Council Backs 1,298 Affordable Homes Scheme on Green Belt Dagenham 2026

Key Points

• Planning Approval Granted: Barking and Dagenham Council’s planning committee has voted by a majority to approve the section of a 1,298-home redevelopment situated within its boundary.
• Site and Scope: The scheme covers 22.5 hectares at the former Crowlands Heath Golf Course on Wood Lane, straddling two east London boroughs.
• Borough Division: Barking and Dagenham approved 300 homes on its side, subject to a Section 106 legal agreement, whilst the remaining 998 homes fall under the London Borough of Havering.
• 100% Affordable Housing: Developer Homes4Life proposed that all dwellings across the site will be affordable, designated as 60 per cent social housing for rent and 40 per cent for key workers.
• Local Infrastructure: The masterplan includes green open spaces, play areas, a community centre, sports facilities, a mini-supermarket, and expanded sports pitches for an adjacent secondary school.
• Planning Process: A separate planning decision is required from Havering Council for the larger 998-home section, alongside final sign-offs on legal developer contributions.

Dagenham (East London Times) October 15, 2026 – Barking and Dagenham Council has backed plans for a 1,298-home affordable housing development on a former golf course spanning two east London boroughs.

The council’s planning committee voted by a majority to approve the section of the Crowlands Heath Golf Course redevelopment within its boundary, comprising 300 homes, subject to a Section 106 agreement. The wider 22.5-hectare scheme, brought forward by developer Homes4Life, extends into neighbouring Havering, where the remaining 998 homes are proposed and subject to a separate planning decision.

What are the full details of the Crowlands Heath Golf Course proposal?

As reported by local media coverage in the Barking and Dagenham Post, developer Homes4Life has submitted comprehensive plans to transform the former 22.5-hectare golf course site along Wood Lane into a residential community. The site sits within a vestigial belt of designated green belt land that straddles the administrative boundary between the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham and the London Borough of Havering.

The entire 1,298-home outline scheme is designed to deliver 100 per cent affordable housing across both boroughs. According to project details released by Kanda Consulting on behalf of Homes4Life, the housing allocation across the masterplan consists of 60 per cent social rent units intended for families on council waiting lists and 40 per cent designated specifically for key workers, particularly staff working within the National Health Service.

The architectural masterplan, drawn up by design firm RCKa, includes multi-storey residential blocks ranging up to six storeys alongside family houses. The design seeks to retain mature trees along the periphery and internal boundaries, incorporating a 10 per cent biodiversity net gain through new public green spaces, play areas, and a central lake feature. Additional infrastructure within the scheme comprises a local community centre, dedicated sports facilities, a mini-supermarket, and an expansion of sports pitches to serve the adjoining secondary school.

Why did Barking and Dagenham Council approve the initial 300 homes?

As reported by planning officers in official committee documentation, the approval granted by Barking and Dagenham Council pertains directly to the 300 homes situated within its municipal jurisdiction. The decision was secured by a majority vote among planning committee members, conditional upon the satisfactory completion of a Section 106 legal obligation to secure funding for local infrastructure, transport, and community services.

During committee deliberations, officers noted that while the land sits within designated green belt territory, the site functioned as a private golf course and was deemed by the applicant to be commercially unsustainable in its prior form. The severe demand for affordable accommodation across east London was cited as a major material consideration weighing in favour of the application.

As reported by local reporting in the Barking and Dagenham Post, representative Marc Pennick of Homes4Life presented the overarching vision for the development to local authorities, emphasizing the social impact of the project. As reported by the Barking and Dagenham Post, Mr Pennick stated that

“this development would deliver homes for the young, families and the vulnerable that all integrate together.”

What is the status of the remaining 998 homes in Havering?

Because the 22.5-hectare former golf course straddles municipal borders, the larger portion of the scheme—comprising 998 proposed dwellings—falls entirely under the jurisdiction of Havering Council. Barking and Dagenham Council’s planning decision applies exclusively to the 300-home footprint on its side of the boundary and does not bind Havering to approve the remainder.

As reported by local news outlets covering council proceedings, representatives from Homes4Life previously presented early outline concepts for the site to Havering Council’s strategic planning committee. During those preliminary discussions, the proposal met with scrutiny from local representatives. As reported by the Barking and Dagenham Post, former councillor Viddy Persaud expressed strong disapproval regarding building on green belt land during the initial presentation sessions.

Havering Council must formally evaluate and determine its independent planning application for the 998 homes. Should Havering approve its section, the full 1,298-home redevelopment will move forward as a single cross-borough masterplan; if Havering refuses, the overall scale and layout of the Homes4Life scheme will require substantial revision.

Background of the Crowlands Heath Redevelopment

The site of the proposed housing scheme was historically operated as Crowlands Heath Golf Course, a 9-hole facility located on Wood Lane in Dagenham. Over recent years, the operation of the course became commercially unviable, leading the site owners and masterplanners to explore alternative uses for the green belt land.

In late 2025 and early 2026, developer Homes4Life initiated formal pre-application public consultations, hosting public exhibitions at St Agnes Church Hall in Romford and All Saints Catholic School in Dagenham. The consultations presented a masterplan aimed at addressing acute housing waiting lists across east London by reallocating private recreation land for 100 per cent affordable housing, split between social rent and key worker provisions. Planning applications were subsequently lodged with both Barking and Dagenham Council and Havering Council, alongside notification to the Greater London Authority regarding development on designated green belt land.

Prediction: How this development could affect local residents and key workers

If the full 1,298-home redevelopment gains final planning consent across both authorities, it stands to significantly impact local residents, NHS key workers, and the wider East London housing market.

For households on local authority housing registers in Barking and Dagenham and Havering, the allocation of 60 per cent social rent housing will provide hundreds of permanently affordable council-rate homes, directly easing severe overcrowding and long waiting lists in both boroughs. For NHS staff and public sector employees, the reserved 40 per cent key worker provision will offer below-market accommodation near local healthcare facilities, improving worker retention in critical public services.

Conversely, for existing residents living near Wood Lane, the transition from a low-density golf course to a high-density estate of up to six storeys will alter local urban character and increase traffic volume along regional access roads. The ultimate impact on the community will depend on whether local infrastructure—including school places, transport links, and healthcare capacity—can absorb the influx of new residents secured through Section 106 contributions.