Living in Havering Special Edition August 2019 by Havering Council

Rainham & Wennington, Elm Park and South Hornchurch wards

Special edition

LIVING

in Havering August 2019 • www.havering.gov.uk •

“

Today marks a new and exciting chapter in the future for Elm Park, South Hornchurch, Rainham and the rest of the borough

”

Cllr Damian White, Leader of Havering Council

New beginnings:

work starts on homes for local people

See page 4

Contents Rainham & Wennington, Elm Park and South Hornchurch wards Special edition

Work commences Project updates

Unique Rainham

Business

3 L eader's welcome An update from Cllr Damian White

Connecting Havering Road, monorail, river and broadband opportunities

4 D emolition of Napier and New Plymouth Demolition begins on one of London’s biggest housing regeneration projects Cleaner Havering Cleaner Neighbourhood Campaign

8 H avering means business! Council-delivered business support projects SEGRO Helping to create employment and a thriving business community

5 L ocal businesses Starting to see the benefits Looking after our residents Not just about bricks and mortar

9 T he London Innovation Gateway On course to open in Rainham in March 2020 CEME The Centre for Engineering and Manufacturing Excellence

6 B eam Park update Affordable housing for local people

10 C elebrating the rich history of Rainham Rainham has a long and interesting history

7 L ooking ahead A new leisure centre for south of the borough A new school for Rainham New three-form entry primary school for 2021 A new station for Beam Park New mainline station on the C2C Tilbury to London Fenchurch Street line

11 C elebrating the landscape and wildlife Rainham marshes and the RSPB Rainham Where local history and present-day meet

02 | Summer Special 2019 | LIVING in Havering

Cover picture: Cabinet , Council staff and colleagues from Wates Residential welcome the start of demolition at Napier & New Plymouth.

Leader's welcome A very warm welcome to our Rainham and South Hornchurch special Living in Havering magazine, designed to update our residents living in the south of our borough on some of the news and exciting plans for this part of Havering. Residents are very proud of where they live and the articles in this magazine will help to show our ambition for Havering is borough-wide; with a strong focus on the development in the south of the borough. From the demolition of Napier and New Plymouth House to the new plans at Beam Park to make way for homes for local people, to the attraction for business to the area, and the investment in infrastructure such as the new station and school, I’m confident that Rainham & Wennington, Elm Park and South Hornchurch have a bright and prosperous future. It is very important to me that we, as a Council, work with our residents and businesses to improve our borough together. A recent example of this is how we have listened to the concerns of residents about the closure of Chafford Sports Centre, and our emerging plans for the Council to build a brand new leisure centre to ensure there is state-ofthe-art leisure provision to replace this. The leisure centre is just one example of how we are working together, but our expectations are a lot higher for the area. We have also undertaken some initial steps to explore the wider opportunities for the area by developing a masterplan for Rainham. A masterplan is a long-term planning document that outlines a vision to guide growth and development of an area. It isn't a detailed design or planning application, but does help to set out objectives and strategies to manage development and to shape what is important about a place and how its character and qualities can be protected and improved. We have already started this process for Romford, with more than 1000 responses from the public consultations, and are currently undertaking an initial audit of Rainham before we open that up to you to share your ideas. But it’s not just about new development taking place in the borough. Along with the plans to create new homes for local people, we have also agreed an extra £10m to be set aside in the Council's housing budget (Housing Revenue Account) to improve existing council estates in Havering. The extra money will focus on the safety, look and feel of council estates, enhancing buildings and communal areas, so that residents will have an environment that they can be proud of and want to spend time in. The estates to the south of the borough selected for improvements include: • Blocks 16 -38 and 154 -252 Cherry Tree Lane, RM13. • 33 - 69 Danbury Road, 17- 57 Ongar Way and Theydon Garden garage site on Ongar Way, RM13. • 1-72 Malan Square, 84 -154 Wood Lane and 122 -204 Bader Way, RM13. • Dunningford Close on Ambleside Avenue, RM12. • Stirling Close and garages, St Helens Court, in Rainham and Wennington. Before any work begins, residents at estates targeted for improvements will also be invited to a series of roadshow workshops with a Cabinet member, where they will be consulted on about the planned programme and given the opportunity to ask questions, present ideas and share feedback on how the money could be best spent. I hope you enjoy this special edition of Living in Havering magazine. Councillor Damian White Leader of the Council www.havering.gov.uk/Leader

