Major settlement of the area occurred during the period between 1918-39 when much of the housing was built and motor and chemical industries such as the Ford Motor Company plant at Dagenham were established.
The borough is ranked 22nd out of 354 local authorities in England in terms of average deprivation. There are 109 Super Output Areas (SOAs) in Barking and Dagenham, and 13 of those are in the top 10% most deprived.
As of February 2010 71% of the population - 120,725 residents - are registered voters. The council is Labour run and their is no official opposition. Elections are held every 4 years and are due on 01 May 2014.
On this website will try to explain how the powers and responsibilities that affect the borough are distributed; how democratic structures work, how these can be accessed; and provide you with other useful information.
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