The Better Barkingside project will help shops in the area, according to 61 per cent of people responding to a Recorder poll.

Following our report last month into the outlook for shops in High Street, Barkingside, we asked what benefit the £2.1million regeneration programme will have.

A town square is set to be created outside Fullwell Cross Leisure Centre and Library in High Street.

And high street shops will get help with improving their frontages.

But a quarter of people responding to the online poll said the project won’t help shops.

Fourteen per cent were not sure.