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Work commences

Demolition of Napier and New Plymouth House starts

project. They include 126 affordable homes and a further 71 homes for private sale. Phase One also includes the Waterloo Estate in Romford and Serena, Solar and Sunrise Courts in Hornchurch. Havering Council’s Cabinet, including The Leader of Havering Council, Councillor Damian White, and Deputy Leader, Councillor Robert Benham, attended an event on Monday 29 July to mark the start of work alongside Wates Residential’s Operations Director Adrian Fennessy, Development Directors Kate Ives and Lia Silva and members of the site team. As part of Havering Council and Wates Residential’s pledge to deliver a borough-wide legacy and boost the local economy, the demolition will be carried out by local contractor Kilnbridge Construction Services, which has offices in Rainham and employs local people. The appointment comes after the joint venture partners held four Meet the Buyer events earlier this year for local suppliers to learn about contract opportunities on the biggest regeneration project in the borough.

Demolition has begun on one of London’s biggest housing regeneration projects, marking a significant step forward for the £1.5 billion scheme. The project will deliver around 5,200 high quality homes over the next 12 to 15 years, doubling the amount of council rented accommodation and more than doubling the number of affordable homes. The right to return is also guaranteed to all residents, meaning families that have been relocated from the estates under development will be able to return, if they wish to.

This all honours the pledge from the developer to boost the local economy by using local Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). This investment will make up a minimum of 20 per cent of the total programme, valued at £200 million of contracts to be secured by local businesses. The demolition of Solar, Serena and Sunrise Courts in Hornchurch will also be carried out by a local supplier, Downwell Demolition. Councillor Damian White, Leader of Havering Council said; “Today marks a new and exciting chapter in the future of Havering and the Council’s commitment to double the amount of council rented accommodation and more than doubling the number of affordable homes for local people.

The Napier and New Plymouth House site in Rainham is the first “We are ensuring that this investment in the borough goes much of 12 to be redeveloped as part of the joint venture partnership further than just creating new homes; through our supply chain between Havering Council and Wates Residential. initiative, meet the buyer events, training opportunities and apprenticeships, we can make sure the project benefits as many Proposals for the site were submitted to Havering Council’s businesses and residents of Havering as possible.” planning committee in May as part of Phase One of the wider

Cleaner Havering Havering Council and Wates Residential have taken part in a community litter pick to help make the borough a cleaner and tidier place to live. The joint venture partners, which are working together to deliver the biggest regeneration programme in Havering, teamed up to collect litter from Berwick Woods on Wednesday 24 July. Councillor Damian White, was joined by Neil Stubbings, Director of Regeneration, and Wates Residential staff to remove rubbish from the green. In total, the team collected 15 bags In April, the Council launched its Cleaner Neighbourhood Campaign, which saw an extra £400,000 invested into street cleaning to help maintain the beauty of the borough. This extra money has seen the frequency of cleaning in residential streets increase from once every three weeks to fortnightly.

04 | Summer Special 2019 | LIVING in Havering

Local businesses start to see the benefits Havering Council and our three joint venture partners have pledged to deliver a borough-wide legacy and boost the local economy through the housing schemes. This means that each of our developer partners are committed to helping to boost the local economy by using local Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). This investment will make up a minimum of 20 per cent of the total programmes and the Council want all sizes of businesses to benefit from the house building through

these joint ventures, including smaller businesses. If you are a business in the borough, please join the supply chain initiative and register to receive updates about contract opportunities and ‘meet the buyer’ events at havering.gov.uk/supplychain One of the first businesses to benefit is Kilnbridge, who have offices in Rainham, and have been awarded the demolition contract at NNP. Dermot McDermott, Managing Director of Kilnbridge said; “As a local business, employing local people, Kilnbridge is delighted to be involved in this exciting regeneration project within Havering. We share the vision of joint venture partners in providing the community with a great place to live and work and look forward to delivering this both during and after the completion of this significant project.”

