Construction to begin on former Harold Hill college site

A formal “first spade in the ground” ceremony was held at the Havering College Quarles Campus in Harold Hill on Tuesday (July 4) to mark the start of the building work.

A planning application to replace the college building with 120 homes was approved in July 2021 after the site was vacated in 2020.

The Roe Wood Park development is set to be built on the site of a former Havering College campus (Image: Bellway London Partnerships)

Of these, 73 houses and apartments were proposed for private sale and 47 for 'affordable' homes that will be available to local people through low-cost rent or shared ownership.

Read More: Proposal to build mews style houses in Hornchurch sent

Developer Bellway London Partnerships is spearheading the project as part of its joint venture with Havering Council’s fully owned firm, Mercury Land Holdings.

A spokesperson for the council said in a press release that Bellway will now progress with building the homes on the nine-acre site off Tring Gardens.

Demolition of existing structures began on June 22 this year and is still reportedly underway.

David Burns, Managing Director of Bellway London Partnerships, said the start of the construction work “represents a significant milestone” in the progress of this “exciting scheme”, in which more than one third of the properties will be affordable homes.

The plots, he said, could be released for sale this autumn and he anticipates to open a sales office on the development in September.

Councillor Paul McGeary, Cabinet Lead for Housing, added that as a Gooshays ward councillor he is “particularly interested” in this scheme.

The project, he said, will provide more choices to buyers of “high quality” homes, and open up more properties for social housing.

Bellway London Partnership is expected to hand over keys to the first residents in 2024 and the overall project could take over three years to complete.