Be First

Be First is wholly owned by Barking and Dagenham Council. Our mission is to accelerate the development of new homes and jobs for local people. We aim to ensure that 50,000 new homes are built, and 20,000 new jobs created by 2037.

At Be First we’re not just about bricks and mortar, we’re about hearts and minds too. This means that while we’re building quality new homes for local people we’re equally ambitious about making sure the regeneration of our borough benefits the community in other ways. We want to build thriving communities in attractive, safe, sustainable neighbourhoods that are healthy, vibrant and fun. A big part of this is creating jobs and opportunities for residents and developing the supply chain to make sure the economic benefits are felt locally.  

The way we do things with the community is as important as what we do. It’s why we choose our partners carefully so we know they take their responsibilities to the community seriously. We work with the council to create what we call ‘social value’, contributing to the local community and delivering regeneration so that no one is left behind.