Chapter 1: Barking and Dagenham – Description of the Borough Contents Page Number Introduction 3 Geographic Context 3 Town Centres 5 Population 6 Social Conditions 7 Housing 9 Employment 11 Regeneration and Development Areas 12 Regeneration Vision 12 Major Development Sites 13 London Riverside 16 Barking Riverside 16 London Thames Gateway Sub-Region 18 Thames Gateway London Partnership 20 London Thames Gateway Development Corporation 24 Chapter 1: Barking and Dagenham – Description of the Borough 1 List of Figures Page Number Figure 1.1: Location of the Borough 4 Figure 1.2: Age Distribution in the Borough 6 Figure 1.3: Deprivation in the Borough 8 Figure 1.4: Housing Densities in the Borough 10 Figure 1.5: Major Development Sites 15 Figure 1.6: Thames Gateway Areas 19 Figure 1.7: Strategic Transport Schemes 23 Figure 1.8: London Thames Gateway Development Corporation 25 List of Tables Page Number Table 1.1: Ethnicity of Population 7 Table 1.2: Standard Occupational Classifications for Barking and 11 Dagenham Table 1.3: Employee Jobs 12 Table 1.4: Major Development Sites 14 Chapter 1: Barking and Dagenham – Description of the Borough 2 Introduction 1.1 This Chapter provides some background information about Barking and Dagenham, its geography, economy and demographic information. Included in this chapter are the plans for the regeneration of the borough, which combined with the earlier sections set the context for the remainder of the Local Implementation Plan (LIP). Geographic Context 1.2 Barking and Dagenham is an outer London borough within the Thames Gateway area, and is one of the smaller London boroughs in terms of area and population. It borders to the east the London Borough of Havering, to the west the London Borough of Newham and to the north the London borough of Redbridge. It faces, across the River Thames, the London Boroughs of Bexley and Greenwich. Figure 1.1 shows the location of the borough within London. 1.3 Barking and Dagenham is part of the Thames Gateway London sub-region, which stretches on both sides of the Thames from the City of London and Lewisham in the west across the London boundary to Thurrock and Dartford in the east. Further on this chapter provides more information on the London Thames Gateway sub-region, the Thames Gateway London Partnership (TGLP) of which Barking and Dagenham is a founder member, and the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation (LTGDC). 1.4 The south of the borough falls within London Riverside, which is one of the ‘Opportunity Areas’ identified in the London Plan. ‘Opportunity Areas’ are areas that are capable of sustaining substantial jobs and homes. 1.5 The borough is predominantly flat which is advantageous for walking and cycling. The borough has a large river frontage that provides an opportunity to develop riverboat services for passengers. It also contains well over half of London’s safeguarded wharves identified by the Mayor of London. 1.6 The borough's main advantage is its prime location, close to Docklands, Stratford, Central London and the M25 motorway, with good road, rail and underground transport links and the proximity of significant job opportunities in and adjacent to the borough. The borough is also close to London City Airport, which has connections to international destinations, the River Thames and the proposed Crossrail route. Chapter 1: Barking and Dagenham – Description of the Borough 3 Figure 1.1: Location of the Borough Chapter 1: Barking and Dagenham – Description of the Borough 4 1.7 Barking and Dagenham is mainly residential but includes several large employment areas and extensive areas of brownfield land between the A13 trunk road and the River Thames. Although employment land is concentrated to the south of the borough, there is also employment land in the north of the borough, for example along Rainham Road South. 1.8 Barking and Dagenham has 25 parks and open spaces, including Eastbrookend Country Park, two nature reserves and the Thames Chase Community Forest. Some of the parks and open spaces are part of the ‘Dagenham Corridor’, which is a wedge of Green Belt land separating the built up areas of Hornchurch and Romford from Dagenham. Town Centres 1.9 The borough has two town centres, Barking Town Centre and Dagenham Heathway. There are also a number of local centres. 1.10 Barking Town Centre is the largest and most important commercial and retail centre in Barking and Dagenham. The London Plan lists Barking Town Centre as a ‘major’ centre. It has the largest volume and range of shops within the borough, a major transport interchange (Barking station) and a concentration of public facilities. The surrounding area is mainly residential. 