Policy information sourced from Barking and Dagenham Barking Town Centre Area Action Plan DPD

POLICY BTC20: PARKS, OPEN SPACES, PLAY AREAS AND TREE PLANTING

In order to improve the provision and quality of local parks and open spaces and ensure that all residents live within an acceptable distance of one, the Council will:

  • Undertake significant improvements to Abbey Green In order to transform it into a prestigious and vibrant town centre park (see BTCSSA8).
  • Undertake work to the Quaker Burial Ground (as defined on the Inset Proposals Map) which, whilst sympathetic to its heritage value, will make it into a small local park.
  • Ensure that well designed and located local parks/ open spaces and children’s play areas are provided as part of creating a new Gascoigne neighbourhood (see BTCSSA6).
  • Improve the Victoria Gardens open space (as defined on the Inset Proposals Map) in order that it functions as part of the play space provision for Northbury Primary School, the Abbey Children’s Centre and the King William Street Quarter development (see BTCSSA4).
  • Include a communal open space and children’s play areas within the King William Street Quarter development (see BTCSSA4).
  • Require other major housing developments, where appropriate, to provide adequate on-site open spaces and play areas or developer contributions towards off-site provision of public open space and/or improvement of existing spaces (see Core Strategy CM3).
  • Encourage, as part of Section 106 Agreements, other new developments, and particularly those in areas of open space deficiency to provide or contribute to the provision of a well designed small local park and/or children’s play area.
  • Seek to involve the community in the design of new open spaces or improvements to existing ones.

To improve the linkages between the parks and open spaces in the AAP area, the Council will wish to see extensive tree planting along some streets to form a network of ‘green streets’ which as well as linking parks and open spaces also softens the environment, and provides pleasant routes for pedestrians and cyclists.

The key routes which the Council wishes to develop as tree lined streets radiate out from Abbey Green to Barking Park, Greatfields Park, Essex Road Gardens, the Quaker Burial Ground and the River Roding.

Where appropriate, the Council will expect developers to contribute towards programmes of tree planting in the town centre.

For more information please see the Barking Town Centre Area Action Plan DPD