Issue - meetings

The Chair, Councillor Maureen Worby, presented the report on the proposed Vision and Priorities for Barking and Dagenham, which set out the aspirations and ambitions of the new Administration to encourage civic pride, social responsibility and growth.  The Chair stressed the Borough had the space, passion and ability to deliver growth.  The regeneration would include both aspirational and affordable housing, improved employment opportunities and hopefully improved transport links, such as the extension of the Gospel Oak Line, over the next five years.  Once the Vision and Priorities were agreed by the Assembly, an Action Plan would be developed to drive projects forward.

Helen Jenner, Corporate Director of Children Services, added that the Vision was aspirational and was set to create a strong mixed borough with improved income, health and educational attainment. 

Steven Burgess, Interim Medical Director, Barking Havering and Redbridge University NHS Hospitals Trust, commented that the aim to provide 10,000 extra jobs, 17,000 new homes and with an anticipated 50,000 population growth, planning for service delivery would be essential as this level of growth would certainly have an effect on primary and secondary health care and school place numbers.  The Chair agreed and said this was why the Vision and Priorities were being brought to the attention of the partners at this stage to ensure that that the services were in place as the aims become realities during the next five years.

The Board:

(i)  Noted the strong position of the Borough for growth and the need for joint infrastructure and service provision planning by the Council and its partners to ensure the facilities would come on stream as the growth, such as new housing and increased population, occurred.

(ii)  Requested further reports and Action Plan(s) be reported to the Board over the coming year or two to enable partners to be fully informed on the timescales and progress of developments in order that this can be fed into each partner’s resource planning for future service demands and to enable the partners to report back to the Board on their proposals and preparations.