Looking after our residents

– not just about bricks and mortar Havering Council are working with our joint venture partner, Wates Residential, to deliver the borough’s ambitious 12 Estates regeneration plans. Napier & New Plymouth Houses, (part of the first phase along with Solar, Serena and Sunrise Courts in Hornchurch and Waterloo Estate in Romford), are now empty and ready to be demolished this Summer/Autumn. We recently spoke to two former residents about their experiences on moving out of Napier and New Plymouth. Antanas Luksys, a Quality Engineer and former New Plymouth House resident of eight years, now lives in Collier Row, Romford. Mr Luksys, who lives with his wife and daughter and enjoys working on family projects, already feels very settled in his new home and described his relocation as the perfect change. He said, “I’m very pleased with the size and location of the property. I had regular contact with the council; we had a few conversations and they definitely provided all of the necessary support. The whole process was surprisingly stress-free and easy actually.” Having previously volunteered at Hornchurch Library in IT Support, Mr Luksys now volunteers at Collier Row Library. “I believe in giving something back to the community and it gives me joy to see people happy.”

Elizabeth Clements lived on Farnham Estate in a second floor maisonette for 34 years. Recognising that the area needed many improvements, and experiencing quite significant health challenges, Elizabeth was very supportive of the regeneration plans for the area from the earliest stage. She said, "I can't say a bad word about the way it was handled. The housing officers were fantastic. I was already struggling to get up the two flights of stairs with shopping and then suffered a heart attack, which made tackling the stairs that much harder." Elizabeth and her husband, Andy, were shown the house in Collier Row in a less than perfect state, and whilst Andy was apprehensive, Elizabeth could see the potential. She said, "The house had been home to an elderly man and needed quite a lot of work done to it to make it suitable. The Council arranged everything - plastering, redecoration and a new bathroom. When we returned for a second viewing, we could see that it would be a lovely place to live." The process took around six months in total and moving day was stressful and busy. After 34 years in one home, Elizabeth had acquired quite a lot of possessions that needed to be moved - but she said the removal company were so helpful and were in good spirits too, which helped. Elizabeth and Andy have been in the new property for nine months and have made it their own - it's pristine - which Elizabeth is particularly proud of. She said, 'The Council take on the responsibility to house us, so it's only right that we look after the place! "Our neighbours are really lovely and it is so quiet here compared to Farnham. Although I loved where I lived, this is such a big improvement for us. We feel very settled and grateful".

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Project updates

Beam Park update – affordable housing for local people

“This project will transform the A1306 corridor into a vibrant, sustainable, community focussed neighbourhood” Cllr Damian White, Leader of Havering Council

After a successful bidding process in 2015, the area of Rainham and Beam Park was named as one of the Mayor of London’s Housing Zones – which will bring tens of millions of pounds in investment funding into the area. We are embarking, with our joint venture partner Notting Hill Genesis, on a seven year programme to build new homes, the first of which will be delivered by Winter 2020/Spring 2021 followed by regular delivery of new homes up to late 2024. High quality new homes for families from Havering The new homes developed by the Council and Notting Hill Genesis will give hundreds of families from Havering the chance to move into a high quality new home and make the most of the new, modern facilities being created as part of the wider housing zone. Improved open spaces, better transport, and a new health centre and school will help improve lives for thousands of residents living beyond the housing zone. Councillor Damian White, said; “We need new, affordable housing in Havering to meet increasing local demand and we make no apology about wanting to provide homes for local people so they can remain in the borough close to their families. “The joint venture partnership has been in contact throughout 06 | Summer Special 2019 | LIVING in Havering

