Planning permission granted for a pilot modular home scheme in Havering
- Planning permission has been granted for 18 high-quality modular homes on the Waterloo and Queen Street Estate in Romford.
- The pilot scheme is part of the Joint Venture partnership between the London Borough of Havering and Wates Residential.
- These modular homes aim to alleviate the homelessness crisis by providing high-quality, transitional housing.
The London Borough of Havering and our Residential business have received planning approval for 18 modular homes on the Waterloo and Queen Street Estate in Romford, marking a milestone for the pilot project aimed at transforming temporary housing across London.
The scheme is part of the wider regeneration joint venture between Havering Council and our Residential business that will deliver up to 5,000 new homes across the borough. It also represents a bold step in wider efforts to tackle spiralling housing costs and demand, which costs councils across the country £2.1 billion annually and has resulted in a record number of children living in hotels and B&Bs.
We have worked with architects, suppliers, planners, manufacturers and local councils to develop this modular solution. As pre-designed standard houses, they are twice as fast to construct, allowing the flexibility to relocate homes where necessary. Our modular homes also have energy-efficient designs with low carbon footprints and involve minimal on-site work.
Built to the same standards as permanent housing, the homes will include modern amenities, private bedrooms, family bathrooms, and kitchen and living spaces, helping restore stability to those facing housing insecurity.
Modular homes have a design quality regulation of up to 60 years, meaning that while they provide temporary relief to their inhabitants, they are a long-term solution for councils.
We welcome this decision as a positive step forward in our work to provide better temporary housing for local families, and hope this will set a precedent for other councils.
“These modular homes will offer a significant improvement on current options like hostels and hotels, giving families a safer, more stable place to live at less cost to the taxpayer, while we continue delivering long-term regeneration across the borough.”
Cllr Graham Williamson
Cabinet Lead for Development and Regeneration
This decision shows what’s possible when we take bold approaches to tackling the housing crisis. Councils across the country are spending £2.1bn annually on hotels and hostels that have a devastating impact on their wellbeing and development. Our temporary modular homes provide a real solution.
“These homes demonstrate that temporary accommodation can be high-quality, energy-efficient and designed around people’s needs, not just a stopgap, but a real place to live and thrive. We’re proud to be working with Havering Council to deliver a solution that is fast, flexible and focused on families.”
Paul Nicholls
Regional Managing Director for London, Wates Residential
