A proposal to build seven new homes on a site in Romford has been approved by Havering Council.

A planning application was sent on March 13 by One Source offering to erect seven two-storey 3-bed dwellings with associated parking and amenities on a plot of land alongside the Tweed Hall Community Centre.

A report by a planning officer said that the site is neither listed nor within a conservation area.

The provision of additional accommodation in the borough, he said, is consistent with the national planning rules and objectives of Havering Local Plan 2016-2031 to support new housing in sustainable locations.

He added that the plan has prioritised family housing within the scheme that will help address an identified shortfall in the region.

The proposal however was objected by some of the neighbours with 25 letters of representation sent over two public consultations.

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The letters raised issues such as parking problems, loss of green space and privacy, noise and disturbance and flood risk among others.

The planning officer noted that some of these, such as loss of view, is not material to making the planning decision.

Concerns were also raised about the new homes’ proximity to the community hall and the potential for noise and disturbance arising due to ambiguous nature of the hall’s use.

The officers however considered that this would be a “matter of choice” for future occupants and that there are “insufficient grounds” for withholding the permission.

The new dwellings, they believe, will be built according to current building regulations that can have mitigating factors added.

The application was given a go ahead by the council on November 28 after the officer’s recommendation.

Detailed planning documents for the development can be found on council’s website: https://development.havering.gov.uk/OcellaWeb/planningDetails?reference=P0413.23&from=planningSearch  .