to operate markets in London.” Cllr Rodwell agrees that transport is a key issue and reveals options to improve the borough’s network. He says: “We need to make more use of the rail network. We have the C2C going all the way up to Fenchurch Street and the international freight terminal which is close to the site. “The council is working with Network Rail and other landowners to come up with a plan to upgrade the international freight terminal and in the future it could be possible to go from Barking to Beijing in under 36 hours.” The council, its regeneration arm Be First and the City of London Corporation are working up plans to establish a new food training and commercial centre in the borough, to encourage young food professionals from the area and across London. The centre would capitalise on the opportunities that the markets bring, and create an exciting new visitor destination that is based on food. Billingsgate already has an outreach programme for schools, and also trains fishmongers and staff from national supermarkets. Tumbridge explains: “We would not replicate Billingsgate. This facility will be much larger. We want a facility that trains future staff across all market produce, the wider industry and provides positive food messaging to the public.” As for the location of the food training facility, Pat Hayes, managing director at Be First, says that it is likely to be in Barking town centre. He adds: “We’re working with the Corporation on identifying a site in or near the town centre as it needs to be in a visible and accessible place. “The three markets probably won’t be

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Pictured: (left above) Etching of Spitalfields silk weavers in 1893 and (left below) dresses made from Spitalfields silk. (Main) New Spitalfields Market.

here until 2025, but we plan to have this food school here before then. It will be a real attraction for Barking and there are a couple of potential site options, one just outside the town centre and the other in the heart of the town centre. It needs to be accessible by public transport and have a good public footfall.” Market days

The three iconic wholesale markets at the heart of London’s food economy have a colourful and sometimes gruesome history that goes well beyond selling wholesome food produce.

The origins of Smithfield meat market can be traced back as far as the 10th century on the same site. Known as Smoothfield, it was once a large play area for Londoners on the edge of St Bartholomew’s Priory where jousting and games or tournaments took place. It was also used for the execution of criminals, including Wat Tyler, a leader of the Peasants’ Revolt, and Scottish revolutionary Sir William Wallace who

was put to death at Smithfield in 1305. Around 200 people were persecuted and burned for their religious beliefs at the site during the reign of Mary Tudor. In the 1860s, City architect, Sir Horace Jones designed the new building. It was deemed such a success that he went on to design Billingsgate and Leadenhall markets and Tower Bridge. Billingsgate dates back to the 1400s, if not further. The original market lies on the Thames between what is now Tower Bridge and London Bridge and was one of the first wharfs built along the river. Fish was sold from stalls and sheds around docks at the side of the River Thames along with corn, coal, iron, wine, salt and pottery. The market was not associated exclusively with the fish trade until the 16th century. In 1699 an Act of Parliament was passed making it “a free and open market for all sorts of fish whatsoever”. In 1850, the amount of fish handled increased so much that a formal building was constructed on Lower

Thames Street to create a central market space. Over the next century, business kept growing, eventually necessitating a move three miles east of the original wharf, in the Docklands in 1982. A relative newcomer, New Spitalfields starting life as a 13th century market in a field next to St Mary Spital on the edge of the Square Mile. In 1682, King Charles II granted silk winder, John Balch, a Royal Charter that gave him the right to hold a market on Thursdays and Saturdays in or near Spital Square. For the next 200 years, it traded from sheds and stalls and became a centre for the sale of home-grown produce. By 1876, a former market porter called Robert Horner bought a short lease on the market and completed a new building in 1893 at a cost of £80,000. The City of London acquired direct control of the market in 1920. Although the original buildings were extended, Spitalfields continued to grow, and was forced to move to its current Leyton location in 1991.

New Homes Coming Soon to Barking Weston Homes are excited to have gained Full Planning Consent for 1,089 new homes at Abbey Quay, the former Abbey Road Retail Park, in partnership with the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham. The development offers a unique opportunity for Weston Homes to deliver quality, high specification homes alongside creating a vibrant mixed use destination within central Barking. •

1,089 new homes, which includes 352 affordable properties

•

New riverside plaza and walking route along the River Roding edge

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2,070m2 of commercial space with new leisure venues

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1,071m2 of employment space to support start-ups & local businesses

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A new 637m2 gymnasium and 203m2 community facility

Bringing High Quality New Homes to the Barking Area

Down by the riverside

BOLD BARKING RIVERSIDE

Barking Riverside has gained attention for the size and scale of the development, but it is also becoming well-known for its community activities. Kirsty MacAulay learns about how it is important to not only bring new homes, but generate a community that cares

t is not surprising Barking Riverside has gained a lot of attention. Creating a neighbourhood with 10,800 homes will get a project noticed. However, it is not just the pace of change that is putting it on the map, but the holistic approach and programme of events. In November 1,600 residents enjoyed a community fireworks display, and two-night laser extravaganza by BAFTA awardwinning digital artist Seb Lee-Delisle. The Laser Light Synths display allowed

visitors to create music and bounce powerful lasers into the sky. Top of

Time Out magazine’s list of things to do that weekend, the event attracted tourists and residents alike. Alongside the lasers there was food and giant glow-in-thedark puppets operated by live performers, from Spanish Street Theatre company El Carromato. Carla Rapoport, executive director of Lumen Art Projects that commissioned Lee-Delisle for the event, comments: “It was a dream come true when we were introduced to Barking

Riverside and their fabulous site on the river. It really offered us a ‘field of dreams’ in terms of the openness of the venue and the depth of community engagement that Barking Riverside could offer. At the opening of Seb’s show, there were lines of people waiting to come in and make their own sky-high dance of music and lasers. We couldn’t have been happier.” The programme of events for 2020 will focus on offering a mix of quality events that will appeal locally and to the wider audience. Last summer a pop-up beach

BOLD BARKING RIVERSIDE

was installed with the ubiquitous giant deckchair, as well as free picnic hampers and live music. Over 250 residents attended the second annual Big Barking Riverside Picnic on the beach. The riverside location is one of Barking Riverside’s USPs and plans are in place to open the riverfront up and make it more accessible to the public. David Watkinson, planning, design and communications director at Barking Riverside, explains: “Historically the river has been used for industry and was cut off from the public, so we need to change perceptions and convince local people not to go to Southend for the day but to come here. When the tide’s in it’s a beautiful landscape and the only place in London where you can see seals!”

