A major transformation of Ilford’s public realm will rebuild the community’s connection to nature, promote active travel and unlock development — while putting local people at the centre of the decision-making process.

Periscope has been appointed to lead the design team of the Ilford Arrival project, which includes a new bridge, pocket park, riverside walk and rewilding of a golf course, opening up long-neglected public access to the River Roding.

The project rethinks community engagement through multiple streams of participation, embedding local voices into every step of the project, from project brief to delivery — centering the community’s lived experience in its development.

The project has made a commitment to addressing gender-informed urban design. Redbridge Council appointed Diverse Dialogues to lead the creation of a co-client team made up of girls and young women between the ages of 16 and 25, building on previous experience of successful engagement models at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

The group is neither an advisory panel nor a consultation group — but a team that will work alongside delivery partners to influence decisions, hold power and shape the project. The council is a co-client with accountability, authority and a responsibility to listen, respond and act in partnership with the group.

This is designed to build trust within the community and redefine who has a say in Ilford’s future – at a time when the town, which benefits from the Elizabeth Line, is undergoing significant growth.

Participants have been engaged several times since April 2025, including initial sessions exploring development economics, power structures and perceptions of the town — laying the groundwork for these young people to participate as an informed and equal decision-maker.

Whilst the co-client team sit as decision makers, the design stages will be led through co-creation with the wider community, addressing the broad intersectionalities of Ilford’s constituents.

Daniel Rea, Founding Director at Periscope, said: “We’re delighted to be working on this important project — not least because of its innovative engagement process, which can be seen as the next step in the evolution of citizen participation, going beyond co-design.

“At a time of housing pressure, 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.

“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. These interventions will enhance people’s lived experience of the town centre — unlocking access to open space and nature.”

Kuljeet Sibia, Founding Director of Diverse Dialogues, said: “Ilford is a place shaped by movement, by migration, culture and creativity that comes with a richness that’s too often overlooked in the way places are developed.

“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.

“With Ilford Arrival, we wanted to change that, to move beyond extractive consultation, and instead create space for genuine collaboration and authorship. That meant being honest about who holds power and finding ways to share it more equally by not just listening to communities but working alongside them and ensuring they are informed decision-makers in shaping the future of their neighbourhood. That’s the kind of development Ilford deserves, and it’s the kind more places urgently need.”

The project consists of six sites in and around Ilford Town Centre, with Periscope’s work focusing on the York Road Pocket Park & Crossing; the Roding Riverside Path; the Ilford Gyratory and Ilford Golf Course.

The Civic Partnership Programme (CPP), run by the Greater London Authority targets areas of need where local regeneration objectives align with Mayoral priorities to combat long-standing inequalities that have been exacerbated by Covid-19, the cost-of-living crisis and the climate emergency.

The ambition is for CPP projects to strengthen local partnerships and to generate long-term impact by delivering up to 28,000 sqm of new or improved public realm, of which 2,400 sqm will be green space; for 220 trees to be planted; and 1,300 sqm of civic or commercial floorspace to be created or improved.

Deputy Mayor of London for Planning and Regeneration, Jules Pipe, said: “The Ilford Arrival project will connect the town centre to Roding Valley, transforming the local area, and it’s great that this work has been informed by the insights and ideas of a team of local women and girls. Funded by the Civic Partnership Programme, the project will empower the local community, giving Londoners of all backgrounds a greater role in shaping how their city grows and delivering better public spaces to live, work and play.

“I look forward to seeing the positive impact this project will have as we continue to build a fairer, greener, more prosperous London for everyone.”

Cllr Kam Rai, Leader of Redbridge Council, said: “Ilford Arrival begins an exciting new chapter in our ambitious plans to regenerate Ilford town centre. Working in partnership with the Greater London Authority and Transport from London, this is just the start of a wider transformation that puts people, place and partnership at its heart.

“I’m especially proud of the way we’re working collaboratively with Periscope, Diverse Dialogues, and most importantly our young residents, to create spaces that reflect the needs and aspirations of our community. Together, we’re showing what’s possible when regeneration is inclusive, empowering and genuinely co-created.”

Additional information

• Ilford town centre has a particularly high proportion of young people; almost 25% are under 15 years old.
• In the past five years, just over 600 new housing units have been completed in Ilford, around 230 are under construction and over 2,500 are in various stages of development and/or planning.
• Periscope completed a spatial design strategy in March 2024, with the project and engagement sessions beginning in April 2025.
• The river path will deliver a circular walk from and to the town centre, hugely improving residents’ access to nature, delivering health and wellbeing benefits.
• Access to public green space and good health are strongly correlated, however Redbridge suffers from relatively poor health with only 46.4% of people in Redbridge identifying as being in very good health. This is particularly true in Ilford and the South East of Redbridge, which suffer from poorer health and a much higher deficiency of green space.
• The Civic Partnership Programme (CPP) for five exemplar projects across London is a grant-funding programme which targets areas of need where local authority regeneration objectives align with Mayoral priorities, in order to combat long-standing inequalities and support areas undergoing change.