Core Strategy and

Development Control Policies

Development Plan Document
Adopted 2008

Published by London Borough of Havering Design and Print 05/09 Job No 8310
2
Contents
1 Introduction 5
2 How to use this document 9
3 Havering’s Local Development Framework 15
4 Policy context 21
5 Key issues 29
6 Vision 49
7 Objectives 57
8 Key diagrams 63

9 Core Policies (CP) 67

CP1-CP2 Places to Live 71

CP3 Places to Work 81
CP4 Town Centres 91
CP5-CP7 Culture 99
CP8 Community Needs 111
CP9-CP10 Transport 117
CP11 Waste Management 127
CP12-CP13 Minerals 133
CP14 Green Belt 139
CP15-CP16 Environmental Management 145
CP17 Design 155
CP18 Heritage 161

10 Implementation and Monitoring 165

11 Development Control Policies (DC) 179

DC1-DC8 Places to Live 183

DC9-DC14 Places to Work 195
DC15-DC16 Town Centres 201
DC17-DC25 Culture 207
DC26-DC31 Community Needs 217
DC32-DC39 Transport 223
DC40 Waste Management 235
DC41-DC44 Minerals 237
DC45-DC47 Green Belt 243
DC48-DC60 Environmental Management 247
DC61-DC66 Design 263
DC67-DC71 Heritage 273
DC72 Planning Obligations 279

3
12 Index of policies 283
13 Glossary 287

Annexes

Annex 1 Relationship to Havering Unitary Development Plan 297

Annex 2 List of strategies 304
Annex 3 Housing Trajectory 307
Annex 4 District Centres and Local Centres 316
Annex 5 Car parking standards 326
Annex 6 Cycle parking standards 332

List of figures

Figure 1 Indicative open space deficiencies 107

Figure 2 Boundary of London Thames Gateway Development 178
Corporation
Figure 3 Indicative route of East London Transit 231
Figure 4 Wildlife corridors 259
All maps provided in the figures are based upon Ordnance Survey mapping with the permission of
the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office © Crown Copyright. Unauthorised reproduction
infringes Crown Copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. London Borough of
Havering 100024327.

4
1 Introduction

5
6
1 Introduction

1.1 Havering’s Local Development Framework (LDF) is a portfolio of different

documents which have been prepared to provide for the future planning of the
borough. This document is the most important LDF document. It is the Core
Strategy, so called because it sets the Council’s approach to the planning of
the whole borough up to 2020, and sets the framework for the Action Plans
and topic specific planning documents which compliment it and address other
planning issues in the borough.

7
8
2 How to use this
document

9
10
2 How to use this document

2.1 The Core Strategy establishes the Council’s vision for how the borough will
look in 2020, and the objectives for delivering this. It then includes two sets of
planning policies. The first set state the Council’s strategy for balancing the
need to deliver economic prosperity and new and affordable housing with the
protection and enhancement of the borough’s environmental quality. The
second set are more detailed development control policies which provide
more detailed guidance on the criteria against which planning proposals will
be determined.

2.2 Section 2 of this document explains how to use this document and its
background.

2.3 Section 3 of this document explains the different documents which comprise
Havering’s Local Development Framework, their purpose, how they relate to
each other, and when they will be prepared.

2.4 Sections 4 and 5 of this document set the context of the Core Strategy.

11
In developing the Core Strategy the Council has not started from a clean sheet
of paper. The vision, objectives and related policies within the Core Strategy
have to:

• Be consistent with Section 4 explains the national,

national guidance in the regional and local policy context
form of Planning Policy within which the Core Strategy
Guidance Notes, operates.
Statements and Circulars
as issued by the
Government

• Be in general conformity
with the London Plan
prepared by the Greater
London Authority.

• Be in support of the
Havering Strategic
Partnership’s Community
Strategy and have regard
to relevant local
strategies.

• Be founded on a robust Section 5 provides a snapshot of

evidence base. This is an the environmental, social and
analysis of the relevant economic character of Havering,
background data to help highlighting the key issues the
identify the key issues Core Strategy must address. The
that need addressing evidence base is developed in
more detail in the explanation
provided for each Core policy.
However in the interests of
keeping this document usable, a
lot of the evidence base is
‘signposted’ rather than repeated.

• Address issues arising The whole consultation process

from the feedback and how the responses received
received from the have been addressed in
community and other developing the Core Strategy is
stakeholders throughout provided in a separate document
the various consultation called a Statement of
initiatives undertaken in Compliance.
preparing the Core
Strategy

12
2.5 Section 6 sets out the Vision for how the Havering Strategic Partnership
wants Havering to look in 2020, and a set of objectives is provided in Section
7 for how this will be delivered. Section 8 provides a visual summary of the
Core Strategy in the form of a key diagram, looking first at Havering’s place in
East London and the Thames Gateway and then focusing on the borough
itself.

