‘Things are so bad that homelessness is now a major part of our budget.’

St Edwards Ward Councillor David Taylor continues with his Taylor Talks series for the Havering Daily.

Housing is one of those topics that we hear about a lot, from all sides. In Havering, pretty much every political party is saying the same thing, “We don’t want high-rises”, but we’re seeing the opposite in Romford. We’re being let down when it comes to housing. 

At present, over 300 families are stuck in hotels and B&Bs across the borough. Things are so bad that homelessness is now a major part of our budget. It costs us millions. And remember, we’re going bankrupt.

Having a secure home is a life-changer. It doesn’t just mean you have somewhere to sleep, it means you have security. You can rest, focus on a job, build vital support networks, get to know your GP and keep your kids in the same school.

Given that Havering is spending millions on housing people in hotels, and much more on the additional stress to social services, I’m stunned at the housing approach that Labour and the Resident’s Association (RA) are taking. 

Our council seems more keen to build expensive private homes than the council homes we really need, social housing.

Every time I walk into Romford I walk past the last empty site that is the former Waterloo Estate. This used to be home to hundreds of residents, now it’s a pile of gravel. Gravel that costs us money in the form of security. Work was paused on the site after the government announced new rules regarding building safety. However, the government has since clarified that buildings such as those planned can go ahead. But, in Havering, it isn’t.

One of our biggest social housing schemes sits getting stale. A site that promised over 200 truly affordable homes is sat empty.

In the meantime, Labour and the RAs are looking to cram a new 12 storey tower-block on the Como Street car park, totally out of character with the family homes nearby. The consultation process has been widely criticised by residents as not listening to them, an environmental impact assessment has been deemed as not needed, and the council decided that it will only sell the site to a property company it owns. A company that began design work before it even owned the site. 

Over at the Seedbed Centre, which has just received planning permission for another 840 homes, we’re only going to get 10% of them as social homes. Despite London-wide rules requiring 35%. At a recent planning meeting Councillors were told that this figure can be increased at a review later in the process. But, if we don’t get those homes, the developer will make a financial contribution. 

The developer? That’s Havering Council.

Havering needs a proper housing strategy and, despite complaints about the previous administration, we still haven’t had the Romford local-plan from this one. An administration that has been in power for nearly two years. 

A proper local-plan for Romford should be urgently produced. It should ensure that areas like Lower-Mawneys are not allocated a new tower-block. It should demand a proper level of social housing, not payouts that only benefit us in the short term.

The sceptic in me says that the rush to approve Como Street is to get it in before such a plan is produced. 

Havering has a rapidly growing population and it looks like Romford is bearing the brunt of that. We’re getting thousands of new homes and very few being council homes. The homes we need to tackle homelessness in Romford. 

Whilst accepting low-levels of social homes, and not getting on with those that already have planning permission, our council are investing in creating a new hostel in Royal Jubilee Court. A solution that can only ever be temporary. What message does this send to those on the waiting list?

Thatcher made a mistake when she allowed the sell-off of council homes. Not because the sell-off was allowed, but because the homes sold were not replaced. Something that no government, of any colour, has fixed since and one that needs to be fixed now. 

Council owned homes make financial sense. They mean that the housing benefit is paid to the council, not just to private landlords. This means increased income and a reduced homelessness bill for Havering. Cheaper, council housing, means that Havering’s many young families can stay together, rather than children having to move outside the borough to buy a home. It means stronger communities that grow and thrive together.

I’d have thought at least Labour would agree with that! Recent housing decisions suggests not.

I am not a NIMBY, someone who opposes development when it’s in their area. I want to see more homes in Romford. But I want to see the right homes in the right places. 

Como Street could be built on, but to just 3 or 4 storeys and without unnecessary retail. Maybe even put proper family homes on the site, like we actually need. The Waterloo Estate has planning permission, it has the go-ahead from the government, it can be built and it can deliver over 200 social homes. 

Before the council cracks on with giving the greenlight to yet more development, before it closes and sells off our car parks or builds on the greenbelt, I think it should finish what’s been started and to get it done properly. 

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