Elm Park is a suburban
planned community
A planned community, planned city, planned town, or planned settlement is any community that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed on previously undeveloped land. This contrasts with settlements that evolve ...
in East
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
within the
London Borough of Havering
The London Borough of Havering () in East London, England, forms part of Outer London. It has a population of 259,552 inhabitants; the principal town is Romford, while other communities are Hornchurch, Upminster, Collier Row and Rainham. Th ...
. Located east-northeast of
Charing Cross
Charing Cross ( ) is a junction in Westminster, London, England, where six routes meet. Clockwise from north these are: the east side of Trafalgar Square leading to St Martin's Place and then Charing Cross Road; the Strand leading to the City; ...
, it is identified as a district centre in the
London Plan
The London Plan is the statutory spatial development strategy for the Greater London area in the United Kingdom that is written by the Mayor of London and published by the Greater London Authority.
The regional planning document was first pub ...
with several streets of shops and a priority for regeneration. Prior to the construction of the extensive Elm Park Garden City development in the 1930s it was a scattered settlement of farms in the south of the parish of Hornchurch. Elm Park has been connected to central London by the electrified
District line
The District line is a London Underground line running from in the east and Edgware Road in the west to in west London, where it splits into multiple branches. One branch runs to in south-west London and a short branch, with a limited serv ...
service since 1935 and the planned development of the area formed part of the
interwar
In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days), the end of the First World War to the beginning of the Second World War. The interwar period was relativel ...
private housing boom that was interrupted by
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
. After the war Elm Park expanded with social housing and it has formed part of
Greater London
Greater may refer to:
* Greatness, the state of being great
*Greater than, in inequality
* ''Greater'' (film), a 2016 American film
* Greater (flamingo), the oldest flamingo on record
* "Greater" (song), by MercyMe, 2014
* Greater Bank, an Austra ...
since 1965.
History
Toponymy
The place name Elm Park was devised in 1933.
It was derived from Elm Farm, which is first recorded in 1777 and was known as Elms in 1883.
Local government
The area that became Elm Park formed part of the
South End ward of the parish of Hornchurch; the large ancient parish occupied the same area as the
royal manor and
liberty
Liberty is the ability to do as one pleases, or a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant (i.e. privilege). It is a synonym for the word freedom.
In modern politics, liberty is understood as the state of being free within society fr ...
of
Havering. The Havering courts and Hornchurch vestry were the principal local government in the area. The liberty was abolished in 1892 and the parish vestry in 1894. Elected local government was incorporated by the
Local Government Act 1894
The Local Government Act 1894 (56 & 57 Vict. c. 73) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales outside the County of London. The Act followed the reforms carried out at county level u ...
. Hornchurch
civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a type of Parish (administrative division), administrative parish used for Local government in England, local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below district ...
was governed by Hornchurch Parish Council and formed part of the
Romford Rural District, governed by Romford Rural District Council.
As the population was increasing, in 1926 the Hornchurch parish was removed from the rural district to become
Hornchurch Urban District
Hornchurch was a local government district in southwest Essex from 1926 to 1965, formed as an Urban district (Great Britain and Ireland), urban district for the civil parish of Hornchurch. It was greatly expanded in 1934 with the addition of Cran ...
and the parish council became Hornchurch Urban District Council. The council, based in
Langtons House
Langtons House and Langtons Gardens are a grade II listed 18th century house and landscaped gardens located in Hornchurch, in the London Borough of Havering, Greater London. The house and gardens became local authority property in 1929 and are ...
from 1929, was the planning authority during the transition of Elm Park from farms to suburban development. The Hornchurch Urban District was abolished in 1965 and Elm Park became part of the
London Borough of Havering
The London Borough of Havering () in East London, England, forms part of Outer London. It has a population of 259,552 inhabitants; the principal town is Romford, while other communities are Hornchurch, Upminster, Collier Row and Rainham. Th ...
in Greater London.
Urban development
Elm Park Garden City was a planned community by the developer
Richard Costain and Sons Ltd., drawing on the ideas of the
garden city movement
The garden city movement was a 20th century urban planning movement promoting satellite communities surrounding the central city and separated with greenbelts. These Garden Cities would contain proportionate areas of residences, industry, a ...
