Prospective Labour candidates for Beam Park Ward, Trevor McKeever and Matt Stanton are actively calling on Havering Council to ensure that planning permission for housing schemes is only given if there will be provision of health services, school places, highways infrastructure and environmental protection to cut flood risks across the area.

The Beam Park site along the old A13 is set to deliver over 3000 new homes when completed, meaning more demand for services. Over the past few year’s health provision has been severely reduced in the area and the team are working hard to ensure that a Health Centre is delivered with the new development to meet the needs of the local community.

Trevor said: “Overdevelopment isn’t just something banded around to scare people, it comes with legitimate problems if the proper infrastructure isn’t put in place alongside it. We’ve seen health centres and GP practices disappear from the area in recent years and an extra 3000 homes will put the few services we have left under incredible strain.”

Matt added: “Trevor and I believe that more investment is needed across the ward, and that the developers of Beam Park cannot be allowed to run rough shod over existing communities. Havering Council should be ensuring that these developers, who are set to make millions, put some of their money into the surrounding area to improve roads, pavements, transport links and street lighting.”

Jon Cruddas MP and his Beam Park co-ordinators Trevor and Matt are working to address the flooding concerns in the area, part of which is liaising with Thames Water, the Environment Agency, Network Rail and Havering Council to hold them to account for outstanding works and a plan moving forward.

The team explained: “Havering Council recently invested in flood management works across Romford, it’s a shame the south of the borough doesn’t fit in with their agenda. We’re urging the council to work with agencies to ensure that existing issues are resolved, and that the new developments do not fall victim to flooding. It’s time the whole borough levelled up, not just the north.”