Barking and Dagenham
Story board Leading vision: Community first Rolling credits: Inspiring change On the move: Housing priorities Issue 10 Spring 2018 boldmagazine.co.uk
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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: James Renoux-Wood NEWS AND DIGITAL EDITOR: Natalie Vincent ART DIRECTION: Smallfury Designs PRODUCTION MANAGER: Christopher Hazeldine PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS: Tilly Shenstone Mia Wicks BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR: Paul Gussar BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER: Shelley Cook PROJECT MANAGER: Sue Mapara SUBSCRIPTIONS MANAGER: Simon Maxwell MANAGING DIRECTOR: Toby Fox
CONTENTS
COVER IMAGES: BOW Arts by Rob Harris, Dagenham Film Studio, Darren Rodwell by Sharron Wallace, Barking Riverside Extension by TfL, Coventry University by Jason Senior REDPIX IMAGES: Rob Harris, Countryside, L&Q, Barking and Dagenham Council, Andrew Baker, Adept, Tomek Kmiecik, Sharron Wallace, Jason Senior REDPIX, Hannah Mckay, Swan / NU living, TfL, Mickey Lee/thebiglondon. com, Marvel / Everett Collection Inc / Alamy Stock Photo
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For the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Town Hall, 1 Town Square Barking IG11 7LU boldmagazine.co.uk © 3Fox International Limited 2018. All material is strictly copyright and all rights are reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without the written permission of 3Fox International Limited 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 Limited.
6 NEWS Housing, arts, museums and awards: latest regeneration updates.
30 EDUCATION CU London has opened its campus at Dagenham Civic Centre.
13 BE FIRST The council’s wholly owned regeneration company is fast-tracking development projects in the borough.
35 MAP AND PROJECTS What’s planned and where? Progress updates and timeframes for the major schemes.
20 INTERVIEW Council leader Darren Rodwell speaks to BOLD about his achievements and priorities for Barking and Dagenham.
43 CONNECTIVITY Multimillion-pound infrastructure projects will bring a myriad of benefits to the borough.
26 FACTS AND FIGURES Statistics showcase the borough’s continued growth and development.
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46 FILM STUDIOS A tendering process is under way for the proposed film studios in Dagenham East.
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HISTORY, REGENERATION AND THE COMMUNITY
he old Control Room was once part of Barking Power Station and is now one of only two power station landmarks that still remain standing in London. The Control Room was opened in 1925 by King George V and remains a significant part of the heritage at Barking Riverside London; a brand new London neighbourhood creating up to 10,800 homes in partnership with L&Q and the Greater London Authority (GLA).
The Control Room is a legacy of the Power Station and Barking’s rich history so we have every intention of restoring the building as part of the Barking Riverside development and exploring all options that could allow some form of public access. The community have a genuine connection with the Power Station which Barking Riverside Limited (BRL) clearly recognise.
The Control Room was opened in 1925 by King George V
There are no confirmed plans of what the Control Building will be used for but BRL are open to exploring all commercial and public use opportunities for this amazing building. The building is currently popular for location shoots and has been used for a range of filming including Hollywood Blockbusters to BBC dramas such as Hard Sun. The B Station building is another building that was part of the former power station.
This striking building was recently cleared and made accessible this year; here you will find eight individual chambers with ceilings that are three storeys high. Again, this building has great potential for future commercial and residential use. For further insight into Barking Riverside’s history, please visit the Barking Riverside YouTube Channel via our website.
One of the country’s leading developers is investing for the long term in Barking and Dagenham. Look out for exciting new places and high-quality homes for everyone to enjoy.
barkingriverside.co.uk twitter.com/barkingriver www.facebook.com/BarkingRiversideLondon www.instagram.com/barking_riverside
NEWS Schooled in the arts A Bow-based arts charity is teaming up with eight primary schools in Barking and Dagenham to deliver a three-year programme of creative education projects. Professional artists, curators and designers from Bow Arts will work with teachers from Becontree, Five Elms, Gascoigne, Grafton, Henry Green, Southwood, Valence and William Bellamy primary schools, to encourage approximately 6,500 primary pupils to learn creative skills, and to make and display their own work, with the potential to follow a career in the arts. Martin Nicholson, headteacher at Grafton Primary School welcomed the project: “We firmly believe that the long commitment to working together will have an extremely positive impact on all our children. “We are all really looking forward to starting the project - an amazing opportunity for all our children and the whole school community.”
Breaking turf Construction on a £39 million housing development at Becontree Heath began in February 2018. A ceremony to mark the occasion was attended by Barking and Dagenham’s council leader Darren Rodwell and Pat Hayes, managing director of the council’s regeneration company, Be First. The project is being carried out in partnership with developer Countryside, and will deliver 170 mixed tenure homes, a replacement bus terminus and retail space for a local pharmacy by September 2019. The mix of housing comprises 83 private homes for sale and 87 ‘affordable homes’, across a range of one, two and three-bedroom houses. Hayes praised the scheme: “Becontree Heath shows our determination to provide muchneeded amenities and will offer a choice of truly affordable, top-quality homes for our residents.” Andy Fancy, managing director for north and south London at Countryside Partnerships South, said: “Today is an exciting step in Becontree Heath’s transformation, where we will deliver high-quality homes, an improved bus station, [a] new pharmacy and a council-owned and run district heating network. “We look forward to continuing to work closely with the local community, ensuring that they have the access to the right type of homes and amenities.
