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

POLICY BTC5: LEISURE USES AND THE EVENING ECONOMY

The Council will encourage the provision of commercial leisure uses within the town centre (as defined on the Inset Proposals Map) and regards their inclusion as part of a mixed use development around Barking Station (see BTCSSA3) and the Broadway Theatre as particularly appropriate.

The Council will also regard small scale commercial leisure uses as appropriate in the area around Town Quay provided proposals demonstrate improved public transport access to the area, improved pedestrian and cycling links with the town centre and the protection/enhancement of the character of the Abbey Road Riverside Conservation Area and of the various listed buildings in the area. The Council will encourage the provision of leisure uses that will stimulate and sustain a vibrant evening economy.

The Council will welcome restaurants (not hot food takeaways) and family oriented developments and will wish to avoid any over-representation of the vertical drinking bars and late night entertainment venues that can be the cause of noise, disturbance and anti-social behaviour.

To help stimulate the evening economy and provide more activity that will help reduce fear of crime, the Council will, between 7.30 pm and 1.00 am, open East Street (as defined on the Inset Proposals Map) to vehicular traffic and provide a number of on-street parking bays.

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