The Briar Estate is made up of 1,200 homes and has more than 4,000 residents, tenants and owners. The estate has some particular issues relating to the quality of some of the housing in the area, the layout of the streets and alleyways and parking. As part of the Ambitions programme the Council has been discussing with residents how to improve their estate.
During consultation in 2009 residents told us they wanted to see significant improvements to the Briar Estate and to keep the vast majority of the estate as it is.
In March 2010, the Council and Homes in Havering’s ten point Improvements Action Plan for the Briar Estate was positively received at a series of meetings attended by 180 residents, who also came up with some ideas and constructive feedback.
The proposals within the improvements plan include:
- Retention of the vast majority of the estate:
- Decent Homes for tenants
- Advice and assistance to homeowners to make essential improvements and repairs
- Better use of green spaces
- Better parking closer to where people live
- Improved street lighting
- Improved pavements, kerbs and roads
- Making narrow and unsafe pathways safe
- Improved shopping area and possible ‘village square’
- New recreational and play facilities on Bosworth Field and Faringdon Avenue
- Discussions with residents on redevelopment of small areas of underused land with new homes
- Improvements to Betty Strathern Centre – already underway