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The London Riverside is a new development area in East London, and part of the larger Thames Gateway redevelopment zone.
[edit] Barking Riverside
The Barking Riverside development is part of the larger London Riverside development, which aims to regenerate the riverside area of East London through providing new homes, jobs, and services. Barking Riverside is a 350 acre[6] brownfield land and therefore needs site clearance and the removal of overhead power lines before it can go ahead. Construction is due to begin in 2008, and the development is due to be completed around 2025. It will construct 10,000 new homes in the area, which will house around 25,000 people. New transport links will also be provided, including as the East London Transit and the extension to the Docklands Light Railway at Barking Riverside DLR station.[7] The development will also provide new public facilities, creating "a variety of living, working, leisure and cultural amenities". Two new primary schools and one secondary school will also be built.[8] Residents of Barking and Dagenham will also gain access to use of 2 kilometres Thames river front for the first time.[6]
[edit] Barking Town Centre
Work underway on the Barking Learning Centre. The top three floors contain 166 apartment units [9]. March 2007.
Barking's Town Centre is also due to be regenerated through a number of schemes. Currently, the Town Centre is one of the most deprived areas of Barking. The Abbey and Gascoigne wards, located in the Town Centre, are ranked 823rd and 554th respectively, which places them within the top 10% most deprived wards in the country.[10][11]
The current Barking Town Centre development has an overall strategy and several aims. The regeneration intends to achieve a more sustainable economy for Barking Town Centre by investing in new quality retail outlets and by creating a business centre. The regeneration aims to enable people to widen their employment prospects, mainly through creating new "retail and business accommodation" which will provide employment and increase the income for both existing and new residents.[12] The regeneration also aims to improve people's skills. This is mainly achieved through the Barking Learning Centre; which aims to improve literacy, numeracy and other basic skills people may be lacking due to a previous lack of educational development. It currently acts as a borough-based learning facility.
The Barking Town Centre development also intends to improve the quality and range of housing within the area. The regeneration will aim to create 4,000 new homes in the Town Centre. 25% of these homes will be classed as intermediate housing, and will therefore be affordable for local residents to buy. The will also be 4,000 socially rented homes, making it easier for first time buyers and people with low incomes to rent a property. To help make the development more sustainable, all private sector homes are to meet the Government’s decency standards by 2010.[9]
Plans for the new town square were unveiled in September 2007. The development is part of the Mayor of London's 100 Public Spaces and includes an 80-metre long arcade of chequerboard terrazzo, lit by 13 oversize gold coloured "chandeliers" created by Tom Dixon, former Head of Design at Habitat. There is also a fake ancient wall built by bricklayers Supervised by Shane moss,steve johnson and paul moss of excel brickwork using old bricks, crumbling white marble columns and battered sculptures, reclaimed from architectural salvage yards. The wall or "folly", known as the "Secret Garden", was unveiled on 11th September 2007.[13]
[edit] Sports
Barking F.C. are a non-league side, and records indicate they were founded as early as 1865.[citation needed] The team merged with East Ham F.C. to form Barking & East Ham United in 2001. Barking has also produced numerous successful football players, including Bobby Moore and John Terry. This club later struggled and went out of business, but Barking F.C. was later reformed once again. Cricket, basketball and hockey are also popular sports in the area.
[edit] Notable people associated with Barking
- The Edge, lead guitarist of the Irish rock band U2
- John Terry, currently captain of both Chelsea F.C. and England national football team.
- Tim Gane, composer and co-founder of the British post-rock group Stereolab
- Bobby Moore, captain of the England World Cup winning team of 1966, also of West Ham United and Fulham.
- Billy Bragg, left wing singer/songwriter, commonly nicknamed The Bard of Barking
- McCarthy, 1980s indie pop band.
- Jason Leonard, former rugby union prop
- Trevor Brooking, football player turned manager, pundit and administrator.
- Bobby Zamora, footballer currently of West Ham United F.C., formerly of Bristol Rovers, Brighton and Hove Albion and Tottenham Hotspur
- Paul Konchesky, footballer currently of Fulham F.C. and formerly of Charlton Athletic
- Ross Kemp, actor whose notable roles include Grant Mitchell in EastEnders (first appearance in 1990 and most recent in 2006)
- Leanne Dobinson, finalist of BBC One programme How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria in 2006
- Brian Poole, lead singer with 1960s band The Tremeloes.
- Giles Barnes, Footballer of Derby County.
- Gary Baker (musician), musician, McCarthy.
- Jamie Guy, footballer of Colchester United.
- Lancelot Andrewes, late 16th/ early 17th century English scholar and clergyman, serving Queen Elizabeth I and King James I.
[edit] Transport
Public art on the A124 between the town centre and the A406
The town is situated north of the A13 road and east of the River Roding near its confluence with the River Thames in East London. The South Woodford to Barking Relief Road (part of the A406 North Circular Road) runs through the Roding Valley, and access to the town centre is by its junction with the A124, which until the late 1920s was the main route to and from London. Barking station is a local transport hub and is served by the London Underground, London Overground, National Rail operator c2c and many London Bus routes. The east of Barking is served by Upney tube station.
[edit] Nearest places
[edit] Nearest stations
[edit] Education
- Local education is listed on the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham article
[edit] Gallery
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The Catch, a reference to Barking's fishing heritage.
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Barking Abbey curfew tower with St Margaret's Church in background
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[edit] References
- , The Mayor - Past Mayors. The London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. Retrieved on 2007-05-16.
- , Barking mad. The Phrase Finder. Retrieved on 2008-05-19.
- , Barking mad. World Wide Words. Retrieved on 2008-05-19.
- , The borough of Barking. British History Online. Retrieved on 2007-01-26.
- , Metropolitan Police official history accessed 26 Jan 2007
- , a b Project Description. Barking Riverside. Retrieved on 2007-05-16.
- , "DLR extension for Barking Riverside" (2006-03-17). Building Design (1713).
- , London Riverside - Barking Riverside. The London Borough of Barking & Dagenham. Retrieved on 2007-05-16.
- , a b Barking Town Centre Action Plan - 2003/04. The London Borough of Barking & Dagenham (April 2003). Retrieved on 2007-05-16.
- , Indices of Deprivation 2000 for Wards - Area: Abbey (Ward). Neighbourhood Statistics (January 2000). Retrieved on 2008-05-20.
- , Indices of Deprivation 2000 for Wards - Area: Gascoigne (Ward). Neighbourhood Statistics (January 2000). Retrieved on 2008-05-20.
- , Barking Riverside PDF. The London Borough of Barking & Dagenham. Retrieved on 2007-05-16.
- , Regeneration work gathers pace as new borough attraction unveiled. The London Borough of Barking & Dagenham (September 2007). Retrieved on 2007-09-14.
[edit] External links
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(Source: Wikipedia) |
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