A DEVELOPER has kept his promise to clean up an area of land labelled an eyesore by angry residents before building on it.

Larry Fenttiman, a boss from Inner London Group, which is set to build a healthcare centre and 93 flats on the site at Roneo Corner, in Romford, drafted in a team to cut the grass and start restoring the site Tuesday following complaints.

The scheme for the patch of land, at the corner of Rom Valley Way and Rush Green Road, was given planning approval back in July this year but work has been held up while certain legal procedures are finalised.

Perimeter fencing was put around the site in preparation for construction meaning it was closed to the public and not maintained.

Trees were cut down to avoid birds settling in nesting season and a redundant toilet block was demolished uncovering cables, injection needles and dead rats, which have since been cleared.

But now the fencing has also been removed residents and campaign group Rom Way Action Group (RWAG) are concerned at the “health hazard” which remains.

Ruby Milton of RWAG said: “They’ve left the land very derelict. They’ve pulled a toilet block down and there’s stumps from trees cut down for people to trip over.

“It’s a mess.”

Mr Fenttiman said it was “the tenants association” that wanted the fencing up, though would not name it, and residents who later asked for it to be removed but said he would nevertheless ensure the site was cleaned up this week.

He added he had been against putting the fencing up from the start but thought the residents “should have control”.

See this Friday’s Romford Recorder for the full report.