The area has wonderfully varied wildlife from invertebrates and water voles to migrating birds. The Ecology Centre, opening as part of the Barking Riverside scheme this summer, will bring all of that to life for local schools and groups as well as residents and visitors.

The emphasis on nature within this urban neighbourhood is not accidental. Barking Riverside is part of the NHS’s Healthy New Towns programme, which aims to ensure developments have all the facilities to enable residents to live a healthy lifestyle.

Watkinson adds: “Access to green and blue space is a key theme for the programme, it’s important for both physical and mental health. We mapped out all the area’s blue spaces, the river and ponds, for local people and we’re putting it in welcome packs now too. “There is a moment of opportunism when people move here, a new start, and there is huge interest in what is available and if we can support that it can be a change in their way of life. “Most people would like to learn a new skill, or cycle more. Our role is to create the opportunity to shift the pattern of behaviour allowing residents to get the most of the scheme and neighbourhood.” Community is another important element of the Healthy New Towns programme and Watkinson believes there are perfect conditions for a community at this location. He says: “It will grow over time; we are creating 100 years’ worth of development in a couple of decades. People want to understand and influence the area, so we really get people involved. “We were told we need social meeting spaces; people here like to gather for food. We’re reviewing facilities so they fit, creating community spaces and external

BOLD BARKING RIVERSIDE

spaces for gathering, possibly a BBQ area, anticipating how people want to live here.â&#x20AC;? It is hoped that cycling will be a popular form of transport in the area. Biking Riverside opened in 2017 illustrating the benefits of getting on your

bike with lessons, special events and cycle doctor sessions. Transport for London is working on a 7km cycle link connecting Barking Riverside with Barking town centre and the Cycle Superhighway 3, to Canary

It was a dream come true when we were introduced to Barking Riverside

Pictured: (top left) young people enjoy the pop-up beach, (bottom left) and (left) Seb Lee-Delisleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Laser Light Synths display, and (below) building The Ecology Centre due to open this summer.

BOLD BARKING RIVERSIDE

Wharf. Work is happening apace on the new station and rail link to Barking station. Completion is expected at the end of next year, which will have a dramatic effect on connectivity for residents and potentially residential sales. While current residents moved from within the borough or neighbouring boroughs, Watkinson says once the station opens people could move from further afield. He comments: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have a lot of incoming buyers looking at the site knowing that the train will bring better transport links but also, financially, it will be worth it.â&#x20AC;? There will be plenty of opportunity for sales with the size of the scheme and the speed with which it is being constructed; there will be 1,500 new homes completed by March with a further 800 homes under construction with the first stage completing this summer. Pictured: (above) the award-winning Parklands homes created by L&Q and construction for the new train station (main).

The

ReMade in Dagenham

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Save 47%* when you recycle your food waste with ReFood.

Greener, safer, cheaper food waste recycling is now available in London. Last year, ReFood, the UK’s No.1 food waste recycling specialist, arrived in Dagenham with a £32m AD facility capable of processing 160,000 tonnes of food waste a year. As the UK’s only fully-integrated food chain recycler with a nationwide network of AD plants, our closed-loop, end-to-end service is greener, safer and up to 47%* cheaper than landfill. The Green Standard is our guarantee that no corners are being cut, and your food waste is being used to produce renewable energy and a nutrient-rich biofertiliser, while being handled responsibly, sustainably and efficiently. To see how much you could save call 0800 011 3214 or visit www.refood.co.uk *Figure based on April 2017 landfill rate vs. volume weight

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BOLD AFFORDABLE HOUSING

Building the future Local authorities in the UK are once again building affordable housing. Shailja Morris finds out what Barking and Dagenham Council and its regeneration arm Be First are doing to help tackle the housing crisis in London, and ensure that residents have a genuinely affordable home

BOLD AFFORDABLE HOUSING Pictured: (main) new homes due for the Gascoigne Estate on Abbey Road and(below) demolition begins at the Gascoigne Estate.

arking and Dagenham Council and its regeneration arm, Be First, are proactively tackling the acute shortage of genuinely affordable homes in the borough.

With an ambitious target to build 3,000 high-quality new homes by 2022 and 50,000 homes over the next 20 years, they will be using off-site modular construction to help speed up the process and enable them to build at scale. Even though average house prices in the borough are actually the lowest in London, the same applies to household incomes of residents. Council leader, Councillor Darren Rodwell, explains: “The squeezed middle represents around 80% of the borough. “These are the people that are unlikely to qualify for a council house, but do not have sufficient income to rent or buy a property on the open market. “Around 20,000 people and families in this borough are renting in the private sector market and one in three properties in the borough are buy-to-let. “We have started off building 850 units at submarket rents, but by 2022 expect that figure to have hit 2,000 units.” He adds: “We are the cheapest borough in London so people come here for the cheaper housing stock. At the same time, it’s the best return for the buy-to-let market. The social cost of this has been immense. It’s good for the council to invest in housing stock but also to show what a good landlord looks like. “We are the only council in London with a borough-wide licensing scheme to improve the management of privately rented properties. We want to start showing best practice across the sector.” Across the Be First portfolio of around 3,000 houses being delivered by 2022, approximately 75% are affordable tenures and 25% private. Of the affordable homes, 32% will be London Affordable Rent or below, 17% shared ownership, 40% intermediate rent (including London Living Rent) and 11% to meet other housing needs, such as

