40,000sqft of commercial space now available at vibrant new town centre development
Redrow Regeneration has announced the availability of 40,000sqft of commercial space at Barking Central, with Travelodge confirmed as the anchor tenant, occupying 22,000sqft. The commitment shown by the UK’s leading budget hotel chain is paving the way for other leading national brands to follow, and Redrow Regeneration is currently in discussions with leading retail chains.
The new mixed-use scheme forms part of the £100million redevelopment of Barking town centre and includes 518 apartments, a refurbished library, a Lifelong Learning Centre and a ‘One-Stop-Shop’ for council services. Situated adjacent to Barking Town Hall, the development overlooks a large landscaped public realm and arboretum selected as one of the Mayor of London’s ‘Top 100 Public Spaces’ initiative.
John Ireland, Managing Director of Redrow Regeneration, comments: “We are pleased to have secured Travelodge as a major new tenant and we are in advanced negotiations with a retail chain for the largest commercial unit, details of which we hope to be able to announce shortly. The remaining units have a wide variety of uses that will appeal to mid and high-end operators across a range of sectors, from restaurants and sandwich bars to financial/professional services sectors.”
Tony O’Brien, Travelodge’s Development Director said; “We have fought off some tough competition to secure this new 66-room hotel site and we look forward to opening our first hotel in the town. The combination of tourist attractions, such as Barking Abbey and The Broadway Theatre, and the regeneration of Barking town center is encouraging thousands of visitors to the area. We want to give travellers every reason to visit Barking - and to stay longer.“
The remaining commercial element comprises 18,500sqft of retail space across four contemporary new buildings. The thirteen shell and core units range in size from 800sqft to 5,000sqft from the following range of uses:
• A1 (shops/retail)
• A2 (financial and professional services)
• A3 (restaurant and cafes)
• A4 (drinking establishments)
• B1 (business/office)
John Ireland continues: “The mix of new apartments, community facilities and commercial space at Barking Central is revitalizing the town centre and creating a vibrant new business, retail and leisure destination in London’s East End. Barking Central has all the key elements for an ideal business base – commutability, catchment, profitability, design and open public spaces. Barking Central is also perfectly positioned to benefit from the massive investment in communications infrastructure and construction associated with the 2012 London Olympic Games.”
The award winning development is the result of an ambitious Public Private Partnership between the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham (LBBD) and Redrow Regeneration. Designed by leading contemporary architects Allford Hall Monaghan Morris (AHMM), Barking Central marks the beginning of ambitious regeneration plans for the borough and is one of the first Thames Gateway schemes to be delivered.
Barking Central is located within a few minutes’ walk down the pedestrianised high street to Barking Station. From there, the mainline offers regular services to London Fenchurch Street in just 15 minutes for access to The City, while the District Line and the Hammersmith and City Line provide connections into the London Underground network. The planned East London Transit will also offer a frequent service between Ilford and Barking Reach, passing the development’s Ripple Road entrance. The journey time to Stratford, the home of the new Olympic stadium, is just 19 minutes away and London City Airport is just 3 miles away for international travel.
