| Barking Riverside | |
|---|---|
 Rivergate Centre | |
  Barking Riverside Location withinGreater London | |
| OS grid reference | TQ466825 |
| • Charing Cross | 10.5 mi (16.9 km) W |
| London borough | |
| Ceremonial county | Greater London |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BARKING |
| Postcode district | IG11 |
| Dialling code | 020 |
| Police | Metropolitan |
| Fire | London |
| Ambulance | London |
| UK Parliament | |
| London Assembly | |
| 51°31′22″N0°06′45″E / 51.5228°N 0.1124°E /51.5228; 0.1124 | |
Barking Riverside is amixed-use development in thearea ofBarking, eastLondon, England, within theLondon Borough of Barking and Dagenham. It is being built on land formerly occupied byBarking Power Station, adjacent to theRiver Thames, and is 10.5 miles (16.9 km) east ofCharing Cross. The 440 acrebrownfield site has planning permission for 10,800 homes.[1]
As planning restrictions prevented more than 1,200 homes without adequate transport links,[2] theLondon OvergroundGospel Oak to Barking line has been extended to Barking Riverside to allow the development to be completed as planned[3] and the newstation opened on 18 July 2022.
Between 1995 and 2000,Bellway Homes built 900 homes and since 2004 the development has been managed by Barking Riverside Ltd, a partnership betweenGLA Land and Property and Bellway. Building work under this partnership commenced in 2010 and the first homes were occupied in 2012.
In 2016, housing associationL&Q bought out Bellway's stake in Barking Riverside Ltd, entering into a joint venture with theGLA to deliver the remaining new homes.[4] There will be three neighbourhood centres and when complete in the 2030s, the development as a whole will have a population of approximately 26,000.[1]
The development is taking place onbrownfield land that was formerly occupied byBarking Power Station. Prior to being drained for industrial use, it was tidal marshland. The power station closed in 1981, with a concentration ofNational Grid pylons, overhead lines, cables and sub stations remaining.
In the early 1990s, theDepartment of Environment sought brownfield sites in theThames Gateway area for development. The Barking project started as a public-private venture between theGreater London Authority,English Partnerships and developerBellway Homes.[3]National Power sold the land to Bellway Homes in 1994.[5] The site has low land value, but the cost of converting it from industrial use caused Bellway to be concerned about profitability. Initially Bellway constructed 900 homes on the site between 1995 and 2000. Barking Riverside Ltd provided essential infrastructure such as roads, utilities and community facilities.
The site is in theLondon Riverside section of theThames Gateway and was within the area of theLondon Thames Gateway Development Corporation (LTGDC), established in 2004.
In 2004 Barking Riverside Ltd was formed as a joint venture ofBellway Homes and the Homes and Communities Agency (later replaced by GLAP) to deliver the project. Outline planning permission was granted in August 2007, with detailed consent for the first phases given in June 2009.[6] Work started in 2010, and the first homes following the establishment of Barking Riverside Ltd were completed and occupied in 2012.[7]
The development corporation was abolished in 2013 and responsibility passed toGLA Land and Property (GLAP), a subsidiary of theGreater London Authority (GLA). The project was jointly managed by theHomes and Communities Agency until its London operations were folded into the GLA in April 2012.[8]
In 2016,L&Q bought Bellway's 51% stake in the scheme. It will deliver the new homes and infrastructure with the existing joint venture partner the GLA.[4]
In 2017, the first three schools -Riverside School - opened in the area, servingprimary,secondary andspecial needs students - all located on one campus on Renwick Road.[9]
Barking is an ancient parish name, found in theDomesday Book of 1086. The appellation 'Barking Riverside' refers to the location adjacent to theRiver Thames. Initially the nameBarking Reach was selected for the area.[5]
The local authority isBarking and Dagenham London Borough Council. Since 2022, most of the development is within theBarking Riverside ward, which returns three councillors. Some western sections of Barking Riverside are in theThames View ward, which returns two councillors. For elections to the London Assembly it is part of theCity and East constituency. For elections to the UK Parliament it is within theBarking constituency.
As of 2015[update], the two roads giving access to the development are still privately owned by the developers.[3]
The 443 acres (1.79 km2) site has planning permission for 10,800 homes and is expected to have a population of approximately 26,000 people.[10][11] It is located between theA13 road andBarking–Rainham railway line to the north and theRiver Thames to the south.[12] It has 1.2 miles (1.9 km) of riverside frontage. The intention is to create three neighbourhood centres. To the north is theThames View Estate and to the west isCreekmouth. To the south of Barking Riverside and over the River Thames is the large housing development ofThamesmead.
The Rivergate Centre, between Minter Road and Handley Page Road, is acommunity centre that houses halls for hire, the George Carey Primary School, the Rivergate Church and theRiverside School (secondary).[13]
There is also a cafe, a pharmacy, and a beauty salon. The local grocery shop on Minter Road was taken over byCo-Op in 2020, re-opening in July 2020 after a refurbishment.[14]
In phases 2 and 3 of the development, there is a provision for a new Health and Leisure Hub including a large family-friendly swimming pool and 150-station gym. This will also incorporate a GP surgery, leisure centre and various community spaces.[15][16]
Barking Riverside is connected toBarking,Goodmayes,Ilford andDagenham Dock and other places by theEast London Transitbus rapid transit services EL1, EL2 and EL3.
As planning restrictions prevent more than 1,200 new homes being built before adequate transport links are in place,[2] the area was to be served by an extension of theDocklands Light Railway, but this was cancelled in 2008.[17] In 2014, it was announced that theLondon OvergroundGospel Oak to Barking line would be extended to Barking Riverside to allow the development to be completed as planned.[3] The new station opened on 18 July 2022.[18]
On 22 April 2022 the river bus companyThames Clippers began serving an existing pier newly added to theLondon River Services network. Now calledBarking Riverside Pier, it is situated on the north bank of the Thames in what will eventually become the district centre, a short distance from the new London Overground station. During the morning and evening peaks, and at weekends, Thames Clippers provides passenger river bus services on the RB1 route toWoolwich Arsenal,Canary Wharf and piers in central London.
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