Dagenham Green is on the former Ford Dagenham works, and includes 3,502 new homes, over 10 acres of nature-centric landscape and education and commercial uses. The vision is to create a neighbourhood that meets residents needs within a 15min walk, with plans for a secondary school, workspaces, local shops, and attractive public realm.

 

 

Who is on the project team? 

 

Peabody Trust and Dagenham Dock Ltd | Client

PRP Architects | Architect Masterplanner and Plot Architect

HTA | Landscape and Public Realm Lead

Pitman Tozer Architects | Plot Architect 

Lyndon Goode Architects | Plot Architect

Arcadis | Project & Cost Manager

Savills | Town Planning/Socio-Economics

WSP | Structure/Civil/ FRA/Transport/Microclimate/Acoustics

Futureground | Sustainability & Social Value Advisory

Proudlock Associates | Access & Inclusive Design Consultants

Wallace Whittle | M&E Engineer/Utilities/Vertical Transportation/Energy/Overheating

Concilio| PR & Comms Consultant

Beispeil| Narrative consultant and Heritage

Montague Evans | Townscape/Visual Impact Assessment

Knight Frank | Sales & Capital Markets

Stantec | Archaeology

Anstey Horne | Daylight & Sunlight

Greengage | Ecology & Biodiversity

 

Describe the context of this project and its neighbourhood and people?

 

Dagenham Green’s new neighbourhood will be a new part of the heritage story of Dagenham, it was part of the Ford Dagenham works that were the industrial engine room of London and drove key social change such as the Equal Pay Act. The site forms an integral part of a regeneration corridor that will see homes, London’s largest film studios the London Markets all brought together. It is also close to the historic Becontree Estate – a landmark in social housing built following World War One that recently celebrated its centenary. The borough is a vibrant and diverse place – and the proposals for Dagenham Green’s 3,502 new homes, over 10 acres of nature-centric landscape and education and commercial uses will connect and support existing and new residents. The 18.45 ha former car plant site was decommissioned and vacated in 2013 and the regeneration area forms part of the London Riverside Opportunity Area that comprises a wide range of proposed and existing uses that is constantly evolving.

 

The site forms part of the Lower Thames Floodplain which covers the tidal Thames and its associated floodplain. The Floodplain is a riparian landscape, historically characterised by open flat, expansive landscapes with grasslands, reedbeds, wetlands, and a network of ditches and lakes. Although this landscape changed through the years with river walls, embankment, docks and industry, the River Thames remains tidal and the most striking natural element in London.

 

Please describe your approach to this future place and its mix of uses. How will it function as a vibrant place? How does it knit into, and serve the needs of, the wider area? 

 

The vision from the outset was to create a neighbourhood that meets residents needs for a healthier lifestyle within a 15min walk; together with new homes, the masterplan will provide a secondary school, workspaces, local shops, and attractive public realm for existing and new residents of Dagenham to enjoy.

 

We spoke with local residents, who said they wanted to see a strong focus on connectivity and amenity. Our proposals incorporate this feedback with better connections to Dagenham Dock Station, new public realm, and children’s play. A Diagonal Route, will offer a direct cycle and pedestrian link between the Station and New Road. This will form the ‘Green Spine’ of the development, including diverse open spaces and a Heritage Trail referencing the site’s local, cultural and natural history. 

 

A new 5-acre Urban Park will provide a ’natural meeting point’ for the wider community where people of all ages will reconnect with nature, exercise, play, relax and enjoy the outdoors. 4 acres of playspaces will be created, featuring a destination playground inspired by the industrial heritage of the Ford Stamping Plant.

 

The transformation of a former Ford factory into a future active travel neighbourhood. demonstrates a model shift away from car use.

 

The variety of homes, uses and open spaces will provide opportunities for year-round activities. Generous public realm will be delivered early, to foster a sense of community and support placemaking. The proposals will return this historically important site into a place that the community can be proud of once more.

 

What is the environmental impact of the project? How will the carbon use and material impact of the development be mitigated? What is the sustainability strategy? 

 

Mitigating environmental impact and building in longer-term resilience to climate change was a high priority for the masterplan design. The proposals maximise urban greening opportunities to provide space for habitat creation and biodiversity net gain, improve microclimate and mitigate carbon footprint including low-carbon air-source district heating system. 

 

A multi-faceted approach to sustainability includes targeting a reduction in embodied carbon by optimising the architectural layouts, exploring waste based facing bricks and a component-based standardisation strategy to facilitate off-site manufacturing, minimising on-site waste. The buildings have been carefully designed to mitigate against overheating in summer and reduce heating energy demand in winter. 

 

The masterplan provides space for the creation of a new mosaic of semi-natural habitats that reflect the site’s historic landscape, bring major biodiversity enhancements, combat habitat loss and build resilience to climate change. The masterplan proposals are on target to achieve a minimum 54% biodiversity net gain while Phase 1 will double this to 120%. 

 

A major innovation was to propose managing 100% of stormwater runoff, fluvial, and tidal flooding on the surface as an integrated part of the public realm. A series of ponds and ephemeral water bodies capture, slow down and attenuate water across the site. The result is a beautifully sculpted landscape that reflects the riparian character of the Lower Thames Valley. 

 

Dagenham Green will be designed as a sustainable neighbourhood that promotes active modes of travel and the safe use of public transport over private vehicles with over 50% of the public realm being car free.

 

Describe the social impact of the project: How will this future place contribute to the economic, environmental and social wellbeing of its citizens? 

 

Focused on sustainable placemaking and connectivity, the proposals support the local economy and enhance the social wellbeing of residents and visitors alike. The scheme delivers:

 

- 1,5640 affordable homes including London Affordable Rent and Shared Ownership to address local needs

 

- A range of housing typologies and tenures 

 

- A new secondary school to cater for local needs

 

- Up to 4,400 sqm of retail, community and leisure spaces to attract businesses and jobs;

 

- 1,050 new on-site jobs;

 

- More than 55% of the site will be occupied by open spaces and public realm; 

 

- Miles of new cycling, walking and jogging routes to promote health and wellbeing; 

 

- New bus route and direct pedestrian links to the train station to improve mobility and access to jobs and economic opportunities; 

 

- Approx. 17,300 sqm of new formal play space will be provided which exceeds the GLA play space requirements based on the number of units and the location of the development.

 

- A new Heritage Trail will signpost visitors to different aspects of the area’s history, including the 1968 Sewing Machinists Strike that led to the Equal Pay Act and the natural heritage of the biodiverse Thames Marshland. This will bring back to the community the area’s rich history. 

 

The masterplan creates a place where people will live, work, learn, play, exercise and enjoy life together by connecting new and existing communities through a network of proposed public spaces and distinctive character areas with new opportunities for businesses.