An environmental impact assessment scoping opinion request has been submitted to Barking and Dagenham Council on behalf of H4Life Ltd.
Residents living near to Crowlands Heath Golf Course were sent a letter from H4Life Ltd director Marc Pennick on October 8 detailing plans to demolish the golf course and build more than 1,000 new homes, new infrastructure and sports facilities.
The 152 page EIA document was submitted earlier this month and confirms that the company is intending to submit a “detailed planning application” to Havering Council and Barking and Dagenham Council for the proposed development of the land.
EIA is a formal process of identifying, predicting, evaluating and mitigating the likely significant environmental effects arising from a project.
This land covers around 24.13 hectares and mostly falls within the administrative boundary of Havering, with around a quarter sitting within Barking and Dagenham.
According to the EIA document, the proposal would comprise around 1,300 residential homes and between 1,200 and 4,500 square metres of retail/community/leisure space.
Four nearby schools and the West Ham United training ground are listed as places that could be impacted by the development.
Existing lakes would be retained and parkland would be introduced around the site’s periphery to “promote access to high quality green space and amenity.”
Up to three access roads would be built for vehicles.
The land was owned by Barking and Dagenham Council and on October 14 cabinet members agreed to sell the golf course to H4Life.
Labour council leader Dominic Twomey told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) the sell-off could “benefit thousands of people” with new ‘affordable’ housing.
A spokesperson on behalf of H4Life previously revealed to this paper there are 10 people employed at the golf course and the plans for the redevelopment would generate around 25 new opportunities.
They said: “The new development will provide new jobs through the proposed retail unit and across the community centre and cafe.
“The number of jobs will outstrip the current number of jobs on site.”
The golf club has just less than 80 members and the spokesperson said the number of people playing golf during the week averages 16 rounds per day and on the weekend averages 23 rounds per day.