£500 million boost for Barking Riverside London mayor Sadiq Khan and developer L&Q will invest £500 million into a 11,000-home regeneration project at Barking Riverside, following the signing of a Section 106 agreement in February 2018. Barking Riverside Limited, a joint venture partnership between L&Q and the Greater London Authority, will deliver the homes, half of which have been earmarked as affordable, at the 180-ha brownfield site on the northern banks of the River Thames. An Overground station will provide trains to central London in just 22 minutes. The scheme will also include a health centre and a 65,000sq m commercial centre. Seven schools also form part of the agreement, to be built over a 15-year period. Khan said: “As we tackle the biggest housing crisis of a generation, major developments like Barking Riverside will deliver thousands of the genuinely
affordable new homes Londoners desperately need. “As well as housing, our investment will create the transport, education and health services needed to turn this into a thriving new community.” L&Q has already launched the first 100 private rented sector (PRS) units; 3,000 PRS units are featured in the overall masterplan for the site. A 2km riverside walkway, an ecology centre and new country park space will provide residents with leisure activities. Matthew Carpen, project director for Barking Riverside, said: “This is another significant landmark for Barking Riverside, and signals ‘lift-off’ for all future activity on-site. “This agreement demonstrates the dedication to our partnership with the local authority and Transport for London, to deliver a new piece of city with improved connectivity and a multitude of opportunity for both existing and future residents.”
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BOLD News
Youth sport centre kicks off Work has started on a £6 million sport centre in Parsloes Park, which will be for the exclusive use of young people based in Barking and Dagenham. London’s first-ever designated ‘Youth Zone’ was launched at a “groundbreaking ceremony” on 15 January 2018, which was attended by council leader Darren Rodwell and West Ham United football captain Mark Noble, who is a stakeholder in regeneration projects in the borough. Other fundraisers and local schoolchildren were also in attendance during the day. Opening in 2019, Barking’s Future Youth Zone centre will feature a four-court sports hall, martial arts room, artificial grass pitch and facilities for art, drama, music, cooking and enterprise activities. It will be open to young people aged between eight and 19, and those aged up to 25 with additional needs. The cost of attending the centre is 50p per visit and £5 for an annual membership. The Youth Zone will cost £1 million a year to run, with national charity OnSide raising funds from the private sector and philanthropic donations. The construction of the centre is part-funded by Barking and Dagenham Council, with the Jack Petchey Foundation and the Queen’s Trust also contributing £1.5 million each. Rodwell said: “This is a historic day for the borough and we can see the start of a major new project getting under way. “I was thrilled to see so many young people in attendance, as this is going to transform their lives and make such a big difference in the local area.”
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Dedicated museum celebrates women A permanent museum showcasing women’s history will open opposite Barking Abbey at the end of 2019, forming part of the Barking Wharf regeneration project. First established in 2015 to challenge the opening of the controversial Jack the Ripper Museum on Cable Street in Tower Hamlets, the East End Women’s Museum has operated as a ‘floating’ exhibition, featuring events, workshops and pop-up exhibitions, put on with the help of local partners. The museum will highlight the stories of pioneering women with connections to Barking and Dagenham, which include Mary Wollstonecraft, Sylvia Pankhurst, Mala Sen, Mary Driscoll, and Hannah Billig. In addition, it will explore everyday local history from women’s perspective, aiming to challenge gender stereotypes and offer new local role models. The 2019 opening was announced at a launch event held at Barking’s
Broadway Theatre on 24 January 2018, and attended by Helen Pankhurst, the great-granddaughter of suffragette Sylvia Pankhurst; Sade Bright, Barking and Dagenham Council’s cabinet member for equalities and cohesion; council leader Darren Rodwell and developer Be Living’s managing director, Vinny Bhanderi. Sara Huws, co-founder of the East End Women’s Museum, outlined its importance: “Women make history too, but without their voices and experiences, the history books are only telling half the story. “Everyone we’ve spoken to has had a story to share: about a woman from their family, their street, or their community, and we know there are many more still to be told.” The museum will hold a series of events throughout 2018 during the construction of its permanent home, including a mobile exhibition and a volunteering programme exploring the long-running campaign for equal rights and pay in the workplace.
Estate scheme nominated for award
Studio operator sought Barking and Dagenham Council leader Darren Rodwell has invited formal tenders to operate what will be London’s largest film studio in 25 years by 16 March 2018. The winning bidder will run the 8.09-ha site in Dagenham to compete with major international studios and provide much-needed studio space in the capital and thousands of jobs, with the potential to generate an estimated £35 million for the local economy. Rodwell said: “We want these studios to be on a scale Steven Spielberg can be proud of, but more importantly we want them to benefit local people. The winner of the bid doesn’t necessarily have to be big, but needs to think big.”
Weavers Quarter has been shortlisted for Best Urban Regeneration Project in the First Time Buyer Awards 2018. The award, which will be voted for by the public and announced on 30 April, recognises housing developments within a regeneration scheme which have a positive effect on the local area. Once complete in 2024, the £300 million multi-phase Weavers Quarter, formerly known as the Gascoigne estate, will bring 1,575 homes planned as affordable, 690 primary school places and 1,850 secondary school places, a community
centre, retail and office space and a public square to Barking town centre. Tony Harker, sales and customer services director for L&Q’s east region, said: “This development is leading the regeneration of Barking, transforming the eastern side of the Gascoigne estate into a sustainable community, and ultimately housing over 5,500 people, alongside two new schools and a community centre.” The ninth annual awards ceremony will be hosted by TV celebrity and A Place In The Sun presenter Jonnie Irwin at London’s Wardorf Hilton and also provides chances to network.
Skills for the future Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has awarded Barking and Dagenham College £5 million to complete its technology centre, as part of a £25.7 million funding initiative to boost skills and training for Londoners. The college’s Centre for Advanced Technologies (CAT) project will refurbish the campus’ aging D block, creating an advanced skills training centre with a curriculum based on science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics. The CAT is the final phase of a 15-year property renovation scheme that was launched in 2012; most of the projects have been completed in five years, including turning the frontage of the building into a public space housing a library, restaurant, cafe and shops.
