Policy information sourced from the Barking & Dagenham Local Plan

SPP1 Barking and the River Roding

Barking Town Centre and the River Roding Transformation Area (as shown on the Policies Map)

6.

In this area there is indicative capacity for 15,609 new homes in the Plan period. Buildings that are up to 95 metres in height could be appropriate in the Tall Building Location, as shown on the Policies Map. Outside of the Tall Building Location, buildings in this area taller than 18m are not generally appropriate.

7.

This policy allocates the following sites as identified on the Policies Map (with fur ther details and requirements for individual sites available in the site proformas in Appendix 2 and in the Housing Trajector y in Appendix 4):

8.

To deliver our vision, development proposals should be consistent with the principles listed below.

  • Planning for a comprehensive mixed-use development of retail, cultural and community uses alongside office and residential development. This will be suppor ted by a broad range of social infrastructure, including schools, childcare facilities, heath services, places of wor ship, libraries, youth facilities, sport and leisure facilities, all of which contribute to the quality of life and well-being of the population.
  • Renewal of Barking Station by working with the rail industry to upgrade access and capacity in line with Network Rail’s increased passenger projections.
  • Any proposed buildings taller than prevailing heights must recognise the historic quality of the existing environment and local character and respond appropriately to realise the potential to increase its capacity and provide a fitting gateway to the town centre and the borough as a whole.
  • Conser ving and enhancing heritage and cultural assets, having regard to the Council’s latest guidance on Barking Town Centre and Abbey Conser vation Area. Development proposals must conserve or enhance the significance, including any contribution to that significance by its setting, of Barking Abbey, a scheduled monument.
  • Working with existing operators to retain and develop Bar king’s street markets role as a commercial and community offer area in their current location.
  • Continued improvements to the public realm between key buildings, the introduction of urban greening and the creation of a lively street culture and safe environment in East Street, reinforcing the role of this area as an important social asset for the borough.
  • Continued improvements to the public realm around Barking Station, addressing anti-social behaviour, including trials to make the Station Parade area safer with pedestrian, taxi and bus only. Improving public transport and cycle access to the town centre, and promoting car-free developments near the station.
  • Reducing the perceived separation between the High Street, Abbey Green and the River Roding, repositioning Town Quay and Abbey Green as a focal point of the Town Centre and strengthening pedestrian and cycle routes and way-finding in the entire area, opening up access to and attracting visitors to the River Roding.
  • Promoting fur ther measures to improve access across the Town Centre, in line with the Barking Town Centre Movement Strategy.

Gascoigne Estate

9.

The Gascoigne ‘Big Picture Neighbourhood Strategy’ includes design principles to support implementation of this policy in a co-ordinated and comprehensive fashion. Development proposals should be consistent with the principles listed below.

  • Locating community buildings in strategic places to create points of attraction and more active street frontages.
  • Restoring the historic grid pattern in Gascoigne Estate through more legible connections and fine grain permeability that allows ease of movement and creates a more walkable environment.
  • Establishing a clearly defined hierarchy of public, private and semi-private outdoor spaces, which are tailored to fit well in the context of the fine grain permeability and promotes activity and play.
  • Enhancing biodiversity value throughout the area, including tree planting in appropriate locations and retention of the existing London Plane trees that line and characterise Abbey Road.
  • Deliver an integrated nature-based blue and green strategy, providing flood mitigation and adaptation measures to comply with Policies DMNE4 and DMSI 6.
  • Creation of new high-quality places through a clearly defined hierarchy of spaces, homes and articulated architecture to strengthen the identity of the place; the massing and typology should be varied across the site to allow for a different silhouette and scale depending on view.

Harts Lane Estate, Hertford Road Industrial Estate and Wickes

10.

Development proposals should be consistent with the principles listed below.

  • Planning for a comprehensive mixed-use development of commercial and community uses alongside residential development. This will be suppor ted by a broad range of social infrastr ucture, including schools, open spaces, community centre, health care facilities, places of worship and a new river crossing.
  • Deliver high quality design, amenity space and improvements to the public realm by wor king collaboratively with other developers and landowners from adjacent sites to form a north-south link along the river path.
  • The scale and massing of development should contribute to the creation of a new coherent townscape which responds positively to its existing and emerging context.
  • Provide river side towers and gateway blocks facing the Northern Relief Road (A124).
  • Create a green link at the heart of Harts Lane to link the River Roding to Bar king Park with new civic space on the river front.
  • Create a new legible hierarchy of pedestrian, vehicular and cycle routes into the existing fabric to connect the neighbourhood with an additional access from the Northern Relief Road (A124).
  • Create a new pedestrian bridge across the River Roding to link the sites together and improve accessibility.
  • Enhancement of existing social infrastructure including an opportunity to expand existing schools.

Vicarage Field Shopping Centre

11.

Development proposals should be consistent with the principles listed below.

  • Work collaboratively with key stakeholders to improve and transform the site as an important gateway opposite Barking Station, enhancing the immediate environment and creating new housing and employment opportunities.
  • Deliver co-ordinated and comprehensive redevelopment of the Shopping Centre as a high-quality and high-density mixed-use development, which responds to the existing built form.
  • Contribute to the vitality of the centre and reinstate it as a natural part of the pedestrian network with new routes connecting with existing streets and movement patterns.

12.

Proposals will be expected to demonstrate how they deliver comprehensive and co-ordinated redevelopment in accordance with Area Policy SPP1 and have regard to any relevant supplementar y planning document and Neighbourhood Strategies for the area. Development proposals should include a statement setting out how they align with the strategy for the area.

For more information please see the Barking & Dagenham Local Plan