An “almost forgotten” river in east London will be revitalised and opened up to the public as part of a £3 million regeneration scheme, developers say.
The Ilford Arrival project aims to breathe life back into the River Roding by building a new bridge, pocket park, riverside walk and by rewilding a nearby golf course.
The scheme has been funded by the Mayor of London’s office, which hopes it will open up long-neglected public access to the River Roding.
Funding for the project was granted by the Mayor last August through the £12 million investment scheme, the Greater London Authority’s Civic Partnership Programme (CPP).
The CPP targets suffering areas to “combat long-standing inequalities that have been exacerbated by Covid-19, the cost-of-living crisis and the climate emergency”.
Daniel Rea, the founding director of Periscope, which is designing the Arrival, said: “Redbridge is one of London’s greenest boroughs and Ilford is blessed with the River Roding and the Roding Valley.
“But, as it stands, what should be a public amenity is almost forgotten.”
The latest stage of development has involved consulting with a committed group of girls and young women between the ages of 16 and 25.
Rea added: “At a time of housing need and with enormous pressure to build, it’s crucial that local people are empowered to shape their own neighbourhoods.
“Too often regeneration is something that is done to communities, rather than with them. This approach gives them real agency.”
Participants have met several times since April to discuss economics and perceptions of the town centre.
Diverse Dialogues has been appointed to lead the team made up of girls and young women, having put together a similar group during the development of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
Founding director Kuljeet Sibia said she wanted to avoid demographics being marginalised by “not just listening to communities but working alongside them and ensuring they are informed decision-makers in shaping the future of their neighbourhood”.
She added: “After years working across design, planning and delivery, I’ve seen how decisions are routinely made without truly understanding the communities they impact, especially those who’ve been historically marginalised.”
This means “being honest about who holds power and finding ways to share it more equally,” she added.
Councillor Kam Rai, leader of the council since last July, said: “By working alongside young women and girls, we’re not only creating better safer places, but also building trust and long-term civic pride.”
Ilford town centre has a particularly high proportion of young people. Almost 25% of residents are under 15 years old.
Research shows that access to public green space and good health are strongly correlated.
However, Redbridge suffers from relatively poor health, with just 46% of residents saying they are in very good health.
Ilford and the south east of the borough suffer from proportionally poorer health and have less access to public parks and open spaces.
