A major Romford building could be redeveloped into a community hub if plans take shape.

The existing YMCA site in Rush Green Road has been standing since 1969, but a Havering Council newsletter said it has been deemed "outdated".

A spokesperson for YMCA Thames Gateway Group, which includes the Romford branch, confirmed plans were in motion but at a very early stage.

The Romford branch provides community-based activities and services that focus on young people.

The YMCA team want to build a community hub for Havering and Barking and Dagenham residents, according to the council's newsletter.

A survey is open and is asking the nearby community what they would want and need from the hub, the YMCA spokesperson explained.

“We’re doing a lot of research and due diligence, liaising with core local organisations [...] to find out what they feel is currently needed, and missing, in the community,” they said.

“We want to make sure the new hub delivers what people want – what the communities we serve want – and that requires a lot of foundation work to be done."

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Among the organisations it is in discussions with are Havering and Barking and Dagenham Councils and Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs nearby Queen's Hospital.

The YMCA spokesperson said there is still a lot of work to be done before a development start date can be announced.

A board meeting at the end of March where survey findings will be presented is set to be "the first big step to this all becoming real", they added.

The charity admits that improvements to the existing facility are needed.

“The one big factor for us is that the accommodation does not allow the independent living we would like the young people we support to have," the spokesperson said.

“The rooms are hostel-style, with shared facilities and meals provided.

“We want to modernise the accommodation to allow young people to live more independently during their time with us.”

The deadline for entries to the survey, open to residents of both boroughs, is midnight on January 31.

You can access the survey to register your views at surveymonkey.com/r/YMCATGG-nonmem.