The driving force behind the Ford Motor Company
Dagenham has formed part of Greater London since 1965 and is predominantly residential, with some areas of industrial activity, including the Ford Motor Company. The southern part of Dagenham is adjacent to the River Thames and forms part of the London Riverside section of the Thames Gateway redevelopment area which is undergoing large-scale regeneration.
Dagenham town is situated 9.5 miles east from London City and 11.5 miles from Charing Cross within the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. The borough had a population of 187,000 at the 2011 census. Barking and Dagenham borough was one of six London boroughs to host some of the 2012 Summer Olympics events.
The Ford Motor Company relocated to Dagenham from Trafford in Manchester in 1931 having taken over Briggs Motor Bodies on the 500-acre site based on the River Thames. At its peak in the 1950’s it occupied over 4million sq ft of floor space and employed over 40,000 staff, it was Europe’s largest car plant. The Barking Riverside development is part of the London Riverside Project, which aims to regenerate the riverside area of East London creating new homes, jobs and services. Barking Riverside consists of 350 acres of brownfield land. Construction began in 2008, with completion due around 2025. Property prices in the borough of Barking and Dagenham are some 69.5% below the London average price. However, property did have a very healthy increase of 16.4% in the last year, which would suggest that the large-scale regeneration in the borough is beginning to make changes to the lifestyle here.
Ford’s Dagenham plant is still a major employer, having received over £800 million of capital investment since the year 2000. Whilst car production ceased in Dagenham in 2002, it continues as a major production site, In 2008 the plant produced around 1,050,000 engines and was the largest producer of Ford diesel engines globally, it currently employs around 3200 people at the plant.
That means Dagenham property investment is ideal for you if you're looking for a London zone 3,4 or 5 property.
Economy & Employment
The engineering sector is prominent in Dagenham along with up and coming technology parks.
Manufacturing is a large part of Dagenham’s economy, the Ford Motor Company is a major employer. Despite being a fraction of its maximum size back in 1953, it still employs around 3,200 staff, producing up to 1.4 million diesel engines a year.
A new Ford production line is scheduled to open in October 2015 and will create an additional 300 jobs in the borough.
Many of Dagenham’s residents travel to London City for work. Being only 15 minutes to Fenchurch Street it is an ideal location for commuters to live. Plenty take advantage of the better space available in the suburban area combined with the London City’s higher pay to get the best of both worlds.
The business east science and technology park (Best park) offers a chance to change the future of the borough utilising the superb facilities. Further, complemented with the multi-million-pound science technology English maths (stem) Centre development at Barking dagenham College, in close proximity to Best park, will enhance the science technologies training and skills profile of local people.
Investment
Ford’s £475 million pound engine production line announcement will boost Dagenham’s economy.
The Ford Motor Company have announced a new £475million production line opening in Dagenham in October 2015. The line will create 300 new jobs and will be producing the two-litre engines, once running to full capacity it is expected to produce around 1 million units a year.
Barking and Dagenham is one of the east London Growth Boroughs, which have been highlighted as the main focus for growth in London over the next 20 years. The Growth Boroughs are an area of rapid and dynamic change where economic development goes hand in hand with population growth. This is an exciting, dynamic, multi-cultural community which will continue to churn, change and become more prosperous over the next two decades. The borough’s strategic position and accessibility make it a commercially competitive location, 15 minutes from Stratford and 10 minutes by road from the M25. It also has excellent east-west public transport with Barking town Centre the eighth best-connected transport hub outside of Central London.
The London Sustainable Industries Park, Business-east, Barking Riverside, Beam park, Roding Riverside and Barking town centre projects are all underway. Business support is strong, reflected in the high business start-up rate. The council’s positive approach helps unlock potential, which alongside the good value housing and quality parks which are rated as outstanding and schools performance, Dagenham.
Transport
Air: Dagenham’s nearest airport is London City, which is around 15 minutes away. Stansted is just under an hour away, with Heathrow, Gatwick and Luton all reachable in a little over the hour.
Rail: National Express, part of National Rail run the service from Dagenham Dock. National Rail services also operate from Chadwell Heath in the borough. There are also London Underground services from Dagenham East and Dagenham Heathway.
Road: The town is situated north of the A13 and east of the River Roding near its confluence with the River Thames in east London. The South Woodford to Barking Relief Road (part of the A406 North Circular Road) runs through the Roding Valley and access to the town centre is by its junction with the A124, which until the late 1920s was the main route to and from London.
Bus: Dagenham Heathway is served by several bus routes, along with Becontree Heath and the nearby Dagenham Civic Centre. Route 128 runs a 24-hour service, while the N15 runs through the night.
Education
38 primary schools, 7 secondary schools and 6 independent Schools serve the Barking and Dagenham borough.
Notable schools include:
St Vincent’s Catholic Primary School, where 100% of pupils reach Level 4 in English and maths.
All Saints Catholic School and Technology College, where 72% of pupils get 5 good GCSEs or equivalent.
Further Education: Barking and Dagenham College is an FE college with approximately 12,000 students located in the borough.
Higher Education: Barking and Dagenham College also offers the HE in the borough. Offering a variety of higher level subjects and study options. From a Higher National Certificate (HNC), right through to a post-graduate Master of Business Administration, as well they also offer advanced professional development courses and apprenticeships.
The Adult College of Barking and Dagenham has been providing courses to the local community for several decades and is committed to supporting every adult in Barking and Dagenham to further his or her.
Shops & Leisure
Shopping & Dining: The Heathway Shopping Centre is a popular retail area with all the usual high street brands and over 70,000 visitors a week. The Lakeside shopping centre at Thurrock is also nearby and is one of the Largest retail centres in the area.
Diners have a great choice of venues from Golden Fish, recommended as ‘The best chippy for miles” to Lara Grill (Turkish) with reviews of ‘5-star food’ and ‘amazing’ to Becontree Tandoori (Bangladeshi) rated ‘best in the area’. There is no shortage of multi-cultural cuisine in Dagenham.
Sport & Culture: Valence House is a partially moated manor house in Becontree Avenue, dating back to the 13th century. Situated in parkland, Valence House is the borough’s local history museum, displaying an impressive collection of artefacts and archives that tell the story of the lives of the people of Barking and Dagenham.
Green Spaces: Eastbrookend County Park is a 208-acre nature reserve, with lakes and woodland nestles in the suburban sprawl, this region feels like a genuine rural wilderness. You can now walk from Hornchurch High Street to the Ford Works without ever leaving parkland. At the southwestern end of this walk, you can even find a pub for a welcome drink.