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Proud to be Delivering Homes with the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham Established in 1987 and lead by Chairman & Chief Executive Officer Bob Weston, Weston Homes is a multi-award winning residential-led developer focused on selling homes that guarantee quality, style, unique high specification and value. Computer generated image
The company’s portfolio of homes for private sale include apartments, penthouses, townhouses and executive residences as well as establishing a pedigree for undertaking complex restoration and conversion projects for important Victorian and Edwardian buildings, often listed by English Heritage. Weston Homes are proud to work with the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham on Rivermill Lofts at Abbey Road, and look forward to delivering upwards of 1,000 homes within the Borough in the coming years.
Computer generated image
Rivermill Lofts Rivermill Lofts is a unique development nestled on the banks of the River Roding, providing 118 homes with a refreshing selection of one and two bedroom apartments in a variety of styles and sizes. The scheme also contributed creative industries work spaces to the growing Ice House Quarter.
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All homes include generous balconies or terraces, and many have views over the River Roding and beyond to the City of London
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Layouts are spacious and benefit fully from their open-plan design
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Interiors are stylish and elegant, with designer fittings and stunning finishes
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Conveniently located close to Barking railway station
Weston Homes are proud to have sold all 118 new homes at Rivermill Lofts in a nine month period from launch, and with occupations due to start in March, the scheme will be fully handed-over by the end of the year.
Bringing High Quality New Homes to the Barking Area
Building and regenerating communities throughout London A family owned, award winning company with a reputation as a dynamic organisation committed to exceeding clients expectations. Delivering high quality regeneration projects throughout London and the South East of England for over 40 years.
The Leys Phase 1 Wellington Drive, Dagenham
BOLD Be First
Looking outwards
With ambitious targets to meet, Be First, Barking and Dagenham Council’s newly established regeneration company, is rising to the challenges. Noella Pio Kivlehan speaks to managing director Pat Hayes about the independent company’s objectives, what it will deliver and what happens next OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS, residents of Barking and Dagenham could find themselves living in Scandinavianstyle homes, with high levels of sustainability, creating benefits for a burgeoning community. This is an ambition of Pat Hayes’, managing
director of recently launched regeneration company, Be First. Owned by the council, but independently run, Be First is dedicated to accelerating economic growth in the borough by delivering thousands of new homes, creating
jobs and attracting inward investment. But beneath these headline objectives, Hayes believes Be First’s independence, willingness to think creatively and to take influence from the world outside the borough will mark it out.
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BOLD Be First
Stockholm Royal Seaport, the largest urban development area in Sweden, with at least 12,000 new homes and 35,000 workplaces, is a model for sustainable urban development and innovative technologies and seen by Hayes as the ideal case study for how ambitions could be realised in the borough. Hayes, who was appointed managing director of Be First after more than 10 years overseeing regeneration and housing with Ealing Council, says: “We have to emulate the approach in Scandinavia and the Netherlands: building good, quality communities, with housing that is genuinely affordable. “Design is really important to us,” he adds. “In the UK, you tend to get uniformity, but we want to bring it to the front by mixing architects and builders on a single site. “It’s about regeneration for people here now, not just people who may come in. It’s about providing for new people and people who aren’t born yet. That’s where the council and its agencies are being Pictured and opposite: Stockholm Royal Seaport is inspiring Hayes’ plans for Barking and Dagenham.
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quite interventionist in buying and acquiring land and masterplanning developments and bringing them forward. So, I’m looking at this as very much a European model.” It was in November 2016, following an investigation by an independent Growth Commission into the prospects for the borough, which led to recommendations that the council should establish a borough-wide regeneration company. Officially up and running in October 2017, Be First is commercially driven and has put ambitious targets in place for the next 20 years: 50,000 new homes; 20,000 new jobs, developing more than 400ha of land, with better infrastructure, as well as attracting investment, all within seven socalled “growth hubs”. And the council expects a return of £10 million a year by 2021 on its initial investment. Be First is managed by a board of regeneration experts from the private and public sector, and chaired by veteran civil servant and the housing association Peabody’s chair Lord Bob Kerslake. “We have
Perfect partners Getting the right investor or developer for a scheme is crucial for the successful delivery of any scheme. For Be First’s Pat Hayes (above), the right partner comes with certain criteria. “We’re most interested in people who want to invest alongside us, where we are acting as developer. We are looking for people with investment finance who want to enter into JVs [joint ventures] with us. We will do the development and they will be a funding partner. We’ll probably be partial investors as well.” Hayes does not name any specific investor or developer he would like to work with, only saying that they have to “have a degree of confidence in the borough and in us”. Jennie Coombs, Be First’s head of affordable housing, adds: “We have the council’s investment strategy backing, we have the funding and we can act as a developer as well. “We will do some things in partnership. But, a lot of what we will do will be provision for the local authority’s housing company, Reside.
BOLD Be First
an independent, skilled and very experienced board: we are not run by amateurs,” says Hayes. “These are people who have real architectural and development experience.” Barking and Dagenham Council will continue to make final decisions on planning applications and strategic plans and policies, while Be First’s role will be to offer a range of strategic and pre-planning services and advice on project delivery. This is in addition to setting up joint ventures and other special purpose companies to deliver effective and beneficial regeneration. What sets the company apart from other local authority regeneration vehicles is while other boroughs outsource, or go into partnerships with developers, Be First is a direct development manager for the council on the local authority’s own sites.
It’s about regeneration for people here now, not just people who may come in
Hayes says: “We have a much bigger programme than most, with 2,000 plus homes over the next four years. We also act as a developer in our own right: we will be buying land, building out projects and selling land.” So why are the ambitions for development seen as more achievable outside of the council’s remit? “Obviously being independent of the council means not being constrained by some of its bureaucracy, given the council is a large, multi-functional organisation,” says Hayes. “We’re a single-purpose organisation so we’re able to be more ‘fleet-of-foot’. “Also, we carry out planning functions for the council, and a number of other statutory functions. We’re much more like the development corporations of the 1960s than a conventional council housing company or development
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BOLD Be First
Above: Be First is overseeing projects such as Weavers Quarter (top) and the Vicarage Field Shopping Centre development (above).
