Sendra, Pablo; Sobreiro E Cruz, Fernanda; Diaz Martinez, Cristobal; Gabrieli, Tommaso; (2024) Barking Riverside and Thames View Social Infrastructure Community Plan. UCL Bartlett School of Planning: London, UK.

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Abstract

Barking Riverside and Thames View are two wards within the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham (LBBD). Both wards are included in the London Riverside Opportunity Area, designated by the London Plan in 2004. It still appears in the London Plan 2021 with targets of 44,000 homes and 29,000 jobs by 2041. Within Barking Riverside and Thames View, there are two major developments: One ongoing development known as Barking Riverside Masterplan, developed by Barking Riverside Limited (a development company owned 49% by the Greater London Authority and 51% by the housing association L&Q); and one planned development in Thames Road by Be First (LBBD’s planning and development company). While the developments are delivering and planning to deliver a large number of new homes, residents are concerned about the lack of community facilities and health infrastructure in the area, and how the new homes delivered will bring even more pressure to the scarcity of these services. This report is the result of a knowledge exchange between The Bartlett School of Planning, UCL, and Thames Life, a community development trust based in Thames View and Barking Riverside, which has been campaigning for years for more resident participation in decision-making about the future of the area. The project emerged from the loss of the Everyone Everyday Warehouse in summer 2023, one of the few free or low-cost community facilities in the area, the fact that there is only one health centre covering the Thames View and Barking Riverside wards, and a wider concern of the lack of social infrastructure in such a large development. Building on these concerns, the aims of this project are: 1. Assess, in collaboration with residents and community groups, the existing social infrastructure in the area. 2. Co-design with residents and groups a community-led vision for social infrastructure in the area, with a particular focus on community spaces, health facilities, and green spaces. 3. Facilitate a knowledge exchange through which community members involved feel more empowered to participate in decision-making and connecting this experience to others in London. For achieving these objectives, this project followed a Participatory Action Research methodology, which involved organising five co-design workshops with residents and community groups, attending resident planning forums organised by Thames Life, attending meetings organised by community groups in the area to discuss this project, meeting stakeholders involved in the development of Barking Riverside, and semi-structured interviews with residents of Thames View and Barking Riverside wards. The output of this project is a community-led vision for social infrastructure in Barking Riverside and Thames View, which is referred in this document as the Community Plan for social infrastructure. This can be presented to stakeholders involved in the development of the area, such as Barking Riverside Limited, Be First , the LBBD, the Greater London Authority (GLA), any other development partner, and community organisations. It is important to note that this is not a masterplan for the area, but a community vision that can be incorporated into future developments. Its scope is limited to community facilities, health infrastructure, and green spaces. It aims to be the beginning of a dialogue between communities, developers and public authorities involved in Barking Riverside and Thames View wards.

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