A RUNDOWN estate plagued by crime will see a new energy centre built after the council was awarded a grant by the government.

Marlowe Road Estate in Walthamstow is currently undergoing a £70million regeneration and redevelopment project.

Waltham Forest Council successfully bid for the £1million grant from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

The funding will be used to extend the low-carbon heat network on Marlowe Road and Wood Street South in Walthamstow.

The network will be run from a new energy centre built on the estate, which is expected to be completed by 2019 along with the first phase of homes.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has set a target for 25 per cent of London’s heating to be provided locally from lower carbon sources by 2025, in an effort to improve air quality.

Minister for Climate Change and Industry, Nick Hurd said: “Energy innovations like heat networks can cut costs for households and reduce carbon emissions, as almost half of the energy we use goes towards heating our homes and buildings.

“The £1million in government funding awarded to this project will help deliver low carbon energy at competitive prices for local consumers in Waltham Forest.”