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company, there’s reign and scope in what we do. I think you could say we’re unique.” And that focus and flexibility is paying off. Though only months old, being freed from red-tape shackles means the new company is already making more headway with schemes than the council had previously. “We have already accelerated build-out and secured some important
development deals, which are going to bring in several million pounds for the council,” says Hayes. “We have also improved the viability of a number of schemes the council had been working on,” he adds. “A lot has been achieved in a very short space of time, and we want to do a lot more.” Schemes to have progressed include the Dagenham film studios
BOLD Be First
What is affordable? According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word ‘afford’ means to have ‘enough money, means and time’. People have different incomes and therefore different budgets for types of properties they can afford to buy. This is something Be First is very aware of and one of its main remits is to cover all levels of affordability with its developments. “You cannot have the amount of development we are going to have without putting the affordable housing provision very high up the agenda of delivery,” says Jennie Coombs, who was appointed as Be First’s head of affordable housing in December 2017. “It’s got to be the right mix. We have got to maximise as much as we can, but make sure we get that spread of opportunities for people at different income levels. This is really important if you are looking at developing housing that feeds into the regeneration agenda.” “What we’re all about is delivering housing that is affordable for ordinary people,” agrees Pat Hayes, managing director of Be First. “That means providing quality homes at different price points. It’s clearly a challenge in a borough like Barking and Dagenham where earnings are generally lower than average. But, on the other hand, land and property values are the lowest in London, so we can box clever.” Over the next 20 years, Be First aims to help deliver 50,000 homes. While a planning requirement for all (pages 46-48), Weavers Quarter [page 41), and the Vicarage Field Shopping Centre (page 36). “We have kick-started the film studios at Dagenham East,” says Hayes. “We’re spearheading the acquisition of that site.” Bidders are now being sought for the planned film and TV studios, which could create
schemes across the borough is for 35% of homes to be affordable, Be First is aiming for a target of at least 50% on council land. Even with such ambitions for affordable homes, Coombs is not worried it will put off potential investors and partners. “[The 50%] does affect the viability, because you have got to look at how you cross subsidise and that values are not particularly high in this borough, which means it can be a struggle. “And yes, from a certain perspective you would think it would mean investors are slightly wary of bringing forward private sales schemes. But our approach is to work in partnership with developers and bring them on a journey to show what we want to provide for affordable housing, so they understand we want to do it at different price points.” Coombs says: “In the newest developments, we won’t achieve rents that are as low as those the council offers, because these are historical rents. “But we have tried to get as close as possible. We can achieve a range of price points from 50% of market rent to about 80% and, since market rents are relatively low here, that means the lowest rent is somewhere between £135 and £150 a week. “We are trying to bring people in at different income levels. Hopefully the investors are seeing it as more of an inclusive approach to providing different options.“ 780 jobs and generate £35 million a year for the UK economy. Hayes continues: “Essentially, we got hold of the plan and the delivery, and we negotiated the purchase of the freehold rather than just attempting to lease part of the site. “We have led on a process of ascertaining market interest.
This added more energy and pace to it and a different way of doing it.” A development partner is set to be announced for the project at the end of March 2018. Headway is also being made on other projects too. “We are investing in the Vicarage Field Shopping Centre to accelerate progress on this key strategic development and to generate a return for the council,” says Hayes. He adds: “And we are also out to an architectural competition on Gascoigne East phase two [known as Weavers Quarter]. We’re really energising that scheme.” The ongoing transformation of Weavers Quarter is a huge project for Be First. At completion, it will see 1,575 homes built on the estate near Barking town centre While Scandinavian-style homes and communities are still on the drawing board, Hayes is certain of one thing: Be First, which has such enormous targets to hit, will rise up to its promises and expectations. “We will deliver,” he says. “There’s no Plan B, effectively. We have to do it, and we will do it.”
Be First’s functions • Development and development services • Pre-planning and planning services • Land acquisition and site assembly • “Placemaking” involving local residents and existing networks • Masterplanning and design briefs • Marketing and promoting the borough • Community consultation and engagement • Bid writing • Capital delivery • Innovative funding/partnerships
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…WORKING HARD TO REGENERATE THE LOCAL COMMUNITY
BOLD Markets
FACTS AND FIGURES Ofsted: 91% of schools rated ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’
Weavers Quarter: shortlisted for Best Urban Regeneration project in the First Time Buyer Awards 2018
CU London has a 50% local student population
£6 million youth sports centre
Borough population: 209,000 26
Work has begun on the
in Parsloes Park
Population growth of 15% forecast over the next decade: the highest of any London borough
Be First
The Becontree Heath development will deliver 170 homes by 2019
create 50,000 homes
The Dagenham film studios could generate ÂŁ35 million a year for the UK economy
Be First has a target of at least 50% affordable housing in its new builds
aims to
and 20,000 jobs
in the next 20 years
The borough is home to around 25 parks and open spaces
12 trains an hour will run each way at peak times on the Elizabeth line
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BARKING AND DAGENHAM
LONDON’S CREATIVE BOROUGH
Photos: Performers at the Broadway Theatre, the proposed East Brook Studios, Cllr Darren Rodwell enjoying a festival - photo Jimmy Lee, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan visiting The White House in Dagenham, a production of The Merchant of Venice by Studio 3 Arts - photo Mark Sepple.
