BOLD RETROSPECTIVE
and Dagenham Council is offering artists live-work spaces within new build blocks at low affordable rents in perpetuity. This is a massive win, not only growing the local economy, but enriching local cultural life, helping the artists, inspiring residents and creating an interesting place to be. Plans are afoot for a project with well-known local artist Grayson Perry, which will draw attention to the work the council is doing to create affordable space for artists. Affordability is Barking and Dagenham Council’s watchword. Be First aims to ensure up to 80% of its new housing is affordable. Similarly, 50% of new homes on the Beam Park development are earmarked as affordable units and just over half of the first phase of Weavers Quarter will be for shared ownership. It is this pledge to entrench affordable property within the borough’s housing developments that singles Barking and Dagenham out as a borough making sure the changes taking place will provide wide-ranging opportunities. Naylor explains: “It’s clear we’re a place that puts people first and actually with a will you can make a profit as well. When places grow rapidly, people get pushed out. We’ve got an opportunity to avoid that, we need lots of different tenures to suit the lifestyle and economic circumstances of the people in the borough; it’s making sure we have places where teachers, junior doctors and bartenders can live. We need to fill that gap in London’s market.” But it’s not just about housing, the council’s ‘no-one left behind’ campaign will ensure all members of the community benefit from regeneration. An independent growth commission ★M ade in Dagenham film studios announced ★ Countryside and L&Q selected for Beam Park development ★ New masterplan for Barking Riverside approved ★ Plans for Vicarage Field Shopping Centre submitted
2016
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ord Stamping Plant demolition work begins F Second stage of Gascoigne estate approved First Barking Folk Festival takes place LBBD announces Be First, its own development company The White House public space opens on Becontree
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