Plans Submitted for East London Regeneration

Havering Council and Wates Residential have submitted plans for the regeneration of the Waterloo Estate, Romford, East London.

The project, which is the largest council estate regeneration planning application to be submitted this year in London, will see 1,380 new first-class homes developed as part of a significant boost to the Borough’s housing stock. Designs also include more than 550 new affordable homes, which will provide a mix of one, two, three and four-bedroom properties.

Waterloo Estates is one of 12 sites that are earmarked for development as part of Havering Council and Wates Residential’s ambitious ’12 Estates’ regeneration programme, which will see around 3,500 high-quality new homes being delivered in Havering within the next 12 to 15 years.

The £1 billion scheme aims to double the amount of council rented accommodation and more than double the number of affordable houses in one of the most ambitious local authority home building programmes in the UK.

Following on from a consultation event with local residents in Summer 2019, the plans incorporate modern, energy efficient homes with green space for the local community, including flowerbeds, a village garden, a water feature and a raingarden. There were also several workspaces and technology solutions included into the plans, to allow residents the chance to work from home.

Havering Council’s planning committee will now assess the application, with a decision due in Summer 2020. This comes after Havering Council and Wates Residential submitted plans for an additional 197 new houses to be developed at the Napier and New Plymouth House estate in Rainham, receiving a successful decision in October 2019.

The joint venture partners have also pledged to increase education, skills and training opportunities throughout the Borough as part of their ’12 Estates’ programme. Along with this, they intend to boost the local economy by employing local businesses. Through the demolition of Napier and New Plymouth House, Havering Council and Wates Residential have already invested more than £1.3 million in social value for the Havering Community.

Councillor Damian White, Leader of Havering Council, said:

“I am excited to see another key milestone reached in the progress towards creating much-needed high quality homes for local people and how the development will help to support the road to recovery from Covid-19 for our Havering residents.

“I am particularly pleased to see how the comments and wishes of local people who attended the public consultations are being included in the plans, especially around the open spaces and the village garden. It means that we’re building homes that will help reduce the demand for social housing as well as prioritising local people for the homes for sale, all of which have purpose and a legacy for generations of Havering residents to come”.

Kate Ives, Development Director for Wates Residential, said:

“Submitting plans for the Waterloo Estate is an exciting step forward for the ‘12 Estates’ programme, which will deliver thousands of news homes across Havering, and follows an extensive consultation with members of the local community.

“We know that for Havering Council and many local residents, increasing the provision of green spaces in the borough is a top priority. As a result, the proposed plans for Waterloo Estate include multiple green spaces including a village garden to help create a safe and healthy environment for people to enjoy in the years to come.”

If you would like to read more like this, then please click here