The borough was also recently ranked as London’s ‘unhappiest’ (Picture: Getty Images)
Plans to transform a golf course in East London into a new residential development have taken a step forward, following the submission of an environmental impact assessment.
Crowlands Heath Golf Course in Dagenham will be demolished to facilitate the construction of roughly 1,300 new homes, accompanied by new infrastructure and sports amenities.
The plans cover approximately 24.13 hectares of land that straddles the boundary between Havering Council and Barking and Dagenham.
This redevelopment project follows Barking and Dagenham Council’s decision on 14 October 2025 to sell the freehold of the golf course site to H4Life Ltd.
As part of the agreement, 60% of the new homes will be allocated for social rent and 40% designated for key worker housing.
Aside from the residential units, the proposal incorporates between 1,200 and 4,500 square metres of retail, community, and leisure space.
The development also aims to retain existing natural features such as lakes and introduce new parkland to expand public access to green spaces.
This is closely aligned with broader objectives to promote biodiversity and environmental sustainability within the borough.
Council leader Dominic Twomey expressed optimism about the scheme’s potential positive impact, stating that it would ‘benefit thousands of people’ and help meet the borough’s pressing affordable housing requirements.
Crowlands Heath Golf Course will be demolished to make way for the development
House prices in Dagenham
According to Rightmove, the average house price in Dagenham over the past year is £366,513, considerably below the London average of £658,016.
Earlier this year, the IG11 postcode in Barking and Dagenham was identified as the cheapest postcode in the capital for property.
Terraced properties in the area sell for an average price of £385,317, flats for an average of £224,105, and semi-detached properties fetch £416,750.
House prices in Dagenham over the last year were 4% up on the previous year and similar to the 2022 peak of £368,161.
Property prices in Dagenham are far below the London average (Picture: Getty Images)
What locals say about Dagenham
Many locals are less than enthused about Dagenham as an area to live in, and Barking and Dagenham was previously named London’s ‘unhappiest borough’ in a Rightmove survey.
One Reddit user said they thought Barking and Dagenham is London’s ‘worst’ borough, writing in a reply to a post: ‘London boroughs are all very patchy with good bits next to bad bits.
‘However, I do think Dagenham as it stands doesn’t have much to redeem it. Investment is pouring in but for now the best things about Dagenham is that it has good transport links to take you out of it’.
Barking and Dagenham has a high level of poverty compared to other boroughs, and several Reddit users pointed out that this contributes to its undesirable reputation.
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Under a post asking about safety in the area, one user wrote: ‘Dagenham is a bit more deprived than other areas of London, and it has problems that go along with that. It wouldn’t be high on my list of places to stay, in fact it would probably be close to bottom.’
Another added: ‘It’s a very poor part of London, so I don’t expect you’ll have a really fun time there.’
Meanwhile, the new development at the site of Crowlands Heath Golf Course could contribute positively to housing supply, green space accessibility, and social infrastructure in the area.
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However, the project’s ultimate success hinges on securing final planning permissions from both Havering and Barking and Dagenham councils.
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