MOVE TO
BARKING NOT BERLIN
15 minutes
FILMS NOT FORDS
Accelerating the growth of our creative industries Be First is a pioneering investment and regeneration company with a mission to accelerate growth and prosperity in the borough. Expanding the creative industries is at the heart of our thinking, supporting vibrant, engaged communities in which no one is left behind. For more information www.befirst.london | info@befirst.london
BeFirst
BOLD Education
A class above
CU London has opened its £4.5 million campus at Dagenham Civic Centre, adding to the borough’s educational offer and attracting students to the area. Carly Cassano reports BARKING AND DAGENHAM’S further education offer was given a boost in September 2017 when Coventry University opened its CU London campus in the Dagenham Civic Centre building in Becontree Heath. With half of the student population being based in the area, Andy Ginn, associate pro vice-chancellor of CU London, says one of the university’s main goals is to keep local residents interested in attending the facility by “asking people in the community what
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they want, and then giving it to them”. Founded in 1992, Coventry University Group, with campuses in Coventry, Scarborough, and now Dagenham, is geared towards professional based courses, flexible schedules and employability. Courses and tuition fees are both carefully considered in line with local priorities in the borough. As Ginn says: “Higher education should be affordable, and reflect the local community’s visions and values.”
Much of the campus is still being constructed, but one half of the main building (the right wing) has already been modernised to support its wide range of courses, including but not limited to: counselling, health and social care, engineering, IT, legal studies, marketing, policing, public health, science, and tourism – industries of the future, for which there is a high rate of employability. And while the plans to refurbish the left wing had been mothballed;
BOLD Education
according to Ginn, there’s an “exciting new proposition to have it ready in time for the autumn 2018 term”. In addition to completely refurbishing the interior of the (previously restored) Grade II Art Deco building, the plan is to create a campus “learning village”, replete with cafes, a launderette, and bookshops. The campus is a few minutes from Eastbrookend Country Park - an accessible green space, teaming with tall marsh grasses, winding pathways, and natural lakes (more contained countryside than urban park). Just beyond is the Chase Resevoir, full
of rare plants and wildlife. And CU London is not only surrounded by natural beauty and local culture; it’s around a 40-minute trip into central London via the District line from nearby Dagenham Heathway and Dagenham East tube stations. One of CU London’s main objectives is ensuring everyone, regardless of their background, feels welcome on campus and in the borough. That means advocating for underrepresented students, as well as offering foundation courses for anyone who doesn’t meet entrance requirements. No-one should feel
“unsettled”, Ginn emphasises. That means no big lecture halls, plenty of online courses, and open-plan, modern workspaces. Students work toward common goals through conversation, utilising the problem – solving skills inherent in the careers they’re preparing for. CU London is planning on hosting graduate programs and international students eventually, but its current focus is on adapting to the needs of the communities of Barking and Dagenham. As the CU Group has a close partnership with the council, with a shared vision of instilling
Higher education should reflect the local community’s vision and values Pictured: CU London offers a variety of courses: from computer enginnering to biology.
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BOLD Education Pictured: Residents of various ages benefit from new and improved educational facilities.
It’s our job to help fund and create aspirational community institutions
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BOLD Education
students and young people with a “sense of pride” in themselves and their communities. That kind of aspiration for the future is, according to Ginn, the way to build “meaningful, life-long relationships with education”. Council leader Darren Rodwell says: “When it comes to the wellbeing and personal growth of people in the borough, it’s clear: schools are second only to the home. It’s our job to help fund and create aspirational community institutions, so that the people of the borough can live well as friends and neighbours.” The council is launching the Barking and Dagenham School Improvement Partnership from April 2018, a collaborative non-profit company jointly owned with the borough’s ‘family of schools’ created to help standards to continue to rise. Over the last three years, the percentage of primary and secondary school students in the borough that achieved a ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ rating from the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted) increased to 91%: now higher than the national picture. Standards are based on a myriad of conditions, including material resources and student progress, as well as (according to Ofsted) “spiritual, moral, social and cultural development”. Schools “prepare pupils for their future roles as members of the community”. Cabinet member for education and schools, Councillor Evelyn Carpenter, says: “I’m very proud our schools
have achieved so much in a very short time, especially in the context of rapidly rising pupil numbers, a changing demography, and poverty in many neighbourhoods. Schools have continued to improve while undergoing building work as they expand.” For example, at Monteagle Primary School, which achieved a ‘good’ rating in 2016, students were “successfully encouraged to take responsibilities. For instance, they were proud of roles as eco-warriors, school councillors and sports leaders,” says Carpenter. At Henry Green Primary School, also rated ‘good’, school leaders worked hard to instil the school’s ethos of ‘ASPIRE’ (Achieve, Succeed, Persevere, Inspire, Respect, Enjoy). Staff, governors, parents and pupils shared the school’s ethos and their collective drive to achieve common goals was seen as a real strength. The Leys Primary School in
Dagenham achieved a ‘good’ rating back in 2013 and is now one of the top performing schools in the country for progress pupils make between ages seven and 11, according to recent Key Stage 2 results. The borough’s manifesto aims for Barking and Dagenham to be “a place with high quality education and sustained attainment for all residents”. That’s why, every year in September, to top off the Summer of Festivals, Barking and Dagenham puts on its famous Youth Parade. Young people, representing the local organisations they’re involved in, stream through the streets surrounding Barking Park, while the community cheers them on. From science clubs to dance troupes to empowerment groups, passionate young people, shout out their dreams for the future. They educate their borough.
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TRINITY PLACE Delivering 170 homes
BEAM PARK Delivering 2,899 homes
FRESH WHARF Delivering 911 homes
WE ARE A PARTNERSHIP HOMEBUILDER BRINGING SUSTAINABLE PROSPERITY TO COMMUNITIES
BOLD Map
PROJECT MAP Key schemes in Barking and Dagenham Vicarage Field Fresh Wharf Beam Park Barking Riverside 360 Barking Ford Stamping Plant Weavers Quarter
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BOLD Projects
PROJECTS
Vicarage Field shopping centre The redevelopment of Vicarage Field Shopping Centre, adjacent to Barking station in the town centre, will not only see 25,650sq m of new retail space delivered. Plans also include up to 1,250sq m of B1 offices, 81,750sq m of residential space and around 7,750sq m of hotel space. Benson Elliot with development manager Londonewcastle are jointly
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developing the scheme. As well as homes and space for new businesses and hotels, the development will also include a three-form entry primary school, healthcare facilities and leisure centres. Green streetscaping and landscaping, extensive basement parking, and support services will complete the site.
