CAMPAIGNERS are concerned the council’s plans to build thousands of homes will lead to overcrowding in an already “densely-populated” town.

Redbridge Council revealed its intention to redevelop Ilford on Tuesday, January 30, by releasing a new manifesto that promised the town would become “open for business”.

Along with the transformation of the station, in Cranbrook Road, into a modernised Crossrail line in 2019, many other old sites will be turned into new businesses and community hubs.

The first phase of the £15 million investment will begin in March and will see many vacant buildings reopened into small and local businesses.

Ilford will also receive 2,000 new homes, jobs and restaurants under a regeneration scheme.

Campaign group Ilford Noise (Neighbourhoods of Ilford South Engage), which was set up after the recent Redbridge Local Plan was revealed, believe that any more new homes will overpopulate the town.

The group aims to raise awareness of overdevelopment in the area, particularly as they believe housing developments in Ilford South are being advanced at an “alarming rate”.

Meenakshi Sharma, a member of Ilford Noise, said: “This will be extremely bad for the town, as overdevelopment has been going on for a while.

“Ilford already has so many new houses and is densely populated, so this will only enhance the problems for the residents.”

Ms Sharma is worried the regeneration will “add pressure” on people who currently live in Ilford.

She says: “As well as overpopulation, overcrowding may lead to extra pollution and too many pupils trying to get into the few schools we have.

“Nobody is against extra housing, we just think more should be invested into the people that already live in the town, instead of trying to entice new people to live here.”

Leader of Redbridge Council, Jas Athwal, said the plans would be beneficial for the area.

He said: “Ilford is brimming with potential.

“Crossrail is proving to be a fantastic catalyst for regeneration and we’re unlocking its huge development potential to position Ilford as a dynamic hub of retail, leisure, business, creative talent and commercial growth.

“As Ilford becomes a location of choice for developers and investors, we have ambitious regeneration plans designed to maximise the impact of these new opportunities, bringing new investment into the borough and making sure that local people realise real benefits from that investment.”

Redbridge Council has been contacted for comment.