2.6 The Core Policies are provided in Section 9. These are ordered according to
the objectives they are focused on delivering. Each Core Policy includes an
explanation of the need for the policy with regard to the policy context and
evidence base and sets out how the policy will be monitored so the Council
can keep track of its effectiveness and the need for review. An overview of the
implementation and monitoring strategy for the Core Strategy is provided in
Section 10. The document then ‘signposts’ the reader to the related
Development Control Policies which are provided in Section 11 and
supporting guidance.

2.7 This diagram shows the Golden Thread which runs through this document.

Policy context
and evidence base

Key issues

Vision

Objectives

Core Policies

Development
Control Policies

Implementation

Indicators

Targets

Monitoring and Review

13
14
3 Havering’s Local
Development
Framework

15
16
3 Havering’s Local Development
Framework

3.1 Havering’s Local Development Framework (LDF) is a collection of documents

called Local Development Documents (LDDs). There are two types of Local
Development Documents: Development Plan Documents (DPDs) and
Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs) which provide supplementary
planning guidance to the policies within DPDs. Development Plan Documents
carry more weight as they are subject to an independent examination by a
Planning Inspector before they are adopted whereas the Council can prepare
SPDs and adopt them without any independent scrutiny. In order to ensure
that Havering’s Local Development Framework is helping to deliver
sustainable development, all Local Development Documents must be subject
to Sustainability Appraisal. (Please see the glossary for a definition of
sustainable development). All of Havering’s Local Development Documents
must be in general conformity with the London Plan.1

3.2 The Development Plan Documents within Havering’s Local Development

Framework, along with the London Plan, comprise the Development Plan for
the borough.2 If to any extent a policy contained in the Development Plan for
an area conflicts with another policy in the Development Plan the conflict must
be resolved in favour of the policy which is contained in the last document to
be approved or published.

3.3 To let people know in advance when they can become involved in the
preparation of LDDs, the Council has produced a document showing the
timetable for each Local Development Document it intends to produce over
the next three years. This document is called a Local Development Scheme
(LDS) and is available to view at [Link].

Development Planning Documents

3.4 As well as the Core Strategy and Development Control Policies, the LDS
shows that initially the Council intends to produce the following Development
Plan Documents:

• Site Specific This document will set out where there

Allocations are specific allocations for individual sites
such as sites allocated for housing and
sites within the London Riverside
regeneration area. Collectively these

1
Part 2, Section 24, Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004
2
Part 3, Section 38, Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004

17
 sites will help deliver the vision and
objectives of the Core Strategy.
• Proposals Map This will show the boundary of
development control policy designations,
the extent of the Romford Area Action
Plan, and the boundary of site specific
allocations.

• Romford Area Havering Council will prepare an Area

Action Plan Action Plan for Romford Town Centre
reflecting the continuing priority that the
Council is giving to the economic, social,
cultural and environmental regeneration
of the town centre and the need for high
quality development. The Area Action
Plan will build on the extensive work that
the Council and its partners have
undertaken in preparing the approved
Romford Urban Strategy Framework and
recent stakeholders investment. This
DPD will need to conform to the Spatial
Strategy set out in Havering's Core
Strategy.

• Joint Waste (DPD) Havering Council will prepare a Joint

Waste DPD with the London Boroughs of
Barking and Dagenham, Redbridge and
Newham, who form the East London
Waste Authority. This DPD will need to
conform to the Spatial Strategy set out in
Havering’s Core Strategy.

The Council also intends to produce two Development Plan Documents to

identify ‘Specific Sites and/or Preferred Areas’ for Minerals Extraction and to
identify sites to meet the identified needs of Gypsies and Travellers.

Supplementary Planning Documents

3.5 These will provide additional guidance to policies in the Core Strategy and
have been highlighted under the core and development control policies they
supplement.

• London Riverside
• Hornchurch Town Centre
• Sustainable Construction
• Heritage
• Hall Lane, Upminster
• Emerson Park

18
 • Gidea Park
• Educational Needs Generated by New Development
• Residential Density and Amenity Space
• Noise
• Protection of Trees During Development
• Havering Conservation Areas: Shopfront Design Guide
• Protecting the Borough's Biodiversity
• Affordable Housing
• Residential Extensions and Alterations
• Designing for Safer Places
• Planning Obligations
• Travel Plans

Relationship to other ‘saved’ policies.

3.6 Havering’s Local Development Framework will replace Havering’s Unitary

Development Plan adopted in March 1993. The policies within this were
saved for three years from the commencement of the Planning and
Compulsory Purchase Act which came into force September 2004. The table
provided in Annex 1 shows which policies within the Core Strategy replace
those within the UDP, which policies will be replaced by the Romford Area
Action Plan and Joint Waste Plan, and which policies will be deleted.

19
20
4 Policy Context

21
22
4 Policy Context

4.1 The Core Strategy will only be adopted if it is considered sound by the
Inspector at the independent examination against nine soundness tests. One
of the ‘soundness’ tests requires that Development Plan Documents are:

• consistent with national planning policy

• in general conformity with the London Plan
• have regard to any other relevant plans, policies and strategies relating
to the area or adjoining areas
• based on a robust and credible evidence base

National Planning Policy

4.2 The Government determines national policies on different aspects of planning

and the rules that govern the operation of the planning system. National
planning policies are set out in Planning Policy Statements (PPSs) and
Planning Policy Guidance notes (PPGs), Minerals Policy Statements (MPS)
and Minerals Planning Guidance notes (MPG), Circulars and Parliamentary
Statements. Local authorities must take their contents into account in
preparing their Core Strategies by ensuring that the plans and policies within
them are consistent with these national guidance.

