‘We have been left in limbo-the demolition took our post box, recycling point and direct route to Romford.’

Romford Labour activist Angelina Leatherbarrow who lives next to the Waterloo estate-today shares with the Havering Daily her concerns following the pausing of construction works by Havering Council and Wates and the impact it is having on local residents.

Lots of talk about the future of the development but so far, no one has spoken for the residents already living in the surrounding area. The demolition took place two years ago and since then we have asked at every opportunity when the development was going to start so, we expected to be told it wasn’t going ahead, we were just waiting to see what reason they finally gave. We have been left in limbo, the demolition took our post box, recycling point and our most direct route to Romford station. That has impacted many of our neighbours and we have finally been told that its now uncertain when building will start so we continue to live next to a site which is already being used for fly tipping and anti-social behaviour.

And when it does come back to planning, what will it mean for our community? Will they still be committed to social housing? There was already only around 40 genuinely additional council properties to what was already on the Waterloo Estate before it was demolished. Or will it mean the estate will be more densely packed to keep it ‘viable’. The plans which were approved were already 900sqm short of designated play space so what will we end up with now?

No doubt the future of the development will be a political football for the foreseeable, but it’s the residents here, living next to the site now who are being affected. My children and others on the street will grow up only knowing life next to a building site.

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