Letter: High-density housing plans in Redbridge

Paul Scott, Arundel Gardens, Ilford, writes:

As part of the Reclaim Redbridge group I am writing to inform residents about these two major local planning applications for further high-density housing within our borough.

In the Redbridge Local Plan 2015 to 2030, planned site allocations for these above developments were:

• 370 residential units for the Ilford Retail Park site. Now they plan to build 672 residential units.
• 179 residential units for the Homebase Goodmayes site. Now they plan to build 568 residential units.

I believe this amounts to over-development and will add to social and environmental problems.

What the 1,280-home development in Goodmayes could look like (Image: Weston Homes)

Only 45 of the 672 flats in the Ilford Retail Park site will be for social or what they term Local Housing Allowance rent.

The rest will either be for private renting, 474 flats, or shared ownership 153 flats. So therefore, less than 10pc of the residential units on this site will be locally affordable.

Only 93 of the 568 flats in the Homebase Goodmayes site housing development will be for social or what they term London Affordable rent. The rest will be either for private renting, 404 flats, or shared ownership 71 flats.

So therefore, only about 16pc of the residential units on this site will be locally affordable.
Both of these planning applications are being referred to the Greater London Authority for full approval.

I have written to various Greater London Authority Assembly Members regarding these matters because we still plan to campaign against them for the same reasons that we are with the Tesco Goodmayes housing scheme as well as for numerous public health, social, environmental, safety and lack of affordable housing considerations too.