Waterloo Estate regeneration - Supporting Romford’s recovery post Covid 19

The proposals for the estate will see over 550 new affordable, high quality homes built, providing Havering residents with a mixture of much-needed 1,2,3 and 4 bedroom properties.

A number of these new homes will also be available for low-cost homeownership to local people. 

The designs for the estate include a total of 1,380 new high-quality homes, along with a new village green at the heart of the development, workspaces and technology solutions to allow residents to work from their homes.

Over 370 homes being completed in the first phase.

Considered a successful way to drive economic recovery after the Covid-19 pandemic, construction will also create employment for Havering residents in architecture, planning, engineering and distribution, generating opportunities that benefit local people by building much-needed quality home and helping our economy to recover.

Waterloo Estate is one of 12 sites included in the partner’s ‘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 project will seek to double the amount of council rented accommodation and more than double the number of affordable housing, which will prioritise sales to local people first. 

Following a consultation event with local residents last summer the proposed plans incorporate green spaces for the local community including flowerbeds, a village garden, water feature and raingarden. 

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 Napier and New Plymouth House, receiving a successful decision in October 2019 

As part of the project, the joint venture partners have pledged to work together to increase education, skills and training opportunities, as well as boosting the Havering economy by employing local businesses.

Through Napier and New Plymouth House, Havering Council and Wates Residential have already invested more than £1.3 million in the Havering community during the first phase of work. 

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.”