Thames Road Vision and Design Code SPD, London Borough of Barking and Dagenham for Be First and London Borough of Barking and Dagenham with PRD, Urban Flow, BBUK and Arup

Thames Road Vision and Design Code SPD, London Borough of Barking and Dagenham for Be First and London Borough of Barking and Dagenham with PRD, Urban Flow, BBUK and Arup

Thames Road SPD is our flagship example of team-led, cross-sector regeneration. It has redefined how the borough plans for future growth. Our teams have embedded net zero goals into development management, created digital planning tools for residents and strengthened how we collaborate with health, education and infrastructure partners. We are not just coordinating departments. We are one team. That allows us to act quickly, think strategically and deliver consistently. Our success is measured by what we change on the ground. People. Places. Outcomes.

 

 

Describe the context of the strategy, research or policy. What need does it serve? What questions does it answer? What is its social and environmental impact? 

 

Be First, the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham regeneration company, brings planners, designers, project managers, engineers, strategic leads, local engagement specialists together to meet local needs and unlock opportunities at scale. Our work is place-first and people-led. 
 
Thames Road is our flagship example of team-led, cross-sector regeneration. We are delivering a new mixed-use neighbourhood with 3,500 new homes, alongside a wide range of new jobs in diverse industries, delivered across over 40,000 square metres of industrial space. 
 
 We aim to create a model that integrates homes, jobs and community infrastructure in one connected place, driving social value through investment. It is strategically located in the GLA’s London Riverside Opportunity Area, the largest of the strategic residential locations identified in the GLA’s Growth Plan. 
 
 Our skilled, multi-disciplinary team of policy, planning, design, sustainability and infrastructure professionals worked collaboratively to develop a holistic and deliverable vision for Thames Road through a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD). Working across Be First, Council, and with external partners including for health and education, we created a design-led spatial strategy and industry and community informed design code, supported by a clear pathway to delivery, addressing key challenges that exist in the transformation of industrial land, and the need to use land intelligently to maximise space. 
 
The project’s visual identity and engagement plan were developed through our Thames Life initiative. That programme included local workshops and creative outreach which helped us to shape place priorities and develop enduring relationship with residents, community groups and other local stakeholders.

 

Did you consult key stakeholders or the community in the creation of this document or policy? How did you select participants? Was the final strategy shared with the community? Is this engagement ongoing?

 

Community consultation was undertaken in two stages – early non-statutory consultation was undertaken through the Thames Road Place Strategy to set the scene with the community and our key stakeholders, about work the Council was doing, and gain insight into the communities’ experiences of Thames Road and the surrounding areas and their priorities for the regeneration. 
 
This consultation included drop in events, visits to community groups and schools and the start of an ongoing dialogue with community groups and local anchor organisations such as the NHS. 
 
"This consultation informed the development of the SPD, which was then also formally consulted on for a nine-week period in 2024 to gain further feedback from the community around their concerns and ambitions for Thames Road. One example of a key theme was health care as a concern. Our NHS partners have endorsed our approach to Thames Road. 
Thames Road SPDs design code is an invaluable resource for planning, providing clear guidelines that prioritise accessibility, sustainability, and community well-being. It’s focus on integrating the Thames View Health Clinic within the broader urban environment supports the NHS’s goals for creating healthier, more inclusive spaces”. 
  Mark Wiseman, 
 Senior Regeneration Officer NHS North East London 
 
The Council has continued to engage with community groups and stakeholders, including through commissioning community groups for continuing community-led outreach and engagement, prioritising this key dialogue over the long-term regeneration of the area. This work will continue as further development strategy is embedded, and the phased regeneration materialises.

 

How will the research or strategy be taken forward or implemented? Please describe any accountability, metrics or enforcement built into the process to encourage meaningful change.

 

The SPD includes a high-quality design code informed by best practice approaches to the public realm and residential and industrial development. Developed with stakeholders, it sets an innovative new standard for co-located industrial development, combining emerging policy guidance to safeguard industrial land within cities and manage the resulting land use conflicts. 
 
 The Code also sets out principles and guidance for new and modern approaches to industrial development to encourage innovation in land use while still allowing flexibility and making provision for more traditional typologies. 
 
 Implementation of the SPD and Design Code has already commenced – 12 Thames Road has recently completed and will be occupied in early 2026. Industria – Be First’s flagship innovative, well designed industrial development - was key to releasing land at Thames Road. Be First is continuing to work closely with key partners, including the GLA, to maximise the potential for transformation on Thames Road. 
 
 Further engagement and feasibility studies are underway to consolidate schools, release land for a public park; bringing early placemaking benefits to stimulate regeneration. On going collaboration seeks to maximise all available land resources, delivering more efficient, transformative and viable forms of renewal. 
 
 As an adopted planning policy document, the outcomes of the SPD will be robustly monitored through a transparent Annual Monitoring Report. In addition, Be First’s role to deliver regeneration in the borough is monitored by London Borough of Barking and Dagenham through our Outcomes Framework, which includes enabling the delivery of new homes, community facilities, infrastructure and jobs.