London Barking Riverside Community Interest Company · The Barking Riverside Community Interest Company (CIC) was set up in 2009 ... It also acts as an interface between the new and

Bringing

cities to life,

Bringing life

into cities.

This project has received funding from the European

Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation

programme under grant agreement No 730222

London Barking Riverside

Community Interest Company

Bringing

cities to life,

Bringing life

into cities.




Bringing

cities to life,

Bringing life

into cities.




Barking Riverside – where is it?

Houses of

parliament and

Big Ben

Barking Riverside

180 ha site situated

to the south of the

London Borough of

Barking and

Dagenham

Bringing

cities to life,

Bringing life

into cities.




Barking Riverside – what was it?

In the 20th century it

was the site for 3

coal-fired power

stations.

These were

decommissioned in

the 1980s.

Bringing

cities to life,

Bringing life

into cities.




21st Century - A new masterplan for the area

Barking Riverside is

a joint venture

between London

and Quadrant

Housing

Association (51%)

and the Greater

London Authority

(49%).

Close working

partnership with the

Borough and

Transport for

London

Bringing

cities to life,

Bringing life

into cities.




Barking Riverside London will be an innovative, healthy and

well-connected place, made special by its heritage, ecology,

riverfront location and by its community.

It is the largest development in East London and, over the

next 15 years, 10,800 new homes will be created.

As well as new homes, there will be 7 new schools, a health

hub, community and sports facilities, open spaces and

parkland. Open space will account for 40% of the site.

Environmental sustainability is an integral part of the design

of the site, with SUDS, innovative biodiverse green roofs,

solar panels and an ENVAC system.

Vision

Bringing

cities to life,

Bringing life

into cities.




Barking Riverside - innovative governance model

The Barking Riverside Community Interest Company (CIC) was set up in 2009 following the start of preparation for development.

The intention is for this company to control and manage the community and open space assets of the Barking Riverside development and to manage the assets for the benefit of the community.

This will include maintaining the estate, promoting and organising community events and generating estate income, including through service charges on residents.

It also acts as an interface between the new and existing communities, providing community services and information for new residents.

The CIC is initially set up in partnership with Barking Riverside and the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Council with two directors from each representing the CIC Board.

Bringing

cities to life,

Bringing life

into cities.




What is a Community Interest Company?

A Community Interest Company (CIC) is a form of social enterprise

that has formal legal status in the UK.

An essential part of a CIC governance structure is the concept of

“asset lock”, whereby all assets have to be held for the benefit of the

community. It is required to reinvest any surplus into the community.

The Barking Riverside CIC is formally constituted through its

governing document with powers to hold and manage the community

social and green assets and to invest in community cohesion, social

enterprise activities, and local infrastructure according to the needs

and wishes of local residents and businesses.

Bringing

cities to life,

Bringing life

into cities.




CIC - supporting

community events

and initiatives

Bringing

cities to life,

Bringing life

into cities.




CIC – supporting

co-design of play

facilities

Bringing

cities to life,

Bringing life

into cities.




Challenges

• How does the CIC take account of future residents when

development is taking place over 20+ years?

• First homes completed

• Community centre with primary school, multifaith space and community rooms open

2011

• First 1000 homes completed

• New secondary school is open

• Plans for the new rail station underway

2018 • 10800 homes

• 70 + ha of ecologically rich open space

• Ecology Centre

• Active resident-led CIC managing assets for the benefit of all

2031?

Bringing

cities to life,

Bringing life

into cities.




Challenges



• How does the CIC accommodate different voices and community

interests?

parkinggarden

Bringing

cities to life,

Bringing life

into cities.




Challenges




interests?

• How does the CIC transition from a public/private governance

structure to a fair and representative resident-led community

structure?

Bringing

cities to life,

Bringing life

into cities.




Challenges




interests?


structure to a resident-led community structure?

• How does the CIC build capacity amongst residents to develop the

required management and business skills?

Bringing

cities to life,

Bringing life

into cities.




Challenges




interests?


structure to a resident-led community structure?

• How does the CIC build capacity amongst residents to develop the

required management and business skills?

• How does the CIC ensure that neighbouring communities benefit

from the new development so that inequalities are not

exacerbated?

Bringing

cities to life,

Bringing life

into cities.




Possible tools to overcome challenges

• Participatory budgeting

• Community capacity officer

• Design, implementation and management competitions for

small/meanwhile projects

• Build resident skills and provide opportunities to co-design and

contribute to masterplanning processes

• Ensure two-way communication with a shared language

• Provide training for management and budgeting skills

• Visiting other CICs

Bringing

cities to life,

Bringing life

into cities.




Other CICs

Ryburgh Community Enterprise is a

Community Interest Community (CIC)

set up in 2008 by North Norfolk

villagers to overcome the closure of

the village shop and post office. The

CIC successfully reopened the shop in

2009 under the ownership of 124

villagers.

The shop is a general store providing

groceries, newspapers, tobacco, off

licence, an internet café, tea shop, dry-

cleaning, parcel collection, plants and

Post Office.

Bringing

cities to life,

Bringing life

into cities.




Other CICs

GLL/Better

Operates 278 leisure facilities

for 50 local authorities in

England

Libraries in 74 locations

Children’s centres in 10

locationsNo shareholders so over £100 million surplus reinvested in

services and facilities

Bringing

cities to life,

Bringing life

into cities.




Barking Riverside – emerging case study

Watch this space!..........

Barking Riverside CIC is an innovative governance model for

holding and managing community assets at this scale

Bringing

cities to life,

Bringing life

into cities.




Thank you

Paula Vandergert, Sustainability Research Institute, University of East London

Documents

London Barking Riverside Community Interest Company · The Barking Riverside Community Interest Company (CIC) was set up in 2009 ... It also acts as an interface between the new and