Havering Council and Wates Residential have submitted plans for the Waterloo Estate in Romford, east London.
The proposal – which is the largest council estate regeneration planning application to be submitted this year in London – will see 1,380 new high-quality homes developed as part of a significant boost to the borough’s housing stock. Designs include more than 550 new affordable homes, providing a mixture of one, two, three and four-bedroom properties.
Waterloo Estate is one of 12 sites 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 delivered in Havering over the next 12 to 15 years. The £1 billion scheme seeks to double the amount of council rented accommodation and more than double the number of affordable homes, in one of the most ambitious local authority home building programmes in the country.
Following a consultation event with local residents last summer, the proposed plans incorporate modern, energy efficient homes with green spaces for the local community including flowerbeds, a village garden, water feature and raingarden. There are also a number of workspaces and technology solutions that have been included to allow residents to work from home.
Havering Council and Wates Residential have also included several initiatives to help people lead more environmentally-friendly lives. Around a fifth of car parking spaces will be available for charging electric vehicles.
Havering Council’s planning committee will now assess the application and a decision is expected in summer 2020. It comes after Havering Council and Wates Residential submitted planning permission for a further 197 new homes 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 across the borough as part of the ‘12 Estates’ programme, as well as boosting 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.”