temporary accommodation for homeless households and student accommodation. Demolition work started in January on the first phase of the Gascoigne Estate redevelopment in Barking for 1,050 new homes to replace the existing poor-quality housing stock, built in the 1960s. A children’s play area, electric car charging points and 360 bike spaces have been designed along with the homes. In Barking town centre, a stone’s throw away from the train station, an underused 1960s office block, Crown House, will be transformed into 400 high-quality new homes, approximately 40% of which will be affordable. At land adjacent to Padnall Lake at Marks Gate, at least 200 homes are currently at design stage and if given the green light, they will be built using an offsite manufactured model of construction. Be First is also constructing temporary accommodation for homeless people at the Weighbridge site in Cook Street, Dagenham, working with contractor Jerram Falkus. The 92 new homes are due to be built off-site and will house people who would otherwise be placed into hostels often expensive and unsuitable for families. All of the new build portfolio will work towards new design guidelines being launched this spring. These will inform architects, technical teams, landscape designers and building contractors to bring a consistently highquality approach to housing that is being delivered in the borough. Jacob Willson, head of design at the council’s regeneration arm Be First, says: “The guidance will include high-level principles around mixed communities, sustainability, health and wellbeing, innovation and the public realm. “Underneath those specific topics is practical guidance for our design and contractor teams that will support a consistent and high-quality approach to Be First’s new developments. “This will include both the internal quality of new homes such as energy

BOLD AFFORDABLE HOUSING

It’s good for the council to invest in housing stock but also show what a good landlord looks like

performance, high levels of natural light and the specification of the rooms as well as high quality and durable communal areas, entrances and the public realm.” He explains: “These are all really important elements for creating high quality homes, public realm and neighbourhoods for residents of Barking and Dagenham. The guidelines will help articulate all this for us.” Sustainable development will be at the core of the guidelines. Willson says: “The guidelines will also address the use of building materials with a low carbon footprint, as well as homes that are sustainable and require less heating, and

with less money spent on heating, they’re cheaper for occupiers to run and a lot better for the environment.” Pat Hayes is managing director at the council’s regeneration arm Be First. He explains: “What we are doing in Barking and Dagenham is similar to what London County Council did in the 1920s: building good-quality rental housing to the highest modern design standards aimed at people who can’t get on the purchasing ladder but are in employment. “The supply of rental housing since 1979 has been very low, so we are effectively rebuilding that housing provision. The housing market here can’t provide homes at the scale we need it at, the absorption rate is just not there. “Successive governments have been relying on the market to provide housing and that model doesn’t work in a borough like Barking and Dagenham as it is funded by sales. The private market will only build at the rate they can sell. We have to step in and deliver because the market can’t do it. The demand is there but not at the price point the housebuilders wish to build.” Becontree Estate centenary celebrations

2021 will mark 100 years since building began on what was once the largest social housing estate in the world.

The milestone celebration for Dagenham’s Becontree Estate involves a year-long social engagement programme called Living Together that will explore the history and future possibilities of this vast suburban estate, through the voices of past and present residents. Led by local artist, Verity-Jane Keefe, and Barking and Dagenham Council it received funding from the National Lottery and Arts Council England. Becontree’s four-square-mile footprint was once described as a “working class haven” with running water, a parlour and up to four bedrooms to accommodate 100,000 residents from London’s slums. At the time it was a revolutionary

BOLD AFFORDABLE HOUSING

scheme – the brainchild of Housing Minister Richard Addison as part of a wider municipal housebuilding initiative after the first world war known as “homes fit for heroes”. King George V visited the estate in 1923 and Mahatma Gandhi spent the night at Kingsley Hall community centre. Today more than half of Dagenham’s residents call Becontree home. They no longer have to adhere to strict standards like cleaning their windows once a week, as the early residents had to. Be First is exploring options to provide Becontree residents with more living space in time for the centenary anniversary next year. Hayes adds: “Although the houses were quite well designed, with good-sized gardens, they are quite small inside. We are looking at developing a pod system to add units to the back of the houses to increase the living space. “Residents could have an extra room or bathroom using modular technology. We would crane in additional components and you wouldn’t even notice they had been added on. We have also put in a bid for funding to create walking routes and public realm to try to get that back to what it was like when first built, as a place where everyone walked or cycled rather than being a car-dominated environment as it is now.”

Pictured: (left top and bottom) modular housing at the Weighbridge site, and leader Cllr Darren Rodwell with colleagues visiting the first home, (top) plans to build new affordable homes at Becontree, and (main and below) the Becontree Estate.

