4. Creating a Sense of Community

This site is suitable for the following uses:

• Community uses in particular religious meeting places to meet the needs of the borough’s faith groups.
• Out of centre retail proposals which meet the sequential test.

Planning Policy Statement 1 states that Plan policies should take into account the needs of all the community, including particular requirements relating to religion.

Barking and Dagenham is now home to a very rich and diverse range of faith communities and the demand for religious meeting places to meet local needs in the borough is increasing. In response to this the Council published in 2008 a Planning Advice Note clarifying the preferred locations for religious meeting places. The note identifies locations within town centres or with good access to public transport as being particularly suitable. It also recognises that provided it can be demonstrated that they are no longer needed for retail warehousing purposes that vacant retail warehouses can be suitable for religious meeting places.

The Council considers that this site is particularly well located to meet this local need as it is within walking distance of six different bus services which serve Barking, Dagenham and Chadwell Heath. Proposals for facilities which do not meet local needs will not be permitted on this site as it has been specifically identified because it is considered ideally located to respond to the pressing needs of local groups. Moreover in line with PPS1 the Council is focused on planning for sustainable communities and will not support a facility which draws the majority of its users from outside the Borough.

In addition this site is an area which is increasingly becoming a zone of community and civic activity as it is nearby a number of other community and civic uses including the Civic Centre, and the proposed Becontree Leisure Centre as well as a number of schools. Applicants must follow the advice inthe Planning Advice Note regarding managing the impacts of religious meeting places in particular car parking and noise.

The Core Strategy has de-designated the Whalebone Lane Retail Park as it seeks to direct retail uses to centres with the town centre hierarchy, however it recognises that where the sequential test is satisfied that out of centre stores are expected to be located within existing out of centre retail parks.

This site has the potential for:

• Health care
• Housing
• Retail

Development must address the following issues:

• If possible retain the existing building which features on the Council’s local list of buildings of special local architectural or historic interest
• Ensure any new building provides active frontages to Ripple Road and King Edward Road and emphasises the prominence of this corner in the streetscene.

This site has the potential for:

• Health care
• Small scale residential use

Development must address the following issues:

• Have regard to the residential character of the area. A scheme must be designed so as to avoid adverse impacts on residential amenity. This includes impacts arising from noise during, visual impact and traffic movements to and from the site during construction and occupation.
• Need to maintain attractive frontage onto Stamford Road and Woodward Road.

This site has the potential for:

• Health care
• Residential

Development must address the following issues:

• Identified need by the PCT for GP services in this area
• Have regard to the residential character of the area. A scheme must be designed so as to avoid adverse impacts on residential amenity. This includes impacts arising from noise during, visual impact and traffic movements to and from the site during construction and occupation.