Havering

Local plan

The Havering Local Plan 2016–2031 was adopted on 17 November 2021, replacing the 2008 Core Strategy/Development Control Policies and the policies in the Romford Area Action Plan, while retaining the 2008 Site Specific Allocations, Romford site allocations and 2012 Joint East London Waste Plan. [1][2]

For home projects, the Inspector’s report identifies Policy 7 (residential design and amenity), Policy 10 (garden and backland development), Policy 28 (heritage) and Policy 30 (natural environment), but the final consolidated wording and policies map still need checking before site-specific advice. [3]

The Romford Town Centre Masterplan SPD was adopted on 12 March 2025. [9]

The replacement Local Plan is under review; the April 2025 programme’s intended 2026 consultation and submission stages are not evidence that a replacement has been adopted. [4][5]

Householder design guide

Havering still lists the Residential Extensions and Alterations SPD, March 2011, as guidance; it must not be confused with the separate Residential Design SPD 2010, which was revoked when the Local Plan was adopted. [1][2][6]

For applications needing permission, the 2011 guide gives general rear-extension depths of 3 m for terraced houses and 4 m for semi-detached or detached houses, measured from the original rear wall, with scope for a contextual assessment rather than an automatic entitlement. [6]

Those figures are design guidance, not a current permitted-development checklist: the guide also considers garden size, neighbouring buildings, orientation and site levels. [6]

Within the mapped Hall Lane or Emerson Park policy areas, also consult their retained 2009 SPDs and the relevant zone or sector map rather than applying the general extension guidance alone. [1][7][8]

Validation list

Use the council’s currently linked Checklist 001 for householder applications or Checklist 004 for full applications, with the latter route covering works to flats and maisonettes rather than treating these as householder applications. [10]

Prepare the application forms, ownership information, fee and location/site plans alongside scaled existing and proposed drawings, including relevant levels, roof details and materials. [11][12]

The checklists set proposal-specific triggers for further evidence, such as potential harm to neighbours’ daylight and effects on heritage assets, rather than requiring every listed report for every project. [11][12]

The linked PDFs retain older NPPF paragraph references. Clarify disputed additional requirements against current NPPF DM2, which calls for proportionate information and limits extra local requirements to specified development-plan assessments. [11][12][13]

Article 4 directions

Two HMO directions effective from 13 July 2016 remove the C3-to-C4 permitted-development route for all dwelling types in the mapped former Brooklands, Romford Town, Heaton and Gooshays ward areas, and for flats, terraced and semi-detached houses—but not detached houses—in the mapped remainder. [15][16][17]

The May 2022 ward changes did not change these direction boundaries, so check the original maps rather than relying on today’s ward name. [14]

A proposed new borough-wide direction, including detached houses throughout Havering, is under consultation until 5 pm on 16 October 2026 and does not yet replace the existing directions. [18]

Separately, the confirmed demolition direction for Exchange House, 180–182 St Marys Lane, Upminster, took effect on 4 August 2022; its site-specific restriction must not be extended to the whole town. [21][22]

Conservation areas

The council lists 11 conservation areas: Corbets Tey, Cranham, Gidea Park, Havering-atte-Bower, Langtons, North Ockendon, RAF Hornchurch, Rainham, Romford, St Andrews and St Leonards. [23]

In Gidea Park, the replacement Article 4 direction took effect on 31 December 2015 and was confirmed on 24 June 2016; its two control levels, property schedule and elevation-specific restrictions must be checked rather than assuming every address has identical controls. [19][20]

The heritage webpage also lists additional controls in Cranham and Havering-atte-Bower, so check the applicable instrument, property schedule and confirmation record before relying on permitted development. [24]

Revised appraisal and management plans for Havering-atte-Bower, Langtons and RAF Hornchurch were consulted on from 12 March to 22 April 2026; that closed consultation does not itself establish adoption or a change to a statutory boundary. [25]

Basement policy

Havering’s householder and full-application checklists require a Basement Impact Assessment for a new or extended basement, with detail proportionate to the scheme’s scale, location and complexity. [11][12]

The assessment may form part of a flood-risk assessment or structural survey, while the structural-survey requirement calls for a suitably qualified chartered engineer to address stability and effects on adjoining or nearby properties. [12]

For householder proposals, the archaeology trigger includes a new basement within an Archaeological Priority Area, or groundworks within a Tier 1 Archaeological Priority Area; the full-application checklist has a broader groundworks trigger. [11][12]

These assessment requirements do not establish a universal allowance for basement depth, storeys or garden coverage. Read the complete adopted policies and check the property’s mapped constraints before designing the excavation. [2][12]

CIL rates

For permissions granted in 2026, Havering’s indexed residential CIL rates are £151.52/m² in Zone A (North) and £66.67/m² in Zone B (South); that category includes private care and retirement homes but excludes Extra Care. [26]

Use the charging-zone map, with the A1306 separating the two zones, rather than inferring the rate from a postal address or using the original unindexed 2019 figures. [26][27]

The separate 2026 Mayoral CIL2 rate is £30.30/m², as published by the GLA, not the £25/m² base figure still mentioned in older explanatory text. [28][26]

These are rates for assessing net chargeable floorspace, subject to applicable reliefs and exemptions—not an automatic project bill—and no discount from the proposed temporary London CIL relief has been applied. [26][37]

Pre-application advice

The published householder prices checked on 3 October 2026 are £138 for telephone advice with an emailed summary or £229 for written advice, including VAT. [29]

The telephone option is unavailable for properties in conservation areas or the Green Belt, and for listed buildings; the council directs those applicants to written advice instead. [29]

For new residential proposals, including conversions and annexes, the published written-advice prices are £411 for one unit and £797 for two or three units, including VAT. [30]

The stated aim for householder written advice and these small new-residential written services is 20 working days, which is a service target rather than a guaranteed response date. [29][30]

Building control

For council building-control enquiries, use buildingcontrol@havering.gov.uk; to speak to an inspector, the published number is 01708 433100, between 9 am and 10 am, Monday to Friday. [31][32]

The council provides online site-inspection booking, while 01708 432700 is the separate number published for card payments rather than the inspector advice line. [33][32]

Building-control charges depend on the type of work, number of dwellings and/or floor area, so use the appropriate work category rather than assuming a single standard fee. [32]

For new housing schemes, also check the Building Safety Levy rules operating from 1 October 2026, including the exemptions and transitional arrangements, alongside Havering’s submission procedures. [35][34]

The 2026 Future Homes and Buildings Standards regulations generally commence on 24 March 2027. Specified provisions for higher-risk building work and work to existing higher-risk buildings commence on 24 September 2027, with separate transitional arrangements. Confirm the provisions, application and start dates applicable to the project; the new-home standard is not a blanket requirement to retrofit an existing home. [38]