BOLD SKILLS

On a learning curve

Barking and Dagenham College proudly became the home of the new East London Institute of Technology in September. Noella Pio Kivlehan learns about the collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dedicated efforts to work closely with employers and the community to give students the best education, skills and chance to learn on the job 32

BOLD SKILLS

n any given weekday, Barking and Dagenham residents can hit the gym for a quick workout, head to the salon for pampering, before a relaxing lunch or dinner. Not unusual in any London borough. But what makes this day different is it can all be done within the confines of Barking and Dagenham College, that last year gained the prestigious status of Institute of Technology (IoT) – one of only 12 colleges and universities in the UK to have secured funding. A vocational

college with 10,000 pupils or ‘learners’ ranging from 16 upwards, the students include school leavers, through Higher Education students, to those returning

Pictured: The Institute of Technology provides students with a range of top facilities for an array of subjects.

to study after years away. The IoT is designed to deliver advanced and higherlevel specialist training in emerging occupations, which is something the college is already prepared for. “As a college we are ensuring our learners are progressing out to the workplace,” says Yvonne Kelly, the college’s principal and CEO. “With our ‘Work Ready’ programme we have a number of activities that support wider opportunities for learners to operate in a commercial environment to develop their skills in a real work context.” The IoT provides specialisms in construction and infrastructure technologies, advanced engineering and robotics, creative digital (animation and

games design, 3D design and graphic design) and IT. At the college’s four campuses including the largest of Rush Green, as well as Barking, The Broadway Theatre, and Barking Learning Centre, popular courses include the STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) subjects. “We cover a range of pathways,” explains Kelly. Working with employers she adds is “fundamental, absolutely fundamental to everything we do”. The IoT has 15 partners, who have been with the college for many years, with the four principals – CU London, Huawei, Saint Gobain and Transport for London. Kelly adds the skills gaps are identified by employers, the council, the LMI (labour market information) and schools. She says: “It’s the ultimate for us to offer those links with the employers and align with the future skills and talent pipeline that’s required for the borough and for Greater London.” Learners have the chance to do work experience, manage ongoing traineeships and apprenticeships, or work with businesses that recommend suitable course graduates. It was in April last year the Department for Education announced it was choosing only 12 colleges and universities to secure government funding to open an Institute of Technology. Each will share a pot of

BOLD SKILLS

Working with employers is absolutely fundamental to what we do £170 million of government investment to fund industry-standard facilities and equipment to help close skills gaps in key STEM areas. Already an existing college noted as being ahead of its game in teaching STEM subjects and encouraging entrepreneurship, there were plans to turn the education facility into a College of Advanced Technology before being awarded the IoT status. Kelly says: “What getting the IoT has done is to focus us on raising the opportunities to higher level education, predominately to level 4 (first year degree equivalent) and 5 (second year degree), where the borough is lacking.” She adds: “We already had the building before the IoT government pot came out, so it was easy to assimilate into the IoT model. Now, the building is refurbished. We have the capital equipment procurement Pictured: Students and staff at Barking and Dagenham College.

process under way, and we have got our partners.” Kelly says what the curriculum has to offer is “starting to build and deliver, and obviously it’s making sure we hit the targets” to help students progress “to a career at a higher level”. Other targets include keeping track of part-time learners and underrepresented groups such as women. Giving back to the community and the borough is key. Jason Turton, director of advanced technologies at the college, is keen to highlight The Broadway Theatre campus. He says: “We have multimedia animation, we’ve got visuals, sound – all those parts of the creative so that’s another outlet there for our community. It’s a 350-seat space where regular events can be held. Or, it can be used for seminars, meetings, forums, which needs a different type of technical skill, which then links to the film studios that are being developed. Those types of skills are transferable into those industries.” He adds: “We are a forward-thinking college with an opportunity to make a difference, to impact on the wider community. That’s what we do as educators, teaching STEM subjects, encouraging entrepreneurs, and developing incubation ideas. All those things are real further education: this is what it’s about, serving the community and the young people of the area.”

THE ADULT COLLEGE Work and Skills delivers employment and education support to residents, regardless of their starting point. The Adult College of Barking and Dagenham’s aim is to be that “one front door” to connect employers to the local workforce, which speaks to the borough’s theme of ensuring “no one is left behind”. The numbers speak for themselves as from a yearly intake of over 1,400 students aged 19 plus, the college’s overall achievement rate was 90% in the last academic year and 97% of students said they would recommend the college. In addition, over 1,000 residents from all backgrounds have been supported into employment by the Job Shop. With its free Skills for Life programme, and low-cost, popular courses including business administration, childcare and construction, Sharon Thomas, the college’s principal, says the aim is to “support the progression of our local workforce by helping them to upskill by providing skills training, qualifications and employment advice and guidance.” She adds: “We [liaise] with employers to get people into jobs and often provide free recruitment campaigns to help local employers to select the best staff for their organisations.” The Job Shop works with Be First, HSS Hire, L&Q, Midguard, Burger King, and Travelodge, to name a few. The merger of the Adult College with the Job Shop into the Community Solutions Directorate aims to boost the Employment and Skills and Vocational Support functions. Thomas adds: “The difference [the merger has made] is that within one department, we can offer people support to gain employment and training and to obtain qualifications and skills, including helping those with mental health difficulties to get back to work.”

regeneration and economic growth. The plan is already being put into practice at the vast Meridian Water, where Enfield Council Meanwhile Strategy. put in place a

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Summer 2019

and surroundi ng communit ies,” says Peter George, programme director at Meridian Water. An affordable “beautiful new environment with fantastic connectio ns” for local residents and Londoners, he adds. “The 10,000 new homes will support mixed-tenure growth in Enfield and London and provide aspiration opportunity for and everyone, at all stages of life and across all income scales,”

The idea is for Meridian Water create a “truly to mixed-use communit for the capital, y a place with character and edge, where beautiful homes and world class public spaces are enlivened by a rich mix of growing industries

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WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE LONDON BOROUGH OF ENFIELD TO CREATE PLACES PEOPLE LOVE

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Varcoe Road SE16 is the first Pocket Living scheme in Southwark. Designed by Maccreanor Lavington, the development is made up of 100% genuinely affordable Pocket homes. The scheme will also feature commercial space on the ground floor for local small businesses. Residents will have access to a co-working space, a sun room, ample cycle storage and two landscaped communal roof terraces with gardens. For more information visit pocketliving.com

