Barking and Dagenham Council Approves 300 Affordable Homes on Green Belt Land at Crowlands Golf Centre

Barking and Dagenham Council Approves 300 Affordable Homes on Green Belt Land at Crowlands Golf Centre

Barking and Dagenham Council has approved plans for 300 affordable homes on Green Belt land at Crowlands Golf Centre, following a decision by the Planning Committee.

The development, which forms part of a larger scheme to build 1,298 homes across Barking and Dagenham and Havering, will be entirely affordable housing. The homes will be split between social rent and key worker living rent, with 56% designated for social rent and 44% for key worker living rent.

The site, previously designated as Green Belt, was deemed by council officers to be 'grey belt' land. This classification, according to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), applies to land within the Green Belt that comprises previously developed land and/or any other land that does not strongly contribute to Green Belt purposes. The assessment found that while parts of the site, such as the golf club facilities, car park, driving range, and clubhouse, constitute previously developed land, the remainder of the site and the site in its entirety do not strongly contribute to the Green Belt purposes. Officers argued that very special circumstances justified the development due to a significant unmet need for housing in Barking and Dagenham, which has only achieved 58% of its housing requirement over the past three years.

For the Key Worker Living Rent units, 80% of first lets and re-lets will be prioritised to NHS workers, followed by other public sector key workers and then eligible intermediate housing applicants nominated by Barking and Dagenham Council. The remaining 20% will be prioritised for the council's key worker nominations, followed by eligible intermediate housing applicants and then general needs waiting list applicants.

The proposal includes substantial public benefits, such as 4.6 hectares of publicly accessible open space, community and recreational facilities, and enhancements to Wantz Boating Lake. A Section 106 planning obligation has been secured requiring the submission and approval of an Open Space Management and Maintenance Plan prior to the occupation of each phase to ensure the appropriate ongoing management of all open spaces onsite, including sports and leisure facilities. Public access to all onsite public open spaces and facilities is to be secured in perpetuity.

However, concerns were raised by Councillor Ben Suter, the local ward councillor, regarding the limited car parking provision of 70 spaces for 300 units, potential displacement of parking onto surrounding streets, and the impact on local infrastructure, including healthcare services. Councillors Ingrid Robinson and Billy Edmunds also voiced concerns about parking.

In response to these concerns, a £70,000 contribution was agreed for a comprehensive review of controlled parking zones (CPZs) in the surrounding area. This review will include public consultation and, if necessary, the implementation of CPZs around the site. Additionally, the development is proposed to be car permit-free, and first occupiers will benefit from a free three-year membership to the on-site car club operation. The proposal also includes 70 on-site car parking spaces, with 13 of the 60 residential spaces designated for blue badges.

The development includes a £1,012,627 contribution towards NHS infrastructure, to be used to support planned health infrastructure to the east of the development site as part of the south Romford strategic health vision. The NHS was consulted and requested this contribution based on their HUDU calculation for 738 units (excluding key worker housing).

A £310,000 contribution to Transport for London for public transport improvements has also been agreed.

The indicative construction programme for the entire development across Barking and Dagenham and Havering suggests a build-out period of approximately six years, with phases overlapping or occurring concurrently to reduce the overall construction timeline. The proposed development within Barking and Dagenham (Phase 1) would be constructed upfront in a single phase.

The application was approved by a majority vote of the committee.

For more details on the planning committee's discussions, refer to the Public reports pack Wednesday 14-Oct-2026 19.00 Planning Committee.