Weston Homes & Tesco given go-ahead for £0.5 billion Lorimer Village in Goodmayes Providing 1,280 new homes

Weston Homes and partner Tesco have received a Resolution to Grant planning permission from the London Borough of Redbridge to transform the 10.4 acre Tesco store and carpark site at 822 High Road in Goodmayes into Lorimer Village, a new £0.5 billion mixed-use urban-village development.

Lorimer Village will provide 1,280 new homes of mixed tenure, a replacement Tesco store, 1,710 sqm (18,406 sqft) of commercial space, a new 3-form primary school, 327 sqm (3,520 sqft) village hall, 400 sqm (4,306 sqft) community hub, landscaped gardens, parking facilities and public transport improvements.

With an eight year phased construction project anticipated to start on site in early 2022, Lorimer Village is one of the most important regeneration projects to be given the go-ahead in East London. The new urban-village will provide 14 medium-rise residential towers, rising from 10 to 22 storeys, with biodiverse and brown roofs, connected a podium level to form nine linked buildings.

Masterplanned by Weston Homes, RDA Architects and Allen Pyke landscape consultants the striking buildings at Lorimer Village are designed around a new civic square, four large landscaped podium courtyards and tree lined pedestrian boulevards, linking to a new station square and Goodmayes Railway Station. The buildings are set in 7.9 acres of landscaped grounds, school playground space, residential amenity space and landscaped roofscape, complete with tree lined pedestrian walkways and public open areas. Final build completion and occupations are scheduled for late 2030.

Lorimer Village is named in honour of historic local landowner Jocelyn Lorimer and Arts & Crafts architect Robert Lorimer who pioneered the building of ‘green suburbs’, urban housing designed around gardens and landscaping.

Of the 1,280 new one, two, three and four bedroom homes 35% (415) will be affordable homes providing rented, DMS and shared ownership units, assisting in meeting Redbridge’s increased housing need.

The village hall, designed in collaboration with Goodmayes Residents Association, will offer a wide range of much needed community uses for both new and existing local residents whilst the community hub has lounge areas, coffee bar and meeting rooms for meetings and events. Local employment space will be provided through flexible commercial space, workshops and cafes. There will be parking at lower ground level for both the Tesco store (420 spaces) and residential uses (220).

Lorimer Village has the benefit of a range of eco-credentials. The new housing and commercial facilities will be 100% electric powered using 682 PV panels sited on rooftops across the development. Alongside the biodiverse roofs and brown roofs there will be the ground and podium landscaped areas.

Along the adjacent High Road there will be a new bus lane, widened pavements, landscaping, tree planting and a new pedestrian crossing into adjacent Barley Lane Park. The 2,567 on-site cycle bays, renewable energy, and plan for encouraging public transport all comply with the London Plan and GLA Targets.

It is of paramount importance that Tesco maintain continuity of trading as the site is redeveloped. Therefore, the replacement store will be built in the current car park whilst the existing store remains open with a temporary car parking arrangement. Once the replacement store is open, the old store will be closed and demolished. There will be no loss of trading and the new store will open the day after the old one closes.

Bob Weston, Chairman & Chief Executive of Weston Homes says: “Weston Homes is delighted to have gained a resolution to grant planning for Lorimer Village, which will be delivering with our partner Tesco. Lorimer Village is one of several projects where Weston Homes is partnering with Tesco, regenerating unused land for new mixed tenure housing and employment generating commercial space.”

There is an urgent need to provide more low-cost housing for Londoners so collaborations like this between major retailers and housebuilders makes an important contribution.