Issue 21 Spring 2019

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north of King’s Cross. Trent Park was also the location of the 51st State Festival, which this year marked its five-year anniversa ry. Thousands returned to Enfield to revel in the event’s annual blend of house music, reggae, disco and soul, performed by a stellar UK and international line-up including Crystal Waters, Louie Vega, David Morales, Todd Terry, Roger Sanchez and Dimitri From Paris among many others. Heritage and culture in the The Regeneration of Enfield borough are often intertwined and Enfield Council puts equal focus on both areas, as important , historic sites are often used for huge cultural events. “Heritage is a core part of our strategy,” says Cllr Caliskan. “We have great assets in our borough make them accessible and we want to to everybody There are town . centres, great open spaces and beautiful, historic houses, with Forty Hall Estate being the jewel in the crown.” The borough is a vibrant hub for cultural and sporting events, ranging from family-oriented activities to huge-scale festivals attracting revellers from far and wide. The council has recently adopted an ambitious new five-year Heritage Strategy. Titled Making Enfield: Enfield Heritage Strategy 2019-2024 , it adheres to the Mayor of London’s ‘good growth’ principles set to ensure that the benefits of growth positively impact all Enfield residents, and that the borough’s diverse communit ies are catered for. Enfield’s residents can currently experience the diverse traditions of different cultures through a multitude of festivals such as Ghana in the Park and The Mauritius Open Air Festival Trent Park, Reggae in on the Lawn and Spirit of Ukraine The at Forty Hall Estate, and the Cypriot Festival, now in its tenth year, is Britain’s largest umbrella event for the UK’s 300,000 Turkish Cypriot communit y. “Different parts of the borough have a different character. The idea is to enhance what is there already, be it historic houses we work hard to preserve, or open spaces such as our many historic parks. The Heritage Strategy 2019-2024 will sit alongside development the of Enfield’s Local Plan,” says Cllr Caliskan, embracing positive

“OpEn magazine is really great, and thanks to 3Fox for all your efforts to help us show why Enfield is a brilliant place to live and work.”

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away from Oakwood Enfield Opportunity and Cockfoste Piccadilly Issue 11 line, and 20 minutesrs on the

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FOR NEARL modern-day Y 1000 YEARS, the area London around Bridge has of medicin biomedical e. One of been a centre science London’s was founde and cell therapy , particularly first hospita d genetic ls and in 1860 at Southwark Cathed , and has a pioneer just opened s Florence ral in 1107, ing cancer nursing school Nightingale centre. It collaborates opened her here. already with KCL Today, the including on various research projects, institutions area hosts the two into stem regenerative teachin of King’s cells and medicine. College London g and Guy’s these institut And Hospital, (KCL) part ions, combin the presence of Thomas’ potential NHS Founda of Guy’s and St ed with the for develop it’s set to tion area’s Trust. And ment, has to create build on now a nationa inspired its medica heritage, work lly-significant l and scientifi research as plans hub: a kind emerge to biomedical c of biomed make it a of matern biomedical ical researc centre ity unit for science. Under Guy’s is already h. set of buildin the plans, a very active a new academics gs will bring togethe centre for and medica r clinicia ns, on advanc l ed scientifi businesses, focusin 05/12/2019 16:47 c researc g h, cancer issue

22 winter

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“I think we can safely say this is the best regeneration magazine in the world.”

Cllr Peter John, Southwark Council on Southwark magazine

2019 35

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9 17:00

3Fox International has been putting together successful inward investment campaigns for over 14 years. To find out how we can help you with your project, please get in touch on 020 7978 6840 or email office@3foxinternational.com

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10:32

BOLD MAP

KEY LOCATIONS

Sebastian Court

Londoneast-uk see pg 15

Crown House

Padnall Lake

Gascoigne East and Gascoigne West

Beam Park

Fresh Wharf

Thames Road

Barking Wharf

Weighbridge

Location of the new markets see pg 18

River, lake, water course

Railway / underground station

Railway line

Road

BOLD MAP

BOLD PROJECTS

PROJECTS

Sebastian Court

The new year has brought progress to the site of one of Barking’s Estate Renewal projects, Sebastian Court on Meadow Road. Contractor Jerram Falkus has completed the demolition of the original Sebastian Court buildings, clearing the way for a new, fully affordable housing development.

As of January 2020, piling is complete for two of the new planned blocks and groundworks of the new development

have commenced. The new Sebastian Court development is set to provide residents with 95 new units, marking an increase of nearly 30 units from the now demolished old building. This is one of several projects executed by the council’s regeneration arm Be First in the Barking and Dagenham area, helping fulfil the council’s commitment to deliver affordable, high-quality housing to local residents.

BOLD PROJECTS

Crown House

Construction work on Crown House is due to commence in spring 2020. Be First has confirmed that 169 affordable homes are to be built as part of a wider development that also includes 227 build-to-rent homes.

Film Studios

Be First announced new plans in summer 2019 to deliver film studios in Dagenham.

The ambitious plans will deliver what promises to be London’s largest new film and television studios for 25 years, to be conveniently situated by Dagenham East station, spanning over 20 acres of the former Sanofi site. Along with a state-of-the-art filmbased visitor centre and a leisure, food and beverage offer, it is expected to generate up to 7,000 new jobs covering a broad range of skills. Be First submitted a planning application in March 2020 on behalf of the council for the 18-acre site of Dagenham Studios. The council has the option to build the studios itself or enter into an arrangement with a third party to take the project forward.

