Work on the Avenue Road Estate, which is plagued by disrepair, flooding, and antisocial behaviour, will begin in mid-2027, reports Sebastian Mann, Local Democracy Reporter
Waltham Forest Council is set to sign a new agreement with Legal & General Affordable Homes to redevelop the Avenue Road Estate after years of delays.
The previous contractor, Bellway Homes, pulled out of the scheme in 2023, arguing it was no longer financially viable.
Councillor Eva Tabbasam, the cabinet member for housing and deputy council leader, said the new scheme with Legal & General Housing offered a “viable route” to regenerating the neglected estate.
She said the current buildings were “at the end of their lives” and the council had “responsibility to address challenges and create homes fit for the future”.
They will be cheaper to heat, better for residents’ wellbeing and more environmentally sustainable, she said.
The first phase – which will cost around £3.8million – will see the construction of 116 social homes and a new community space.
Work will begin in mid-2027 and residents can expect to move in by early 2030.
Residents of the ageing 242 flats on the five-block estate have pushed for regeneration, saying their homes need modernising.
At a cabinet meeting today (6th October), Cllr Tabbasam read out a statement on their behalf to top councillors.
It described an estate plagued with “overcrowding, leaks, disrepair, sewage, drainage, pipework and flooding problems”. They also face issues with antisocial behaviour, and some residents are “embarrassed about whether they live”.
Their community has been “left behind,” said Cllr Tabbasam, and this was beginning to affect people’s mental health.
“The journey has been extremely difficult,” the statement continued, and residents were left feeling “angry, frustrated and letdown” when Bellway withdrew three years ago.
“We want Avenue Road to be a place where residents feel safe and happy to live without the current sinking feeling.”
The second phase will see a further 501 homes erected, including 126 social homes, and an additional communal space. These plans are expected to go before the council late next year.
Read more: Residents at ‘crumbling’ Leytonstone estate push for rebuild
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