Proposals for 1,380 new homes at Waterloo and Queen Street in Romford have been approved by Havering Council’s strategic planning committee
The scheme forms part of Havering Council’s ’12 Estates’ regeneration programme with joint venture partners Wates Residential.
Seeking to double the amount of council accommodation and more than double the number of affordable homes, the £1.5bn programme will see at least 3,500 high-quality new homes delivered in Havering over the next 12 to 15 years.
The plans include over 550 affordable homes for local people, in the form of 1, 2, 3 and 4 bedroom homes built from high-quality and traditional building materials, more than doubling the number of council rented homes currently on the site and in addition providing 146 low-cost homeownership opportunities.
Wates Residential is part of leading privately-owned construction, property services and development company, the Wates Group, and alongside Havering Council has made a commitment to buy British wherever possible, with 20% of the joint venture’s spend going to local SMEs, valued at £100m.
The joint venture partners are also working to increase education, skills and training opportunities in Havering by working with local schools and colleges.
Since its inception in 2018, the Havering and Wates joint venture has secured planning on both Napier and New Plymouth House in Rainham and Solar Serena Sunrise in Hornchurch. Construction of Napier and New Plymouth House is well underway with the first homes ready for occupation in 2022.
£28m of social value investment has been generated in the local area, with 241 people benefiting from employment and training initiatives and 1,859 students supported by education activities.
Building great places
Hugh Jeffery, regional development director for Wates Residential, said: “The vote to approve the proposals for Waterloo and Queen Street means we can look forward to building great places for people to live.
“This scheme includes modern, energy-efficient homes, open green spaces for playing and relaxing, and workspaces to promote flexible ways of living and working.
“This project is about leaving a lasting legacy for people in Havering and now the scheme is one step closer we look forward to starting construction at the beginning of next year.”
