Havering Council Set To Register Two Pieces Of Land As Village Greens To Keep Them Protected.

Local Democracy reporter Sebastian Mann writes:

Havering Council is set to formally register two slices of land as village greens, giving them protection from development.

The town hall is eyeing sizeable plots in the Emerson Park and Gooshays wards, according to a report published this week.

The first is situated off Platford Green and Tyle Green, while the second is in Tees Drive and Priory Road. Both are owned by the council.

Once land has been formally designated a village green, developers cannot build housing or shops there.

The lack of housing in the borough has been a major strain on the council’s finances in recent years.

Paying to keep people in temporary accommodation saw the town hall overspend on its housing budget by £6.1million, which led to an eye-watering budget deficit of £74.1m.

By preserving the two plots, the council says it will lose the chance to build a total of 525 homes. Some 375 could be built in Gooshays, alongside 150 in Emerson Park.

The speculative value of those houses exceeds £1.1m.

However, the benefits for residents are myriad, according to the latest council report.

They contribute to the physical and mental well-being of individuals, provide a “safe and inexpensive” place to exercise, facilitate social interaction, where people of different ages and from different backgrounds can meet, and “can be a refuge from stress”.

Green spaces face “considerable challenges,” the report states. There is “tension” between increasing housing supply and providing amenities.

Additionally, maintaining them puts additional pressure on the council’s “limited financial resources”.

In order to “overcome these challenges,” the town hall says it will need support from volunteers and organisations like the Metropolitan Police.

The project is expected to be green-lit at a meeting of top councillors next week.

Last April, the council registered five new village greens in Harold Hill, Rainham, Wennington, and Upminster.

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