Outline planning permission for the project was granted last year (2017) and the next step for the project will be to submit reserved matters applications to Barking and Dagenham Council, before building begins in spring or summer 2019. Studio Egret West is the architect for the scheme. It is likely to be completed around 2024/25.
Fresh Wharf Developer Countryside is working with Notting Hill Housing Association to create 911 homes on the Fresh Wharf site in Barking. The brownfield 6.87-ha former industrial estate has easy access to the North Circular Road and is located on the banks of the River Roding. The scheme will add to a number of new housing projects across the borough.
Work on the site will begin later this year and is expected to be completed in 2026. The initial concept design proposals for the area were created as part of a joint project by Jestico + Whiles and Glenn Howells Architects. Since that initial project Metropolitan Workshop has been brought on board to update the plan.
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BOLD Projects
Beam Park Beside the Ford Stamping Plant, the Beam Park development is also expected to create thousands of new homes for local residents. Developers Countryside and L&Q have submitted a joint planning application to build up to 2,900 new homes on the site. The homes will aim to include 35% affordable housing and the developers
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have said the scheme will include a mixture of sizes and tenures. As well as almost 3,000 homes, there will be a new medical centre as part of the development and two new primary schools – one in each of the boroughs that the development spans: Barking and Dagenham and Havering. The developers are also planning to include a new railway station, new
commercial and retail space, as well as a nursery and community facilities and a multi-faith centre. The scheme will be made up of one, two and three-bedroom apartments, as well as family homes and will be a 10-minute walk from Beam Valley Country Park. Developers are aiming to start construction later in 2018.
Barking Riverside Barking Riverside, one of the UK’s largest regeneration projects, will see 10,800 new homes and 65,000sq m of commercial created, along with retail and leisure space, spanning 181.3ha of land and providing homes, jobs and opportunities. The scheme will see residential developer L&Q and Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, invest £500 million on transport links, parkland and a raft of other facilities on the site, which will be delivered by Barking Riverside Limited (BRL), a joint venture between shareholders L&Q and the Greater London Authority (GLA). A section 106 agreement was signed in February 2018 by Khan and L&Q, which will help fund the housing and a London Overground station at Barking Riverside – an extension of the Gospel Oak to Barking line will connect the site to central London. L&Q will manage the development, acting as the landlord and leaseholder
on the majority of new properties. The scheme is already well under way, with 1,000 homes completed so far, with plans to build 600 more units on the site every year. The developers have appointed architect Alex Lifschutz, principal at Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands as masterplan guardian on the project. Paul Karakusevic, principal at Karakusevic Carson Architects, will be joining the architect to work on the next phase of 1,200 homes. Matthew Carpen, project director at BRL, said: “We are moving towards the delivery of over 600 new homes each year. “Another landmark was hit with L&Q and the mayor of London, committing an investment programme of £500 million for transport links, parkland and other facilities to benefit the local community. “In three years, we will see over 2,500 homes built, a railway, an
established outstanding school, business opportunities, clubs and lots of other things to do for residents. “This progress signifies the success of L&Q’s wider strategic partnership with the GLA, which will see delivery of 20,000 new homes across the capital – 12,000 of which will be genuinely affordable.” A joint venture between Homes England (formerly the Homes and Communities Agency) and Bellway Homes is preparing serviced development plots for the first 350 homes. Annette Hurst, sales and marketing director at Bellway Essex, said: “After a successful launch of the north-west apartments at Barking Riverside on 10 February 2018, we are anticipating that 50% of this apartment block will be sold by May this year. “These one, two and three-bedroom apartments, totalling 94 units, are due to be completed this summer.”
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BOLD Projects
360 Barking Swan Housing Association’s 360 Barking development in Cambridge Road is making progress. The site is inside the Barking Town Centre Housing Zone, one of 30 areas of the capital earmarked by the Greater London Authority for fasttracked housing development. Overseen by NU living, Swan’s in-house contractor, the scheme is expected to be completed by spring 2019 and will create 270 energy efficient homes, 96 of which will be allocated as affordable, with priority for the properties given to residents of Barking and Dagenham. Geoff Pearce, Swan’s executive director of regeneration and development, said: “We are looking forward to working with our partners as the project progresses. We are confident that 360, will contribute to the exciting regeneration happening across Barking, by providing modern, stylish new homes, with at least 96 shared ownership properties, as well as new creative and leisure space for the borough.” Leader of Barking and Dagenham Council, Councillor Darren Rodwell, added: “The development is another exciting landmark for the borough, providing a range of much-needed housing for local people, with affordable studios and accommodation for artists and people working in the creative industries. “These eye-catching buildings help us to make good on our promise to boost the town centre economy, and specifically to support the fast growing local creative industries. It’s a reason for the arts community to choose Barking, not Berlin.”
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Weavers Quarter
Ford Stamping Plant Adding to the raft of new development across the borough in the next decade is the 17-ha Ford Stamping Plant, part of the London Riverside Opportunity Area in Dagenham. Dagenham Dock – a joint operation between developer St Congar and real estate manager Europa Capital Partners – took on the site at the beginning of 2016 and demolition work began in September. The developer is working on a mixed-use, residential-led scheme made up of 2,650 homes, which will complement the new scheme at nearby Beam Park (see page 38). The project is currently at the early stages of the planning process and the developers expect to submit a planning application in the second or third quarter of this year. Although at this stage there is no fixed completion date, Steve Taylor, director at St Congar, expects that it will be a 10-year project. Speaking to BOLD magazine, Taylor said: “I think this whole area – of Beam Park – will be completely transformed in the next 10 years. It is an incredibly exciting area to be involved in.” Located near Dagenham Dock station, it will take 20 minutes to get into central London from the site.