the entire process with landowners and occupiers affected to discuss the implications and process of land acquisition including relocation opportunities”. A number of properties have already been purchased. Where this has been unsuccessful, then the JV partnership may have no choice but to use Compulsory Purchase Order process, which is the only way to guarantee the scheme is built, and the area can be significantly improved. Meeting the Housing Zone objectives Within this Housing Zone, there are other sites under development by house-builders such as Countryside at Beam Park and Clarion at the old Somerfield site. There are further development sites that are under separate ownership and we cannot deliver that new housing to the quality expected without them being assembled into larger comprehensive sites to meet the Housing Zone objectives. Councillor White, added; “Working with our joint venture partner, we are assembling a number of sites along the A1306 to develop which will help to avoid small-scale piecemeal projects, which generally offer poor quality design and build and limited contribution to affordable housing provision, the environment and infrastructure. “The A1306 itself will undergo a transformation into an inspiring and playful landscape. The width of the road will be reduced and it will be lined with trees and other plants to inspite the biodiversity in the area and help reduce air pollution from traffic. “This project will transform the A1306 corridor into a vibrant, sustainable, community focussed neighbourhood. The south of the borough has not received the same amount of investment as other more central areas over the years and residents have told us it feels neglected. This project will deliver local homes for local people, and will benefit the community. It will provide employment opportunities through construction and apprenticeships and improve commercial prospects for local businesses”.

Looking ahead

A new leisure centre for south of the borough Havering Council are committed to deliver a new leisure centre in the south of the borough, following the announcement on the closure of non council-owned Chafford Sports Centre in Rainham. The modular design is flexible, quick to build and can house a variety of facilities from swimming pools to squash courts. These high quality buildings can be constructed at lower costs than traditional builds.

A new school for Rainham A new three-form entry primary school, with more teachers with expertise to help with special education needs, and Nursery pupils will be built on land made available by the developer Countryside Properties. A sponsor, Emmanuel Community, is in place and the Department for Education are funding the new school construction. It is expected that the school will be complete and open to new pupils in September 2021.

A new station for Beam Park

Councillor Damian White, the Leader of Havering Council said: “In the same way we did for Hornchurch, we made a commitment that we will look at building a new leisure centre in the south of the borough following the closure of Chafford Sports Centre. “We are matching the requirements of the building with the land we think might be available and we are in the process right now of whittling down five sites to two which will be taken to detailed feasibility studies during the summer. Great new sports centre “Havering Council’s Cabinet will then have all the evidence to take the right decisions to improve the leisure facilities for the south of the borough. All of that will be done by the autumn so we can look to get a great new centre open in 2020.”

A new mainline station on the C2C Tilbury to London Fenchurch Street line will be built at Beam Park to better connect and serve the existing community in Rainham, and residents in the new development planned for Beam Park. The station building has been designed and has planning permission. The platforms, footbridge access and signalling are in the technical design phase. Construction is set to start in December 2020, with the station opening in around May 2022.

Connecting Havering – road,

monorail, river and broadband opportunities Havering is currently undertaking high level feasibility work looking at the potential for a north-south public transport connection within the borough. The link would connect the two emerging Housing Zones in Rainham and Romford as well as provide connections further north to Collier Row and Harold Hill. Considering all options At the moment, we’re considering all options and have been looking at everything from a rapid bus link to a tram light railway or even a monorail. But our ambitions don’t stop there! We’re working with the Thames Estuary Commission to unlock the full potential of the borough’s position on the river. We are also in talks with TFL to bring the Thames Clipper to Rainham along with looking at the possibility for a new marina in the borough.

Good news for business Better transport within the borough means good news for businesses and better journeys for residents. Reduced journey times will bring more jobs, champion potential and improve aspiration within the borough. And these better connections will put Havering the map as a great borough to live, work and do business in. Digital connectivity – installing broadband to many parts of Rainham Connectivity doesn’t just mean transport though. Digital connectivity is also important. Many areas in Rainham do not have broadband. The Council has secured external funding for a project that will start to install broadband to many parts of Rainham.

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Business

Havering means

business! The Council continues to deliver a wide variety of business support projects and activities to help businesses start up, grow and prosper. Showing the Council's commitment to business growth, Havering is developing an enviable reputation as a location of choice for entrepreneurship with high start-up levels and equally high survival levels for businesses across all sectors. We have a commitment to supporting local business through our joint venture partners, that include:

• m eet the buyer events – for local businesses to meet with our partners and learn about the contract opportunities available he guarantee that contracts awarded through the joint ventures will mean sharing 40% of £1.5bn investment for local • tbusinesses.

