Investment Opportunities
Opportunity Areas
Area of Intensification
Central activity Zone
International or metropolitan
Major
District
Borough Boundary
Green Belt
Metropolitan open land / Other open spaces
Rail station
Railway track
Foreshore
Water
Barking Town Centre is changing fast. There is superb accessibility provided by the District and Hammersmith & City tube lines, London Overground and c2c national rail routes serving Barking station. A regeneration strategy setting out a ten-year vision was adopted in October 2020 including a food focus linked to the City of London’s famous wholesale markets moving to Dagenham Dock. Barking has a fascinating history and strong sense of place. The River Roding was central to Barking’s formation and economy but has been neglected for decades. The riverside is being restored to prominence with new homes, commercial space, and an excellent public realm. The redevelopment of Vicarage Field Shopping Centre is a key investment opportunity and there are also opportunities with Be First with the transformation of the Gascoigne estate.
The former power station at Dagenham Dock has been bought by the City of London and a planning application has been approved for the relocation of the City’s three wholesale markets — Billingsgate (Fish), Smithfield (Meat) and New Spitalfields (Fruit and vegetables). This will unlock opportunities to transform the food sector in the Borough. Dagenham Dock has river and rail freight access and developable land for employment uses. Be First and the Council will be working with partners to unlock the area’s full potential.
This is a key opportunity area in the south of the borough, located to the south of the A13 and to the north of Barking Riverside, one of London’s largest brownfield redevelopment sites. Supplementary Planning Guidance sets the vision for the development of this area as an exemplar mixed residential and commercial neighbourhood. Be First has already completed one scheme in the area, an innovative stacked industrial scheme called Industria. Hackman/MBS have taken on a lease at a key site in this area for additional studio space, and film production began onsite in 2022. There are investment opportunities with the transformation of Thames Road into the Factory District – an innovative model of living and workspace.
London is moving East and Barking and Dagenham is at the heart of this change with a record number of cranes across the Borough’s skyline. With 8 Transformation Areas, the Borough is undergoing the largest change since the building of the Becontree Estate 100 years ago.
Be First, the Council’s regeneration company, has been operational for 6 years and has delivered a high proportion of the Capital’s new social housing. Be First is keen to work with the private sector on unlocking opportunities for further growth.
Population projections 2021 218,900
Population projections 2050 309,000
London plan new homes (ten-year target) 19,440
Building council homes for Londoners (four-year programme) 565
Geoff Raw, Managing Director
geoff.raw@befirst.london
“We’re proud to be a focus for regeneration and economic development in London, with hugely exciting developments on the horizon, such as the Thames Freeport; the planned arrival of the city’s largest wholesale markets to the area; as well as the capital’s largest film studio development for 25 years. The local community is at the heart of what we do, and we’re proud to also be the capital’s biggest builder of council homes, with Barking and Dagenham alone now responsible for one in five of all new affordable homes being built by councils in London. Our borough is a hive of economic and community activity. We are open for business and to new investment and opportunity for all.”
