Trees and soft landscaping
The green spaces are one ne part of the East London Green Grid, a network of linked areas of open spaces and parks. The Green Grid is a green infrastructure alongside public transport, utilities and other built infrastructure.
Within the Green grid the route between Barking station and the River Roding and east between the station and Barking Park is considered to be of strategic importance. There are a number of opportunities to introduce sustainable areas of planting along this route as it crosses the High Street network. In addition there are opportunities to move away the culture of ‘bare minimum’ necessary due to maintenance budgets of many open spaces in Barking and instead through careful specifying and imaginative new management strategies, find ways of introducing green refuges throughout Barking as a counterpoint to dramatic changes in Barking’s built fabric. This will have multiple benefits including the role that vegetation and trees have for adapting the city to climate change and the opportunity for play . In terms of biodiversity it is important that opportunities are taken to facilitate rainwater collection to allow birds to feed from and bathe. Xeriscaping, or low water planting can greatly reduce water demand. Sustainable drainage systems can be positioned alongside planting to reduce water demand.
page 27
The Barking Code for the Public Realm 2008-2012