Thames Ward is the site of Europe’s largest growth area. The Council plan for 50,000 new homes to be built across the borough: nowhere more so than Thames Ward. The Barking Riverside site will deliver 10,800 housing units, with further residential activity planned along Thames Road, Thames View Estate and the A13 corridor. But without a strong independent community response regeneration and the housing market can easily leave local people behind, as costs rise and services come under strain.
Housing & Growth Citizen Action Group members are adamant that resident-led interventions are what the community needs to create long-term change and have begun to make some progress (see below).