Barking & Dagenham Council has opened its very own affordable and flexible university with Coventry University. CU London opened its doors in September 2017 and already has already expanded to over 1,000 students – half of whom are local – due to phenomenal demand. The campus is located at the old Dagenham Civic Centre, where an £8m investment has given one of the council’s old buildings a new lease of life. The university offers a range of full time and part time courses with lower fees, lower entry requirements and more flexible learning options.