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CAPITAL BUILDING PROGRAMME
INTRODUCTION
In dealing with capital projects it is only right that mention should
be made of the difficulties which exist in a town such as Barking where
there is a great shortage of building land and where the ever-pressing demands
for housing sites have to be reconciled with those for other civic projects.
It was fortunate that the redevelopment of the Central and Gascoigne
Areas of the town presented an opportunity for comprehensive planning to
be projected and implemented.
It is a very heartening sight to see old properties being swept away
and their place being taken by new housing enclaves, schools, health service
projects, etc.
The mental health service is fortunate in being allocated excellent
sites for projects within this redevelopment area.
Adult Training Centre
During the summer vacation for trainees in 1968 this Centre situated
in the Gascoigne Redevelopment Area was handed over by the contractors and
by the time the autumn term began in September the new centre with its 120
places was ready to function.
It was formally opened as the Barking Adult Training Centre on the
9th November, 1968 by the Mayor of Barking.
A sketch plan of the centre is given on page 42. Because this is the only
projected adult centre for the Borough provision has been made for the
structure to be built so as to take a first floor extension at a later date.
A pleasant feature of this project was the close collaboration which
was accorded by the Borough Architect's Department to Health Department staff
who were able to reconcile as far as possible the practical needs of the
centre from a functional point of view with the difficulties of the
architectural and other specialist staff who had to design within financial
limits and the restrictions imposed by the site, etc.
It is so easy in theory to draw up a time and motion pattern for the
day to day routine of the Centre and quite another thing to put it into
practice. I am happy to record that the centre has proved truly practical
and is greatly appreciated by staff and trainees.
The trainees themselves show great enthusiasm for the amenities and
curriculum of the centre and for example with great gusto but with disciplined
attention they evacuate the building in 2 minutes when fire drill is imposed
by an unexpected fire alarm signal.
With the opening of the new Centre it was possible to transfer all
trainees from the Gale Street Annexe, close the small purpose-built and
heavily over-crowded Adult Centre at Osborne square, and bring back all our
trainees still farmed-out at the Redbridge Adult Centre.
Sheltered Workshop
With the closure of the Osborne Square Centre which was originally
designed as a 24 place Advanced Training Centre, certain works were put
in hand to convert it to a Sheltered Workshop for high grade mentally
sub-normals. The training kitchen-cum-laundry was converted to a cafeteria
style dining room and the dining/cum recreation hall was wired up as a
workroom. The conversions allow better storage facilities and enables up
to 30 trainees to be accommodated with necessary equipment.
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