. Costain purchased the land of Wyebridge, Elm and Uphavering farms for the development in 1933. Plans were announced for 7,000 houses on of land for private sale in May 1933, and were submitted to Hornchurch Urban District Council in June. Costain negotiated a higher density of development than was usually permitted. In return the council achieved some improvements, including provision of wider roads, a bridge over the railway line, and the donation of land for
Harrow Lodge Park. Costain built an estate office at the corner of Coronation Drive and Maylands Avenue that later became occupied by a
real estate solicitor.
Costain negotiated with the
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMSIt has been argued that the initials LMSR should be used to be consistent with LNER, GWR and SR. The London, Midland and Scottish Railway's corporate image used LMS, and this is what is generally ...
to have a station built on the London to Southend railway that ran through the area and
Elm Park Underground station, served by the
District line
The District line is a London Underground line running from in the east and Edgware Road in the west to in west London, where it splits into multiple branches. One branch runs to in south-west London and a short branch, with a limited serv ...
of the
London Underground
The London Underground (also known simply as the Underground or by its nickname the Tube) is a rapid transit system serving Greater London and some parts of the adjacent counties of Buckinghamshire, Essex and Hertfordshire in England.
The U ...
, opened in 1935. The station and the Elm Park Garden City were officially opened by
Hilton Young,
Minister of Health in May 1935. Celebrations to mark the opening included a performance by the
Dagenham Girl Pipers. The Assembly Hall, intended to be used as a recreation space and theatre, was given to the
Elm Park Residents' Association, which was established in July 1935. The estate was marketed as "Elm Park Romford", with
Romford
Romford is a large town in east London and the administrative centre of the London Borough of Havering. It is located northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. Historically, Romfo ...
approximately to the north. A frequent bus service was provided from 1939.
House building on the estate was halted by
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
. Because of the proximity of
RAF Hornchurch
Royal Air Force Hornchurch or RAF Hornchurch is a former Royal Air Force Royal Air Force station, sector station in the parish of Hornchurch, Essex (now the London Borough of Havering in Greater London), located to the southeast of Romford. The a ...
the area was subject
aerial bombing with some damage to the housing stock. After the war national housing policy had changed and Hornchurch Urban District Council deviated from the Costain plans to provide higher density
social housing
Public housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is usually owned by a government authority, either central or local. Although the common goal of public housing is to provide affordable housing, the details, terminology, d ...
through
compulsory purchase
Compulsion may refer to:
* Compulsive behavior
Compulsive behavior is defined as performing an action persistently and repetitively. Compulsive behaviors could be an attempt to make obsessions go away. The act is usually a small, restricted a ...
of the land, using loans from the
Public Works Loan Board. By 1964 the council had created 1,146 council houses in Elm Park.
Governance
Elm Park is divided between the three wards of Elm Park, Hacton and St Andrew's, all within the London Borough of Havering. Each ward elects three councillors to
Havering London Borough Council. The majority of Elm Park is within the Elm Park ward, but the area to the east of The Broadway and north of the railway is in St Andrew's ward; and the area to the south of the railway and to the east of The Broadway is in the Hacton ward. The Elm Park ward is in the
Dagenham and Rainham UK Parliament constituency, with the Hacton and St Andrew's wards in the
Hornchurch and Upminster constituency. All of Elm Park is within the
Havering and Redbridge London Assembly constituency.
Geography
Open spaces in the area include
Harrow Lodge Park, Hornchurch Country Park, Swallow Walk,
Brettons Park and Eastbrookend Country Park of the
Thames Chase
Thames Chase is a community forest of 9842 hectares (24,320 acres/38 square miles) located in 47 sites in London and Essex, England. Its stated aim is "to renew and regenerate the landscape at the edge of East London and South Essex by creating T ...
forest. Nearest places are
Dagenham
Dagenham () is a town in East London, England, within the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. Dagenham is centred east of Charing Cross.
It was historically a rural parish in the Becontree Hundred of Essex, stretching from Hainault Fo ...
,
Rainham, and
Romford
Romford is a large town in east London and the administrative centre of the London Borough of Havering. It is located northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. Historically, Romfo ...
.
