A Romford homeless charity is hoping to make its shelter permanent, having managed it on a temporary basis until now.

Ahava Community, previously Hope4Havering, has submitted the planning application to keep delivering the service from its space on Atlanta Boulevard.

Called the Catalyst Night Shelter, it provides temporary accommodation for homeless people in the area.

In a documents submitted as part of the scheme, its stated aim is to “help you identify the specific help you need to find and sustain a workable housing situation”.

A series of golden rules are also laid out, including be respectful, patient and helpful.

Kim Merry, chief executive of Ahava Community, said the application requests the shelter be retained permanently in its current spot.

“We have had two previous temporary planning permissions granted and so were advised to make this permanent rather than keep incurring the cost of reapplying,” she said.

Kim said the number of beds requested would constitute a decrease, from 20 to 12, due to single rooms being used following the pandemic.

View the application using the reference P1546.22.