SEGRO –

helping to create employment and a thriving business community “There's a real buzz around SEGRO Park Rainham” Shiraz Islam, Director, Noor Chand Electrical Solutions Half of the buildings at SEGRO Park Rainham – the 230,000 sq ft modern industrial development on Consul Avenue – have now been leased just a year after the first phase was completed, delivering employment opportunities for people in Rainham and Havering. 08 08 | Summer July 2019 Special | LIVING2019 in Havering | LIVING in Havering

The 'Enterprise Quarter' – for start ups and SMEs with a desire to grow Acting on behalf of SEGRO, Glenny LLP has already let four of the five large units to national companies including Mitsubishi Electric and MEP Hire. In addition, 19 of the 42 units, which make up the ‘Enterprise Quarter’ – diverse and adaptable warehouse, industrial and business space designed for start-ups and SMEs with a desire to grow – are now occupied mostly by local companies. Shiraz Islam, Director, Noor Chand Electrical Solutions, said: "The Enterprise Quarter provides us with the perfect environment, both in terms of its location and quality of workspace. There’s a real buzz around SEGRO Park Rainham; it's attracting a lot of new companies to the area, creating employment and generating a thriving and dynamic business community." Continued success Peter Higgins, Divisional Partner in the Business Space Agency at Glenny, added: “These lettings demonstrate the continued success of The Enterprise Quarter and prove that there remains a strong appetite for Grade A industrial and logistics space in today’s market.”

The Rainham Business Improvement District Havering has a Business Improvement District in Rainham. This is defined as an area where businesses are required to pay an additional tax or levy to fund projects within the district. These projects all help to create and support the area to attract investment, talent and technology to help secure the future prosperity of the area. The London Riverside BID represents more than 300 businesses and 3,750 people and is home to the Centre of Engineering and Manufacturing Excellence (CEME) and SEGRO’s East Plus. Ilker Dervish, (Rainham BID) said: "Given the opportunities for local businesses to work with the Rainham Housing Zone contractors and new industrial sites becoming available, forthcoming investment in digital infrastructure and the promotion of the use of emerging technologies of construction and logistics, it can be seen that there are exciting times ahead for all concerned."

Rainham is part of the wider Thames Gateway – Europe’s largest regeneration project, stretching 40 miles along the Thames Estuary from Canary Wharf in London to Southend in Essex and Sittingbourne in Kent. The area includes the largest designated brownfield site in the south of England, which in recent years has been considered an area in decline with the more traditional dock-side industries closing do. The Thames Estuary 2050 Growth Commission was launched in July 2016 by Lord Heseltine, the architect of some of Britain’s most successful regeneration projects including London Docklands and Liverpool City Centre. Rainham is in the heart of this area and the Council are working with agencies and other local authorities to make sure that the plans for the future of the Estuary will bring wider benefits to our borough, including new homes, businesseses, employment and opportunities.

The London Innovation Gateway – on course to open in Rainham in March 2020 Rainham's new digital technology and skills centre

team and potential suppliers were able to ask questions about the project as well as visiting one of the buildings, which will home the London Innovation Gateway. Bidders will have seven weeks to submit their proposals for how they will operate the hub to drive innovation and improve productivity for businesses in Rainham and London in a way that is financially self-sustaining. The operator will be announced in October 2019 and the plan is for the new innovation Gateway to open in March 2020.

The Centre for Engineering and Manufacturing Excellence (CEME) The London Innovation Gateway will be a digital technology and skills centre designed primarily for the construction, engineering and logistics sectors. Set up with the aid of a £1.6m grant from the GLA, the hub will operate over multiple sites, with core large scale technology facilities based in SEGRO’s East Plus site and additional augmented reality and virtual reality (AR/VR) equipment in Havering College. Havering Council has launched a search for an operator of the new facility with Havering College, SEGRO and the London Riverside BID. The Council anticipates several competitive proposals from organisations with the range of skills and experience needed. Ten interested organisations attended open day As part of the search, a successful operator open-day was held in Rainham in mid-June. Ten interested organisations attended the open-day, travelling from around the country. It included presentations from the London Innovation Gateway

The London Innovation Gateway will be a digital technology and skills centre designed primarily for the construction, engineering and logistics sectors. Set up with the aid of a £1.6m grant from the GLA, the hub will operate over multiple sites, with core large scale technology facilities based in SEGRO’s East Plus site and additional augmented reality and virtual reality (AR/VR) equipment in Havering College.

