‘We expect the developers to over develop but not the council’.

Councillor Graham Williamson today writes for the Havering Daily:

The demolition and ‘regeneration’ of the ugly Napier & New Plymouth Tower Blocks in South Hornchurch got the go ahead last week in the Council’s Strategic Planning Committee (SPC).

The tower blocks will be replaced by three blocks that will double the unit numbers to 197. The development is a joint venture between Havering Council and Waites Ltd and part of a wider regeneration on several other sites in the borough.

In the N&NP site 64% will be for Council rent and the balance for market sale. Residents are delighted with the demolition of the existing tower blocks but are concerned with the new development.

The doubling up of resident numbers did bring with it more parking. Thus the new residents can only have half a car or more likely will park in existing residents spaces on the estate next door. 
BUILD HIGH INCREASE PROFIT

Everyone welcomes the removal of 13 storey blocks next to a two story estate but they are replacing it with a 10 and 9 (and 3) storey block(s). That goes against the original officer’s plans for the A1306, that promised a ‘garden suburb’, and threatens to go the way of Beam Park i.e. higher and higher blocks”.

We expect developer’s to try and overdevelop an area to increase their profit but we never thought this Council Administration would do the same! 

At the SPC, the Resident Associations proposed a deferment of the application for a rethink but it was defeated by the four Conservative councillors and the one Labour Councillor.