Demography
The 2001 census shows the Elm Park ward has a population density higher than the borough of Havering, lower than all of London, but much higher than England as a whole. The population is predominately White, 92% within the
White British
White British is an ethnicity classification used for the native white population identifying as English, Scottish, Welsh, Cornish, Northern Irish, or British in the United Kingdom Census. In the 2011 census, the White British population w ...
classification, which is typical for the borough, and both higher than London and England. The mean and median average age of the population is 40, which is typical for the borough, about five years above London as a whole and slightly above the average for England.
Economy
Elm Park is identified as a district centre in the
London Plan
The London Plan is the statutory spatial development strategy for the Greater London area in the United Kingdom that is written by the Mayor of London and published by the Greater London Authority.
The regional planning document was first pub ...
and a priority for regeneration. Within Havering it is near to the major centre at Hornchurch and metropolitan centre at Romford. The compact retail area extends along the whole of The Broadway, which is flanked by the Station Parade and Tadworth Parade precincts, and continues along parts of Elm Park Avenue and Saint Nicholas Avenue. There are 196 units in the town centre. As of November 2012, 13.91% are convenience goods, 30.43% comparison goods, 42.61% services, and 13.04% vacant. These include a variety of independent and high street brand shops, including banks, clothes shops, pharmacies, bakers, greengrocers, fishmongers, florists, opticians, bicycle shops, butchers, hairdressers, grocery stores, off licence, dry cleaners, travel agents, and a post office. The unit sizes are fairly small, with a
Tesco Express
Tesco plc () is a British multinational groceries and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Welwyn Garden City, England. In 2011 it was the third-largest retailer in the world measured by gross revenues and the ninth-largest in th ...
and
The Co-operative Food forming some of the larger stores. In 2013 an
M local
My Local was a chain of 130 convenience shops in the United Kingdom.
Funded by the private equity house and turnaround specialists Greybull Capital, My Local was formed in 2015 to acquire Morrisons struggling chain of M Local convenience shops wi ...
branded Morrisons convenience store opened and a
Sainsbury's
J Sainsbury plc, trading as Sainsbury's, is the second largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom, with a 14.6% share of UK supermarket sales.
Founded in 1869 by John James Sainsbury with a shop in Drury Lane, London, the company w ...
replaced the former Elm Park Hotel. There is a library which has recently been rebuilt.
There is a number of takeaways, cafes and restaurants.
Transport
Elm Park is served by Elm Park Underground station and has
London Bus services to nearby
Romford
Romford is a large town in east London and the administrative centre of the London Borough of Havering. It is located northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. Historically, Romfo ...
,
Rainham and Hornchurch town centre. Regeneration linked to the
Thames Gateway
Thames Gateway is a term applied to an area around the Thames Estuary in the context of discourse around regeneration and further urbanisation. The term was first coined by the UK government and applies to an area of land stretching east from ...
project has been mooted and recent changes such as the installation of new street lighting have been made. The
East London Transit
East London Transit (ELT) is a part-segregated bus rapid transit, operated as part of the London Buses network. The East London Transit opened in phases between 2010 and 2013. The scheme for this system was developed by Transport for London to ...
includes an option to serve the area.
Elm Park was the site of a derailment of a
British Rail
British Railways (BR), which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was a state-owned company that operated most of the overground rail transport in Great Britain from 1948 to 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the Big Four (British ra ...
commuter service on 29 March 1965 resulting in two deaths and 15 people being injured: an act of vandalism by unknown persons (placing an obstruction on the line) derailed a London Fenchurch St. to Shoeburyness passenger train travelling at 70 m.p.h.
Culture and community
Regeneration in the area is led by Havering London Borough Council and the Elm Park Regeneration Partnership. Elm Park is served by several churches - the Elm Park Baptist Church, St Albans Catholic Church, and St. Nicholas Church of England. It is also home to Arise Metropolitan Assembly which meets at the annex of the Elm Park Community Assembly Hall on Eyhurst/St.Nicholas Avenue, Christ Life Church and Eagles Christian Connections. It is also in Elm Park that the London Metropolitan Assembly convened by Apostle George Akalonu meets each month to discuss issues of common interest to faith, civic and community leaders.
See also
*
List of people from Havering
*
List of schools in Havering
References
{{LB Havering
Areas of London
Districts of the London Borough of Havering
Planned communities
1935 establishments in England
District centres of London