Havering Council has launched a search for an operator of the new facility with Havering College, SEGRO and the London Riverside BID. The Council anticipates several competitive proposals from organisations with the range of skills and experience needed. Bill Williams (CEME) said: "A big part of what we do for our customers is helping them to grow their businesses faster, and a successful part of this is networking our customers amongst themselves and across the wider London Riverside BID districts. It’s amazing how many business opportunities can be found on your doorstep." www.havering.gov.uk/living | Summer Special 2019 | 09

Unique Rainham

Celebrating the rich history of Rainham

Rainham has a long and interesting history, including:

• The archaeology of this area is • • •

• • •

•

• • • •

extremely important with finds including flint hand axes nearly 250,000 years old. Romans left a rich burial at Mardyke and recently its associated Villa has been discovered just across the Beam river. Rainham and Wennington are both names of Saxon origin. A pagan Jutes’ cemetery of national importance was found at Gerpins and denotes a people of rank and wealth. Two magnificent Saxon glass drinkinghorns were found – lending the name to the modern Saxon Horn Public House. The Norman Rainham parish church is of exceptional quality, built around 1170 by Sir Richard de Lucy as a satellite church of Lesnes Abbey in Kent. Rainham's Anglican church is the oldest in Havering. Built around 1170, the style is Norman. Fishing was an important local industry for the Rainham and Wennington riverside settlements, and there was ship building in Rainham Creek where the wharves had ships trading with London and Calais. In the 14th Century, the royal mason, Henry Yevele, who worked on The map of the area overleaf was drawn by John Chapman & Westminster Abbey and Canterbury Peter Andre in 1777 and is the first really accurate map produced Cathedral, owned property in of Essex. Wennington and probably lived there for some time. In 1377, Rainham men joined in the Peasants Revolt under Wat Tyler against the Poll Tax. There was a long ferry along the Thames from London to Gravesend calling at the hamlet of Rainham Ferry, as well as the short ferry across the Thames to Erith in Kent. Captain John Harle, owner of Rainham Wharf, built Rainham Hall in 1729, which is now a national trust property and a popular film location. Whales have been known to enter Rainham Creek as recently as 100 years ago.

(Information collated by Sue Smith for London Open House Tour of Rainham Village, 22 September 2012) 10 | Summer Special 2019 | LIVING in Havering

Celebrating the landscape and wildlife – Rainham marshes and the RSPB

South Hornchurch, Wennington and Rainham have a wealth of nature that is unique to Havering, and indeed most of London by virtue of existing habitats for animal and plant life. The 400 plus hectares RSPB reserve is home to a diverse range of bird species, wetland plants and insects. It also has one of the most dense water vole populations in the country, there are only a few ancient landscapes left in London and this RSPB reserve is one of them. You can explore this lovely nature reserve throughout the year, and get close to some amazing wildlife. The reserve has a visitor centre with huge windows and telescopes overlooking the marshes for you to use, there are also a number of hides on the reserve that give great views of wildlife, even without binoculars. The marshes that support the reserve have some 15 kilometres of “Havering introduced” shared cycling and walking routes through the areas. This combined with the wetlands south of the A1306 means Havering boasts one of the largest tall reed beds in the south of England that’s home to a bird-rich and animal environment. And of course there's Butterflies, dragonflies, bees, marsh frogs and lots more! Some 80,000 visits to the reserve are made each year and visitors to the reserve can get great access to river walks along the Thames estuary.

Left to right: Cllr Dervish, Keith Prince (London Assembly Member) and Cllr Damian White helping at the recent Thames Litter Pick

Where local history and present-day meet The Council are working hard to make sure Rainham has everything it needs for existing and new residents to make the most of the natural environment and celebrate the local history. This includes the Beam Parkway project, which will transform the existing A1306 into a pleasant residential road with parkland, new pathways, and cycle lanes. We have been awarded funding by Veolia Havering Riverside Maintenance Trust for projects, which enhance the community facilities in the area. This incorporates the Land of the Fanns programme, made up of 27 different projects across 70 square miles of London and Essex, to help local people engage with, discover and learn about their historical environment.

www.havering.gov.uk/living | Summer Special 2019 | 11

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