The plans include six large sound stages,offices and workshops, designed to high environmental standards. A pre-application planning consultation on the next stage of the project started in February to ask residents about their views on the studios. Barking and Dagenham Council leader, Councillor Darren Rodwell, said: “This consultation is the next stage in turning our aspiration to continue to make movies in Dagenham into a reality.” He added: “We’re keen to explain how this will work to residents and local businesses and we want to hear their views about the proposals. “We hope that our plans will make Dagenham as famous for films as it was for Fords, providing thousands of quality jobs and outstanding educational and training opportunities for local people.”

Planning permission has been secured. Work is expected to be completed by March 2022. Be First has appointed contractor McLaren for the Crown House project. Padnall Lake

The Padnall Lake project is at an early feasibility stage, and the council’s regeneration arm Be First is currently engaging with stakeholders and the local community to prepare a development brief for the site. The scheme presents an opportunity to deliver affordable homes and betterquality open space, including opening up Padnall Lake itself.

Be First is also exploring opportunities to deliver the homes through off-site methods of construction. Plans to build at least 200 new affordable homes for local people, including at least 35% at London Affordable Rent, were given the green light in November 2019 by councillors. Be First is looking to dramatically improve the quality of the green spaces at Padnall Lake, and provide improved community facilities that are of greater benefit to residents, design open space to encourage increased recreational use, as well as improve the environment and ecology of Padnall Lake. Be First is consulting with the community to submit a detailed design for a planning application on the proposed development in spring 2020.

BOLD PROJECTS

Gascoigne East and Gascoigne West Gascoigne East Phase 3 and Gascoigne Be First has confirmed that works West Phase 2, with planning applications on Gascoigne West Phase 1 and due to be submitted by summer 2020. Gascoigne East Phase 2 are due to The architects are White Arkitekter commence in spring 2020. Tier 1 on Gascoigne West Phase 2 and Pitman contractors, Wates Residential, are Tozer on Gascoigne East Phase 3. working at Gascoigne Estate West Together these phases will deliver while Wilmott Dixon are on the east approximately 580 new homes, of which side of the estate. These developments around 340 will be affordable. will deliver a combined total of over Gascoigne Estate will include tree720 new homes, of which 464 will be at lined public spaces, an entirely new park, sub-market rent. the 5,000sq m Gascoigne Square with Wates Residential has already public art and a range of modern and completed demolition of 179 old flats traditional style designs. at Gascoigne Estate West, bordering St Energy will be supplied by an array of Paulâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Road and Abbey Road in Barking. rooftop photovoltaic cells and also with The contractor is now preparing to begin connection to the developmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Energy construction, with the scheme due to Centre, with energy savings expected to complete in spring 2022. This will involve be 40% of CO2 emissions against the building 200 new homes, with more than Building Regulations. 50% of these properties available at below Be First plans to install over 1,000 market rent. cycle parking spaces, recognising both the January also saw the latest phase of low car ownership levels in the area, the demolition get under way along Ripple convenience of nearby public transport Road, which included 12-storey tower and an ambition to encourage active travel block, Bamber House, overlooking the in the borough. town centre. Design work has also commenced on

BOLD PROJECTS

Beam Park

Developer Countryside is currently on-site with phase one under way, in a project set to deliver 640 new homes. Phase one will also see the delivery of a primary school, as well as a new linear park to the north of the site, which will include play areas for children and serve as a community space for residents.

Sale of the new homes was launched in May 2019, with the first homes due to be ready in the summer of 2020. The first phase of the development is due to be fully completed by 2022 with the entire scheme due to be finished in 2030. Beam Park is a joint venture scheme between Countryside, one of the UK’s leading mixed-tenure developers, and L&Q, one of the country’s leading housing associations. The masterplan for Beam Park was produced by award-winning Patel Taylor Architects, while BPTW and Pollard Thomas Edwards were engaged to work

on the detailed designs for the first phase. The regeneration of Beam Park will transform the derelict site of a former Ford manufacturing plant into a vibrant destination spanning over 29 hectares (71.7 acres). The scheme represents a £1 billion gross development value and significant investment in local infrastructure which will benefit the wider community with educational and sports facilities, better open spaces and considerably improved transport including a new train station. Over £1.9 million will go towards education including a nursery and two primary schools, £468,444 for improvements to local sports facilities, £557,163 open spaces contribution, including a new linear park, £20,000 towards an air quality monitoring system during development, £500,000 to support community initiatives at Beam Park, £3 million towards improving transport

facilities, and a proposed new Beam Park train station. Beam Park is the second largest housing scheme in the UK to gain planning permission in 2018, and one of only three regeneration schemes in London delivering 3,000 homes and providing 50% affordable housing. At Beam Park, this equates to 1,513 affordable homes, which will be provided by L&Q, creating a mixed community with significant infrastructure investment. When the masterplan is complete in 2030, Beam Park will also deliver two additional schools, retail spaces, a gym, nursery, community facilities, a multifaith space, and two energy centres. Fortyfour per cent of the development has been allocated for publicly accessible green space, including a three-hectare central park in the heart of the development with the River Beam running through it.

BOLD PROJECTS

Fresh Wharf

The Fresh Wharf development is a joint venture between developer Countryside and housing association Notting Hill Genesis.

The ambitious development will offer 911 homes that are a mixture of one, two and three-bedroom apartments and three-bedroom homes, with 10% of the properties designed to be wheelchairadaptable. Countryside developers are currently on-site with phase one under way set to deliver 532 new homes. Construction began in March 2018 and sales started in September 2019. The first homes will be ready for occupation in autumn 2020 and the entire development is due to be completed by the year 2026. The development has benefited from soundproofing to minimise disruption to residents from the North Circular nearby, with an acoustic fence set up between the busy road and the newly-built homes. Fresh Wharf is transforming 10 acres of former industrial land overlooking the River Roding. The development will allow residents to enjoy a new lifestyle destination, with a generous 16,000sq m of open space. Residents will benefit from new shops, cafes and parks, as well as newly-created pedestrian walkways and cycle paths. There will also be 206 parking spaces available for use.

