Beam Park is a new neighbourhood in the south of the

London Borough of Barking and Dagenham The London Borough of Barking and Dagenham () is a London boroughs, London borough in East London. The borough was created in 1965 as the London Borough of Barking; the name was changed in 1980. It is an Outer London borough and the south is wi ...

and the

London Borough of Havering The London Borough of Havering () in East London, England, forms part of Outer London. It has a population of 259,552 inhabitants; the principal town is Romford, while other communities include Hornchurch, Upminster, Collier Row and Rainham, Lo ...

. It is named after the

River Beam The River Rom, also known as the River Beam below its confluence with the Ravensbourne, is a tributary of the River Thames in England that flows through the east London suburbs around Romford before joining the Thames at Dagenham. Part of the r ...

which forms the boundary between the boroughs. It is part of the

London Riverside The London Riverside is a redevelopment area on the north side of the River Thames in East London, England. The area was identified as a zone of change following the introduction of the Thames Gateway policy in 1995. Proposals for improvements i ...

opportunity area and is designated with neighbouring Rainham as a housing zone by the Greater London Authority. It covers an area of 29 hectares (71.7 acres). It will include a town centre in the Havering part of the development and will be served by Beam Park railway station. Much of the land previously part of the

Ford Dagenham Ford Dagenham is a major automotive factory located in Dagenham, London, operated by the Ford of Britain subsidiary of Ford Motor Company. The plant opened in 1931 and has produced 10,980,368 cars and more than 39,000,000 engines in its history ...

site is being redeveloped as a joint venture between London and Quadrant and

Countryside Properties Countryside Partnerships plc, formerly Countryside Properties plc, is a UK housebuilding and urban regeneration company, operating mainly in London and the South East of England, but with a presence in the North West of England. Until 2022, it ...

. Planning consent for 3,000 homes was issued in February 2019 and construction began in May 2019. The first residents moved into Beam Park in December 2020. Planning permission was given for 947 additional homes in December 2022

History

The area was part of the riverside marshes of the parishes of

Dagenham Dagenham () is a town in East London, England, within the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. Dagenham is centred east of Charing Cross. It was historically a rural parish in the Becontree Hundred of Essex, stretching from Hainault Fo ...

and

Hornchurch Hornchurch is a suburban town in East London in the London Borough of Havering. It is located east-northeast of Charing Cross. It comprises a number of shopping streets and a large residential area. It historically formed a large ancient par ...

. The potential for the riverside areas of Barking and Dagenham and Havering to be regenerated was identified in the Thames Gateway Planning Framework published in 1995. The Barking/Havering Riverside area was identified as a zone of change that was named

. This was developed further by the London Riverside Action Group and in 2002 the London Riverside Urban Strategy proposed a number of regeneration and infrastructure improvements, including the building of Beam Park railway station. The London Riverside was listed as an opportunity area in the 2004

London Plan The London Plan is the statutory spatial development strategy for the Greater London area in the United Kingdom that is written by the Mayor of London and published by the Greater London Authority. It is updated from time to time. The regio ...

and "Rainham and Beam Park" was designated as a housing zone by the Greater London Authority in 2014. Much of the land used for Beam Park was part of the

plant. From May 2012 the site, by then cleared of the vacant Ford buildings, was used as a secretive rehearsal site for the London 2012 Olympic Opening and Closing Ceremonies. Two areas were marked out to the same scale as the stadium so two sections could be rehearsed at the same time, with a big tent erected as abase of operations for the production team and the hundreds of volunteer performers. Development proposals for the site and surrounding land were published in 2017. Initially 2,899 homes were proposed, with 2,166 in Barking and Dagenham and 733 in Havering. This was increased to 3,000 in August 2018. Planning consent was issued on 7 February 2019 and construction began in May 2019. The first residents moved into Beam Park in December 2020. Planning for the opening of Beam Park station had reached an advanced stage by October 2021 when the

Department for Transport The Department for Transport (DfT) is a Departments of the Government of the United Kingdom, ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom. It is responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport ...

claimed there was never any government support for the station, and it would not authorise the commencement of passenger services. In 2019 Havering Council decided to

compulsory purchase Compulsion, Compulsive, Compelling, or Compulsory may refer to: Psychology * Compulsive behavior, a psychological condition in which a person does a behavior compulsively, having an overwhelming feeling that they must do so. * Obsessive–compu ...

land around New Road for redevelopment from light industrial to 880 further homes, in partnership with Notting Hill Genesis. In December 2021 the council withdrew the compulsory purchase order, because of uncertainty about the delivery of Beam Park station and the loss of £5 million in funding from Transport for London for the Beam Parkway scheme following the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. In March 2022 Barking and Dagenham Council purchased 936 unbuilt homes at Beam Park. Barking and Dagenham Council gave planning permission for 947 additional homes in December 2022. The planning consent includes financial contributions for improved bus services, a walking route to Dagenham Dock railway station through the adjacent Dagenham Green development and improvements to the station.

Governance

A new electoral ward called Beam Park, electing two councillors, was created for the 2022 election to Havering Council and another called Beam, electing three councillors, was created for the 2022 election to Barking and Dagenham Council.

Transport

Transport for London plan to relocate the terminus of bus routes 165 and 365 to Beam Park station.

Geography

Beam Park extends from the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham in the west to the London Borough of Havering in the east. The

is the boundary between the boroughs and will become the central feature of the Beam Central Park. The Beam Parklands and Beam Valley Country Park are located to the north. Beam Reach is an industrial area to the south. It covers an area of 29 hectares (71.7 acres). It will include a town centre in the Havering part of the development, centred on the new railway station.

References

External links

Beam Park
{{LB Havering Thames Gateway Areas of London Districts of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Districts of the London Borough of Havering