Development work is continuing at the Weavers Quarter scheme on the eastern part of Barking’s Gascoigne estate. Delivered by L&Q, the scheme will see new schools and amenities set up, in a partnership with Barking and Dagenham Council. The first phase of the regeneration project will deliver 421 new homes, which will be split between those allocated as affordable rent and properties for shared ownership to purchase. In October 2017, 221 shared ownership flats went on-sale and the first phase will be completed later in 2018. Bouygues UK is the contractor for the project, while the architect is Levitt Bernstein. The masterplan for the area is for 1,575 new homes, along with two schools and a new park.
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H
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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
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Trocoll House Wakering Road
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Radial House Ripple Road
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Central House Cambridge Road
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Maritime House 1 Linton Road
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Clock House East Street, Barking
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Focal House 12/18 Station Parade
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50-74 Station Parade Barking
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Former Abbey Retail Park Abbey Road
BOLD Connectivity
In the fast lane Accessibility to London and other areas has often been a surprise to Barking and Dagenham newcomers – and with multimillion pound infrastructure programmes in the pipeline, the borough is about to receive a further connectivity boost. Kirsty MacAulay reports 43
BOLD Connectivity
MUCH IS MADE of Barking and Dagenham’s location; it is conveniently close to central London, yet far enough away that residents can enjoy beautiful nearby countryside and house prices below those elsewhere in the capital. It is the borough’s impressive transport links which ensure those living, working and investing here are able to enjoy the best of both these worlds. And those transport options are about to get a whole lot better with the arrival of Crossrail, train line extensions, a new station and even a possible river crossing. London’s long-awaited Elizabeth line (right), as it is now called, will arrive at Chadwell Heath (below) at the end of next year and will be a game changer. Journey times will be a consistent 24 minutes to Liverpool Street. With 12 trains running an hour in each direction at peak times, it will transform commuting for residents.
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Rising house prices are a positive side effect of Europe’s largest infrastructure project. The improved rail service has already seen properties near Crossrail stations across the capital rise by 66% since 2009. This has made Chadwell Heath the new property mecca of Barking and Dagenham. According to industry projections, house prices could rise
The clipper is going to be an important part of getting people into central London
Right: A docking station for the MBNA Thames Clipper could be brought to Barking Riverside.
BOLD Connectivity
again once the Elizabeth line is up and running next year. The improved travel times will make a huge difference to residents old and new: journey times to Bond Street and Canary Wharf will be 10 minutes faster. Chadwell Heath station’s ticket hall and toilets have recently been refurbished, platforms extended to accommodate the new Crossrail trains and new platform lighting and signage have been installed. A sleek glass and steel station will be the centrepiece of the new community. Plans are also in place to extend the London Overground into Barking Riverside, one of Europe’s largest housing developments, which will deliver 10,800 homes, as well as schools, shops, community facilities and importantly; a train station. The £263 million rail extension will link the new station at the site to Barking on the Gospel Oak to Barking line, enabling residents direct access to the c2c rail line, which runs straight into Fenchurch Street as well as District and Hammersmith and City underground lines. The station is planned for the middle of the development site – a carefully considered decision, as Matthew Carpen, project director at Barking Riverside explains: “It’s a
terminating station and this is really quite unusual as it’s only 100m from the river’s edge. It’s unique, you can see the river from the platform. “It’s all about legibility. When you get off the train you can easily orientate yourself as you can immediately see where you are.” Original plans for the scheme were to extend the Docklands Light Railway, but the costs proved prohibitive. Carpen says: “This site always needed the railway; I’m delighted. It’s a basic planning principle – if you’re going to build 10,000 homes, you need strategic public transport in the form of rail.” Preparations for the new 4.5km track extension and the new station started last year and it is hoped construction will start at the end of this year. Carpen is confident the plans will stay on track: “The contract will be let this year, the tender hasn’t gone out yet, but that hasn’t delayed the project. It will be up and running for March 2021 as long as construction starts in the next year,” he says. The train extension will help make Barking Riverside a destination in its own right, which is the ambition of joint developers L&Q and the Greater London Authority.
The site will entice visitors with an attractive leisure and night time offer, as well as a large park with an ecology centre, to provide visitors with information on the surrounding flora and fauna, which is extensive and surprising – it includes seals, water voles, bats and lizards. Carpen adds: “Whether you’re from Essex or central London there will be something here for you. The ecology here is unique and it will probably be the biggest new park in London since the Olympics.” Carpen hopes to secure a docking station for the MBNA Thames Clipper on the site. He says: “We’re currently in the process of establishing what and when we can deliver a public clipper service; we’re discussing the opportunities now. The clipper is going to be an important part of getting people into London and also for those people coming to Barking Riverside. I’m excited about what that would mean for people here – it’s a lovely way to travel.” Plans have also been mooted for a cross-river rail link from Barking Riverside to Thamesmead or Abbey wood in south-east London, as part of the mayor’s proposals for more river crossings to be created over the next 10-15 years.
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BOLD Film studios
Stars of the screen
Pictured: A tendering process for the film studios in Dagenham East has now begun.