BOLD PROJECTS

12 Thames Road

The borough’s first co-location scheme with a mix of 153 affordable residential units and 4,500sq m of industrial spaces, was submitted for planning consideration in December 2019 by Be First on behalf of the council.

Thames Road is situated at the industrial centre of Barking and Dagenham, at the entrance to Barking Riverside, where a new residential neighbourhood can be found. Be First proposes to improve access to Barking Riverside, and join the new community with the residential communities to the north. The plan is to build much needed new homes for local people, while maintaining Thames Road as a hub for jobs and businesses by providing modern industrial spaces. Weighbridge

The Weighbridge modular housing project in Cook Road, Dagenham, provides homes that are pre-fabricated off-site. Made of high-quality materials the fully constructed properties are transported to the development, ready to put to use.

Barking Wharf

In 2018 Barking and Dagenham Council approved a development at Barking’s Highbridge Road. The plans consisted of the demolition of the existing car park and substation, followed by the construction of five buildings between eight and 23 storeys high, to provide 514 residential units.

Proposals also included 90sq m of commercial floorspace that will be used for retail units. At the time of writing the borough will refer the application back to the Mayor of London for the final decision on the planning application.

The two-bedroom flats are set to provide housing to local homeless families in urgent need of accommodation. Contractor Jerram Falkus has been appointed by council regeneration arm Be First on the ambitious project. Modular housing sets a new path for the local council as it finds alternatives to housing families in hostels, and temporary accommodation, at times situated outside the borough. Leader of Barking and Dagenham Council, Councillor Darren Rodwell, remarked on the new modular units being “part of a wider program which will give local homeless families more stability and save hundreds of thousands of pounds”. Due to be completed in summer 2020, the development will offer 24 onebedroom flats, 36 two-bedroom flats and 32 three-bedroom homes.

BOLD ENVIRONMENT

Stepping up to the emergency Barking and Dagenham Council has become the latest local authority to declare a climate emergency. But what does this really mean for the borough? Catherine Early reports

Pictured: an electric Kangoo van used by the council’s parks and maintenance team.

etermined to transform its legacy, Barking and Dagenham Council set itself the ambition to become the ‘green capital of the capital’ several years ago. The borough has a challenging history when it comes to the environment. Home to a large number of waste treatment facilities and industries including chemicals

and plastics, it has historically been subjected to a large amount of pollution. In January, it became the latest council to declare a climate emergency, aiming to make its own operations carbon neutral by 2030, with the borough as a whole achieving this by 2050. The council will also have an ecology centre at development Barking

Riverside, which will house an incubation space for green businesses including those developing new sustainable construction materials. “We wanted to make it crystal clear that the need to have a better environment is not some middle-class lifestyle choice. It’s even more pressing for areas that have been traditionally seen as poorer, like Barking and Dagenham,”

BOLD ENVIRONMENT

said Councillor Cameron Geddes, cabinet member for regeneration and social housing. Neil Pearce, commissioning lead for energy and sustainability, explains: “Everything is now hanging off that roadmap for the next 30 years – from waste, decarbonising energy systems, making existing builds more efficient, planning for tree-planting and habitats.” The council has a variety of plans to bring about its ambitions, many of which build on work already under way. Energy use is a huge focus in the borough, in particular, the twin problems of energy efficiency and fuel poverty. Beam Energy, the council’s partnership with Robin Hood Energy, the non-profit energy company set up by Nottingham City Council in 2015, aims to provide an affordable alternative to the tariffs of the ‘big six’ energy companies. Nearly 14% of households in Barking and Dagenham are fuel poor, Pearce says. “These residents have to choose between heating and eating on a daily basis. We can’t change the markets overnight, but we can offer something different,” he adds. Just one year into its operations, Beam Energy has almost 1,000 household meters on supply with 100% renewable electricity, Pearce explains. “We have 19,000 households on pre-payment meters, which is 25% of the borough. Fixed tariffs are cheaper, but a lot of customers prefer pre-pay because then they’re in control of their budget. But 33% of them have found a competitive offer through Beam Energy,” he says. Beam Energy also aims to create new tariffs where people pay lower prices for off-peak energy, and has plans to roll out tariffs for charities and businesses. Another energy project under way in the borough is B&D Energy, an Energy Services Company (ESCo) providing heat – and in some instances power – to new developments through district energy networks. It aims to serve 8,000 households by 2025. It provides fairly priced energy to residents, Pearce says. The networks are compatible with the

Pictured: (main) the ecology centre at Barking Riverside and (below) Beam Energy gives residents the chance to pay lower prices for energy.

type of low carbon technologies required to ensure B&D Energy transitions to a low-carbon future. Two examples of such technologies that B&D Energy are currently looking into are waste heat from local industries and water source heat pumps from the River Thames. B&D Energy already has two operational energy schemes. In the east of the borough, its Becontree Heath scheme is providing heat to a new 170-home development, and the entire Becontree Heath Leisure Centre, including its

