Barking and Dagenham (Parliament Politics Magazine) – New plans have been submitted to build 405 homes on the former Ford car plant site in Dagenham, marking the latest phase of redevelopment in the area.
The blueprints show the next stage of the Beam Park development in New Road, which will eventually have 3,119 total residences.
The new design “continues the momentum of Beam Park’s development, creating a vibrant, sustainable, and well-connected community for residents,” according to housing developer Countryside Homes.
The new residences will be a combination of houses and apartments, according to plans presented to Barking and Dagenham Council.
Although there will be 82 three-bedroom apartments and four-bedroom apartments, the majority of the 341 residences in the two apartment towers will be one- or two-bedroom apartments. According to the plans, 160 apartments would be available for “intermediate” rent or sale, such as a shared ownership plan, while 47 apartments will be available for “affordable rent.”
There will be two blocks, one up to ten stories and the other up to fourteen. According to the proposals, they will “wrap around” the main public amenity areas.
There will be 64 homes available for private purchase; none of them will be classified as intermediate or inexpensive housing. Of these, sixteen will have two bedrooms, while the other forty-eight will be divided equally between three and four bedrooms.
According to an affordable housing statement that was presented to the council alongside the plans, 51% of the total number of usable rooms will be “affordable,” though these will include both “intermediate units” and cheap rent.
At its height in the 1950s, the Ford Dagenham plant, which had started in 1931, had 40,000 employees. About 2,000 people are currently employed at the plant, which was reduced to producing only engines rather than cars in 2002. In 1968, a group of striking female employees notably sparked the UK‘s first equal pay law.
In 2018, the first plans for the Beam Park development were approved. The development would be located on a portion of the former vehicle plant site that runs from Dagenham to the Havering borough border.
The second phase of development consists of the new 405 homes.
According to Countryside Homes, 1,158 homes have already been constructed in various phases, together with a community center, medical facility, grocery, nursery, café, elementary school, and leisure center.
What transport and station links will support the new Beam Park phase?
A new mainline train station is being proposed for Beam Park, located in-between Dagenham Dock and Rainham stations, on the Tilbury loop of the London, Tilbury and Southend line (operated by c2c). The new station will be step-free, have cycle parking and will be an important transport interchange, not only for Beam Park, but for the surrounding areas.
Transport for London intends to provide bus services (the intention is that this will include existing routes 165 and 365) to connect to the new Beam Park station to assist with local public transport provision and integration with rail.
The development will have numerous vehicular access points from New Road and Kent Avenue which will provide road access to residences, schools and services whilst managing traffic impact.