1.11 Barking Town Centre has undergone some change over the past decade although new development has been limited, with an increase in fast food outlets, bars and lower quality shops. Since the opening of the Vicarage Field Shopping Centre in the early 1990s, the only new commercial investment in Barking Town Centre itself has been two new offices, and a Lidl supermarket. A new street market started in June 2000, which has dramatically increased footfall within the town centre. Development has taken place in the wider area, including a Tesco superstore off Abbey Road. 1.12 People living in Barking Town Centre experience high levels of deprivation and severe health problems. The town centre also has a disproportionate share of the borough’s crime total. 1.13 The Council has developed two strategies to guide the regeneration of Barking Town Centre: the ‘Barking Town Centre Strategy’ and the ‘Barking Town Centre Movement Strategy’. The Council’s vision for Barking Town Centre is for an urban mixed-use town centre, incorporating housing, leisure, employment and retail uses with a quality transport hub at its heart. The Council aspires to Barking Town Centre being the primary shopping centre for Barking Riverside, which is set accommodate 11,000 new homes. 1.14 Dagenham Heathway is the borough’s other town centre. It is smaller than Barking Town Centre and is classed as a ‘district centre’ in the London Plan. Shops and services including the Mall Shopping Centre stretch along the Heathway (A1240). Dagenham Heathway has seen a decline in the number and choice of shops in the past few years and difficulties with parking, congestion and a poor pedestrian environment are issues. The Council has developed a strategy called the ‘Dagenham Heathway Public Realm Strategy’, to ensure that Dagenham Heathway remains a key centre for the retail and local service provision. Chapter 1: Barking and Dagenham – Description of the Borough 5 Population 1.15 According to the 2001 Census the population of the borough is approximately 164,000, making Barking and Dagenham the second smallest borough in terms of population in outer London. Only Kingston-upon-Thames has a lower population. The total population consists of 78,000 males and 86,000 females. 1.16 The age distribution of the population illustrates that the population of the borough is comparatively young. Sixty-seven per cent of the population is under 45, of which 28 per cent of the population is under 20 (ONS). Since 1991 the population has grown by 7 per cent, which is a similar level of growth to that experienced across London as a whole but greater than the growth of population in outer London. Figure 1.2: Age Distribution in the Borough 15% 28% Under 20 4% 20 to 29 30 to 44 45 to 59 16% 60 to 64 14% over 65 23% Source: ONS Census (2001) 1.17 In mid-2003 Barking and Dagenham had an estimated 165,900 residents. This compares with the 2001 Census figure of 163,944 residents (ONS). Barking and Dagenham’s population is forecast to continue to increase by around 10,000 between 2001 and 2011 (GLA SDS Technical Report 23). Anticipated growth in population will increase the demand on public transport, the road network and parking facilities. 1.18 Historically the borough has had a relatively stable, predominately white working class population. Currently the diversity of the population is changing at as fast a rate as anywhere in the country. Data from the 2001 Census assessment of the ethnicity of the borough’s population shows that 85 per cent of the population of the borough are white, 5 per cent are Asian, 7 per cent are black and 1 per cent are Chinese. Compared to the average outer London split of 75 per cent, 13 per cent, 7 per cent and 2 per cent respectively (2001 Census ONS) it is clear that Barking and Dagenham has a Chapter 1: Barking and Dagenham – Description of the Borough 6 lower level of ethnic diversity than other boroughs in outer London. This distribution is illustrated in Table 1.1. Table 1.1: Ethnicity of Population White Mixed Asian Black Chinese Barking and Dagenham 85% 2% 5% 7% 1% Outer London 75% 3% 13% 7% 2% Social Conditions 1.19 Barking and Dagenham residents have the lowest average income level in the capital. Despite exceptional improvement in the performance of schools, there continues to be low educational attainment in the adult population and a high proportion of young people not in employment, education or training. High levels of teenage under-18 conception rates, heart disease, cancer and long term illness also disadvantage the area. Health outcomes for residents are less favourable than in most parts of the country. 1.20 The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), formerly known as the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM), collates a variety of data to produce Indices of Deprivation across a number of ‘Domains’.