Walthamstow

Walthamstow estate developer wins permission to change plans

Halfway through the rebuild, the developer wants to add more homes
By Victoria Munro

Marlowe Road Estate in Walthamstow (credit: James Cracknell)
Marlowe Road Estate in Walthamstow (credit: James Cracknell)

The developer rebuilding a Walthamstow estate has been given permission to change their plans halfway through the project.

Yesterday, the leaders of Waltham Forest Council agreed to let developer Countryside submit a new planning application for the Marlowe Road estate, adding even more homes. 

The original plan to rebuild the estate, approved in 2016, was to replace the 298 low-rise flats that surround Northwood Tower, which is not being rebuilt, with 448 new homes.

However, Countryside “approached the council with a proposal to increase the density”, adding an extra 141 new flats to the plans.

If agreed, the new planning application will deliver 13 more social rent flats than initially planned, compared to 85 more for private sale and 43 more shared ownership flats.

Read more: The reality of living on Marlowe Road Estate

On the council’s website, officers wrote that refusing could mean the latter half of the project is “delayed for an indefinite period” as the developer currently expects to lose money.

They added that not continuing the rebuild is “not considered to be an option” as both Countryside and the council are “committed to complete”.

The council appointed Carter Jonas to review Countryside’s “financial assumptions”, which concluded the developer would not make “an enhanced profit” by adding the new homes.

However, a number of documents considered by council leaders when making their decision were redacted from public view.

Countryside are also the developer building new homes on the Town Hall site, after winning planning permission recently.

Countryside expects to submit a new planning application later this year and start work on its updated design by next spring.


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