Dagenham East is to become home to London’s first film studios of significant scale in more than 25 years, with tens of millions of pounds generated for the economy. Council-owned regeneration company Be First is now inviting companies to tender for the project, as Shailja Morris reports
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BOLD Film studios
FILM INDUSTRY heavyweights from around the globe have entered a tendering process to build and operate Dagenham East’s Hollywood-scale film and TV studios. Barking and Dagenham Council’s regeneration company, Be First, is now scrutinising bids from screen industry companies. David Harley, head of regeneration at Be First, says: “Strong interest has been shown so far as this is such a rare opportunity to address the industry’s shortage of space. “However, one of our key requirements from the successful bidder is their commitment to working with local training providers.” Barking and Dagenham College and CU London – part of Coventry
University (see pages 30 and 33) – are situated within a mile of the site. These local academic institutions are gearing up to encourage a pipeline of skilled staff to supply to the studios. It is crucial that the winning bidder will effectively collaborate with our local partners.” Before launching the tender in February 2018, Barking and Dagenham Council and Be First invited initial expressions of interest from potential bidders last November. Harley says: “We received more interest than we anticipated from screen industries across the world, from Europe to the Middle East and the US, as well as the UK.” The hotly anticipated project will be the first studio complex to be developed in the capital for 25 years and will boost Dagenham’s fortunes on a scale not seen since the launch of the Ford Dagenham motor company nearly 90 years ago. A feasibility study jointly commissioned by the council, Be First, and the mayor of London, estimates the studios will create 1,000 full-time on-site jobs and thousands more from spin-off industries, including advertising, catering and tourism. On a national level, the project is
expected to generate £35 million annually for the UK economy. Once the tender process is closed and a partner announced, work will begin to transform more than eight hectares of disused industrial land into world-class studios that could be up and running as early as next year. Early designs of the bespoke complex near the Londoneast-UK business park, reveal around 11,612sq m of studio space, plus workshops and vehicle access. Harley explains: “The studios offer a real transformational opportunity for Dagenham in a growing sector that will deliver a wide range of opportunities for the local population. It will put Dagenham on the map within the international film industry.” And the studio will further boost the UK’s popularity as a filming base. In 2017, a record £2.8 billion was spent on film and TV production – a healthy 11% rise on the previous year. This is despite a space squeeze in the UK that saw the Alien and Blade Runner sequels having to move their production to other countries. Harley says: “The film and television industry is a changing market. With the growth of Netflix and Amazon, there’s a huge demand for it, but
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BOLD Film studios
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there’s a real supply shortage. The new studios will help fill this gap and contribute to the growth of this important sector.” Outlining the origins of the project, Harley says: “The idea for the studios came from Barking and Dagenham Council’s film location unit, which was receiving regular requests for locational filming for sci-fi films or hospital dramas. “The Dagenham East site was once owned by the biopharmaceutical company Sanofi and filming took place in the company’s old science laboratory that is still on site. Several big budget films were filmed there including Marvel’s Dr Strange and
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Avengers: Age of Ultron (above), as well as TV dramas including Channel 4’s Humans and Netflix’s Black Mirror. “As a result, the council made good connections within the industry, who frequently suggested that the land should be turned into a film and TV facility. “The leader of the council pitched the idea to the mayor of London [Sadiq Khan], who has been a strong supporter of the project from the start and we then jointly launched the feasibility study.” At the launch of the report last October, Khan described the project as a “rare chance to build a worldclass film studio in London”, adding:
“I am determined to do more to support economic growth and create new jobs across London. A new film studio in Dagenham East will bring hundreds of new jobs to the area, benefiting everyone from carpenters to camera operators.” Harley says: “We are fortunate to have strong political support for the project. In addition, Dagenham East is a great location and we have a welcoming planning regime here. The site is unique. It’s next to Dagenham East tube station as well as a country park. We are also situated within the M25, allowing for easy access into central London. “Unlike some potential studio sites, we have no issues around planning permission. In fact, there are already two brand new warehouses on the site. They need to be altered slightly but we can have them operational and ready for filming in the early part of next year.” With these conditions, it’s hardly surprising so many international developers are beating a path to Dagenham East’s studio doors. Harley adds: “As well as boosting the local economy, the studios will change the perception of Dagenham. Ford Motors always put Dagenham on the map but now it will be a case of film, not Ford. It’s time for a new take on the ‘Made in Dagenham’ legacy.”
Apprenticeships, Traineeships, Higher & Degree Apprenticeships Whether you are a sole trader or a multi-national organisation, well trained employees will keep your business healthy. To develop the skills of you workforce effectively, you need flexible training options that are designed around your business. That’s where Barking & Dagenham College Business Engagement Team can help. Supporting you with bespoke training through to Apprenticeships at all levels all are fantastic opportunities for you to equip your business with the most up-to-date skills around to give yourselves an edge against competitors. employer.services@bdc.ac.uk
020 3667 0333
London Borough of Barking & Dagenham “In partnership with Barking & Dagenham College we will continue to deliver a high quality and bespoke apprenticeship programme for new and existing employees.”
WITH A STRONG REGIONAL FOOTHOLD AND NATIONAL CAPABILITIES, WE’RE READY WHENEVER AND WHEREVER YOU ARE. Benefiting from Glenny’s in-depth and unrivalled regional knowledge of the East London and Essex property markets, our clients can expect an exceptional service wherever their requirements are. Our full range of services are accessible through our central support hub and strategically-located regional offices.
DISCOVER MORE ABOUT US AT WWW.GLENNY.CO.UK ESSEX | EAST LONDON | NORTH LONDON & HERTFORDSHIRE | SOUTH EAST LONDON & KENT
WELL PLACED PROPERTY ADVISORS
OUR TEAM:WORKING
BOLD partners joining together to support Barking and Dagenham 01
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BOLD Film studios
BeFirst
01 ASF Geoff Baker geoffbaker@asfgroupltd.com
02 Be First Nick Williams communications@befirst.london
03 The Boathouse Carole Pluckrose carole@boathousecic.co.uk
04 Bouygues UK Mike Naylor mike.naylor@bouygues-uk.com
05 C2C Chris Atkinson chris.atkinson@c2crail.net
06 CU London General enquiries cul@coventry.ac.uk
07 Jerram Falkus Roger Lawson roger.lawson@jerramfalkus.com
08 LinkCity Olivier Soulier olivier.soulier@linkcity.com
09 Patrizia General enquiries unitedkingdom@patrizia.ag
10 Rooff Steve Drury sdrury@rooff.co.uk
11 Sitematch London Josie Brewer josie@3foxinternational.com
12 Vicarage Field newvicaragefield@ londoncommunications.co.uk
For more information about these companies, visit boldmagazine.co.uk/partners
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