Who Benefits From The Como St Development ?
With the application for the development of the former Como St car park now submitted, it’s important to look at exactly who benefits from the scheme.
The stated key objective of the development by Mercury Land Holdings Ltd (who are owned by LBH) is:
"To create high quality buildings and places, which helps boost the supply of homes, including affordable homes, within the London Borough of Havering".
The Current Proposal
● 138 new residential dwellings (number of affordable units yet to be decided);
● Low – medium high-density development, with building heights between 3 to 9 storeys;
● 540sq.m of flexible commercial / community space across 7 open plan units, all at GF level;
● Environmental improvements to River Rom;
● A new public green space adjacent to the to the River Rom including public play space for children;
● A new pedestrian link to the town centre through the site;
● Waste and recycling strategy utilising and underground refuse system;
● Associated landscaping, parking spaces and cycle stores;
● Vehicular access is from Como Street as existing.
Housing Mix
Since this is a council owned site, policy dictates that 50% of the dwellings should be social housing, affordable rent or shared ownership.
However, in pre application documents we've seen, the developers were already claiming that the level of affordable housing on site is to be determined following a full understanding of the costs of the River Rom works and aspirations for naturalisation of the river within the site.
And given the rising costs of labour and materials, estimated to be up to 17% over the next five years, and the addition of a new Building Safety Levy, the social housing element may get chopped to ensure the profitability of the site.
And the site of the former car park at Dorrington Gardens in Hornchurch, again being developed by Mercury Land Holdings Ltd, is a prime example, where none of the 34 homes will be affordable or social housing, a decision which council officers blithely dismissed as "regrettable" but acceptable. No it’s not acceptable.
Can MLH just abandon the social housing element?
The answer is yes, and it’s becoming more common. And the promised environmental improvements to the River Rom, may also face the axe.
https://neweconomics.org/2022/02/how-private-developers-get-out-of-building-affordable-housing
And that's exactly what MLH have done, the complete social housing element we were promised at the public consultations, has been removed.
The Main Beneficiary
The rather shadowy Mercury Land Holdings limited, is a development company set up and owned by the London Borough Of Havering in 2015.
Several council employees and the CEO are listed as directors of MLH.
https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/09878652/officers
MLH looks set to pay £8.9 million for six sites READ MORE HERE
Bizarrely, it transpires that LBH loaned MLH the money to complete this transaction, to be repaid at a subsidised low interest rate, with the full amount at a later date, possibly up to 40 years time.
This means that MLH pockets the profit from the development if they sell or lease the properties, but only repays a fraction of the interest on the loan from LBH.
When the Overview and Scrutiny Committee questioned if MLH were delivering value for money to the council, and requested a best value review , the Cabinet closed ranks and refused.
MLH were also asked to use their housing portfolio to rehome residents in hotel and temporary accommodation, which cost LBH £14.8 million last year . They refused, saying it didn't fit their business plan.
LBH will however pocket a substantial chunk of change from the Community Infrastructure Levy, and so will the Mayor of London. And let’s not forget all that lovely extra council tax, assuming that the new residents actually pay it, and if the new flats aren’t snaffled by neighbouring local authorities or the Home Office for "sanctuary seekers”.
All That Lovely New Green Space
Integrated into the designs are claims of wonderful new green spaces for the public to use, in total 551m2.
Now this sounds like a lot, but it is in fact a little over the size of two tennis courts, in two long narrow strips, and a play area tucked behind the blocks.
Some of that is right next to a busy main round, where the air quality won’t be great, and a long section will be in a darkened section alongside the Rom.
Happy to let your kids play there ? And these areas will be open and accessible to residents from neighbouring streets, and the general public. Does that sound safe to you ?
The banks of the Rom are already a popular drinking venue for some of our less sociable residents.
The Impact On Local Business
The loss of the car parks will eventually kill the businesses at this end of North St, and in the corridor extending down to the market place. We are already seeing a growing number of empty retail units, and building on the car parks won’t help fill them. It looks largely deserted, it’s just missing a few tumbleweeds, rolling down the centre. It badly needs increased footfall.
What will happen to the fabulous Blue Orchid and the music shop, both well established and much loved businesses ?
And now that the council is set to announce grand plans to renovate Romford Market (we assume they’ve planted magic beans to pay for it) , would it not make sense to keep both Angel Way and Como St car parks ?
It’s not realistic to ask shoppers to park a good 10 minute walk away, shop, and carry their bags back the same distance. It’s no wonder shoppers prefer to drive to Lakeside.
The Impact On Local Infrastructure
The Como St development is just one of a number of developments around the town centre, and although the council will claim by building more homes in Romford town centre, where the public transport connections are good, they will avoid the need to build in other parts of the borough and protect the special character of our district centres that residents appreciate so much.
So Romford becomes a claustrophobic concrete jungle, with 11,000 new residents fighting to get on buses and trains every morning, struggling to get a GP’s appointment, waiting for days in a hospital corridor, because Queens is operating way over capacity, and facing the annual uncertainty of school places.
The Loss Of Established Character
The Como Set development will add to the considerable overdevelopment of the Town Centre. Residents in the Edwardian and Victorian terraced houses along Como St and Linden St are already realising that the skyline has altered significantly, and a number of historic landmarks are no longer visible, hidden by the ugly developments along St Edwards Way.
Residents we’ve spoken to, describe the design for the car park development, as a prison.
It certainly has no connection to the neat rows of terraced houses nearby.
The impact on the immediate area behind the car park will make it feel claustrophobic, less attractive and less desirable. It will certainly impact property prices.
So who actually benefits from the Como St development ?
● Not the nearby residents and businesses
● Not the 1200 families in temporary accommodation
● Not Romford residents who will face additional competition for critical resources
● Not the local area which will feel claustrophobic and characterless.
It’s time that LBH listened to its residents.