Energy use is a huge focus in the borough 45

BOLD ENVIRONMENT

PARTICIPATORY CITY

new 50m swimming pool, with capacity to serve more than 500 homes. In the west it provides heat and electricity to 381 homes in the first phase of Weavers Quarter, with capacity to serve more than 2,000 homes and the new primary and secondary schools. Part of B&D Energy’s brief is to identify and assess further areas within the borough which can benefit from such District Heating Networks. A further plan will see homes in fuel poverty retrofitted with insulation and heating upgrades, in partnership with energy company Eon. The council started work on around 200 properties in February, and will build up local supply chains to boost the borough’s economy. It also plans to pilot more extensive retrofits of 25 homes using off-site manufacturing of new facades, alongside installing renewable energy and battery storage at the end of the year, using the awardwinning Energiesprong model. The council is targeting transport with a programme to boost take-up of electric vehicles (EVs). Though there are only 300 EVs registered in the borough so far, second from bottom London-wide, Pearce expects this to rise to around 4,000 in the next five years. However, the borough is fifth from bottom for the number of standard charge points, and second from bottom for the more popular rapid charge points. “We’re working with the Energy Saving Trust and the Department for Transport to find a private investor partnership to roll out more EV charging points so that we have full coverage by 2022 in every part of the borough. That’s a bit of a task, but

Challenged with the magnitude of environmental problems facing the world, it is easy for ordinary citizens to feel overwhelmed and powerless. One project in Barking and Dagenham is aiming to change that, by encouraging residents to learn new skills and put them into practice locally. Participatory City launched its Every One Every Day project, in partnership with Barking and Dagenham Council, in 2017 to make it easier for residents to take part in community projects, tackling both environmental and social problems. The charity’s team facilitates workshops on a variety of subjects proposed and run by local volunteers. Green skills shared have included tree planting, building and maintaining bee

we’re certainly not shying away from the challenge,” Pearce says. The council is also working towards electrifying 25% of its fleet by 2023, including refuse vehicles and road sweeping machines. It has already bought four all-electric Renault Kangoo vans for its parks and maintenance managers. While acknowledging that the plan to

hives, making seed bombs to grow wildflowers and support wildlife, and mending and repairing clothing. The team will soon be rolling out a project to teach residents about hydroponics systems, where food is grown indoors without soil. Tim Warin, project designer at Every One Every Day, says the initiative helps people feel more control over their lives. He says: “You see this sense of people thinking that they can do something together rather than being isolated. With the environment, all the levers of control tend not be within individual control, but this is people and planet positive, giving people the ability to change things. Residents think about what they can change when they come together.”

become the ‘green capital of the capital’ is very ambitious, Cllr Geddes says that it is a reflection of the council’s determination to bring about “pretty radical change”. Cllr Geddes adds: “If in a couple of years’ time we’re only in the top ten I won’t be too disappointed, because that will be a huge change given the history of Barking and Dagenham.”

Sebastian Court, Barking IG11 9PE

Jerram Falkus is working in partnership with the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham and Be First to construct quality homes in the borough. We deliver new build and refurbishment projects across a range of sectors; residential, education, healthcare, heritage, commercial and leisure. 14 Anning Street London EC2A 3LQ | 020 7729 2424 | jerramfalkus.com Established 1884 | Follow @JerramFalkus

BOLD PARTICIPATORY CITY

Growing together

spend time together from very diverse backgrounds. The platform of support that Every One Every Day has, from space, to equipment, design and promotions, gives residents the tools to act on the dreams they may have for their futures, but also on the things that concern them, like the environment. The aim is to generate more than 100 new businesses over the next three years. How are people being helped to start and run a business of their own?

TB: We have 12 collaborative business brands currently in development with 450 people taking part. These brands range from food products, to clothing, childcare, hydroponic growing, digital production and ceramics. We are also working with specialist designers to link makers and designers through The Warehouse, our large public makerspace in Thames Road, Barking.

Participatory City Foundation created the Every One Every Day project with Barking and Dagenham Council. The largest initiative of its kind in the country, its aim is to create more than 250 neighbourhood-led projects. Suruchi Sharma speaks to chief executive Tessy Britton What is the main aim of Every One Every Day?

confidence, learning, neighbourhood cohesion and environment.

TB: It acts as a launchpad for residents’

How do projects help residents gain skills and grow, while also enhancing neighbourhoods?

ideas, creativity and energy and all the projects are co-designed and co-created with the residents who live there. The aim is to measure the impact of mass co-creation on making neighbourhoods great places to grow up and grow old in. There are a full range of impacts but some of the most striking have been effects on wellbeing,

TB: We have a network of 150 practical projects so far, from batch cooking, to growing, sharing, learning, making, plastics repurposing, open fridges and so on. These projects have created 35,000 hours of time where neighbours

Why does this type of project work in the borough, and what does the future hold?

TB: People in Barking and Dagenham

have shown over the last two years how creative they are! It is also a borough that has a very large population of young people. This year we added ‘making children welcome’ to the inclusivity principles in recognition of what has become increasingly obvious: children are central to building practical participation ecosystems of this kind. Children have forged their place in Every One Every Day as equals, not just accompanying their parents, but by becoming neighbourhood co-producers, hosting Trade School sessions with one another, distributing newspapers, hosting the spaces, caring for the shared spaces, looking after chickens, and becoming fully fledged mini-makers themselves.

Bold partners joining together to support Barking & Dagenham

Barking and Dagenham College barkingdagenhamcollege.ac.uk

Be First Nick Williams communications @befirst.london

The Boathouse Carole Pluckrose carole @boathousecic.co.uk

CU London General enquiries cul@coventry.ac.uk

Estates & Agency Group eagroup.co.uk

Glenny glenny@holisticgroup.co.uk

Golf and Leisure Experiences Scott Cranfield scott@golfle.net

Jerram Falkus Roger Lawson roger.lawson @jerramfalkus.com

Rooff Steve Drury sdrury@rooff.co.uk

Sitematch London Paul Gussar paul@3foxinternational.com

Weston Homes General enquiries info@weston-group.co.uk

3Fox International Shelley Cook shelley@3foxinternational.com

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BOLD #12

Articles inside

Trading up

HeART of the matter

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