4.3 In preparing the policies and proposals in the Core Strategy, the Council has,
therefore, had regard to the whole range of PPGs, PPSs, MPGs and MPSs
where they are relevant to the issues faced in Havering. The current range of
national planning guidance is provided on the following page. In addition there
are fifteen Mineral Planning Statements/Guidance Notes. Up to date copies of
all these statements and guidance can be found on the communities website.
References to planning policy statements and guidance in the reasoned
justification of the Core Policies and Development Control Policies is to the
most up to date version at the time the policy was written. The Council
recognises that these may have been updated or replaced since, and the
current versions should be referred to.

23
Planning Policy Statement 1: Delivering Sustainable Development Feb 05
PPS1 sets out the Government's overarching planning policies on the delivery of sustainable development, by
ensuring that environmental, economic and social objectives are balanced over time, by addressing the causes
and potential impacts of climate changes, promoting high quality inclusive design,and by achieving environments
accessible to the whole community.
Planning Policy Guidance 2: Green Belts Mar 00
PPG2 sets out the Government’s policy on the purpose of Green Belt and appropriate development within it.
Planning Policy Statement 3 Housing Nov 06
PPS3 underpins the Government’s response to the Barker Review of Housing Supply and the necessary step-
change in housing delivery, through a new, more responsive approach to land supply at the local level.
Planning Policy Guidance 4: Industrial, Commercial Development and Small Firms Nov 92
PPG4 sets out the Government’s policy on facilitating economic development in a way which is compatible with its
stated environmental objectives.
Planning Policy Statement 6: Planning for Town Centres Mar 05
PPS6 sets out the Government's policy on planning for the future of town centres.
Planning Policy Statement 7: Sustainable Development in Rural Areas Aug 04
PPS7 sets out the Government's planning policies for rural areas.
Planning Policy Guidance 8 : Telecommunications Aug 01
PPG8 gives guidance on planning for telecommunications development - including radio masts and towers,
antennas of all kinds, radio equipment housing, public call boxes, cabinets, poles and overhead wires.
Planning Policy Statement 9: Biodiversity and Geological Conservation Aug 05
PPS9 sets out planning policies on protection the of biodiversity and geological conservation through the planning
system.
Planning Policy Statement 10: Planning for Sustainable Waste Management July 05
PPS10 sets out the Government's policy to be taken into account by waste planning authorities and forms part of
the national waste management plan for the UK.
Planning Policy Statement 12: Local Development Frameworks Sep 04
PPS12 sets out the Government's policy on the preparation of local development documents which will comprise
the local development framework.
Planning Policy Guidance 13: Transport Mar 01
PPG3 sets out the Government’s policy on integrating planning and transport to promote more sustainable
transport choices, improved accessibility and reduce the need to travel.
Planning Policy Guidance 14: Development on unstable land 1990
PPG14 sets out the broad planning and technical issues to be addressed for the development on unstable land.
Planning Policy Guidance 15: Planning and the historic environment Sep 94
PPG15 provides a full statement of Government policies for the identification and protection of historic buildings,
conservation areas, and other elements of the historic environment.
Planning Policy Guidance 16: Archaeology and Planning Nov 90
PPG16 sets out Government policy on archaeological remains on land, and how they should be preserved or
recorded and gives advice on the handling of archaeological remains and discoveries.
Planning Policy Guidance 17: Planning for open space, sport and recreation July 02
PPG17 sets out Government policy for securing high quality, well managed and maintained and accessible open
spaces, sports and recreational facilities in the urban area and the countryside.
Planning Policy Guidance 19: Outdoor advertisement control Mar 92
PPG19 sets out the Government’s policies for controlling the impact of outdoor advertisements.
Planning Policy Guidance 21: Tourism Sep 92
PPG21 outlines the economic significance of tourism and its environmental impact, and therefore its importance in
land-use planning.
Planning Policy Statement 22: Renewable energy Aug 04
PPS22 sets out the Government's policies for renewable energy, which planning authorities should have regard to
when preparing local development documents and when taking planning decisions.
Planning Policy Statement 23: Planning and pollution control Nov 04
PPS23 complements the new pollution control framework under the Pollution Prevention and Control Act 1999
and the PPC Regulations 2000.
Planning Policy Guidance 24: Planning and noise Sep 94
PPG24 gives guidance on the use of planning powers to minimise the adverse impact of noise.
Planning Policy Statement 25: Development and Flood Risk Dec 06
PPS25 gives guidance to ensure that flood risk is taken into account at all stages in the planning process to avoid
inappropriate development in areas at risk of flooding, and to direct development away from areas at highest risk.

24
The London Plan

4.4 The Core Strategy is required to be in general conformity with the London
Plan prepared by the Greater London Authority.

4.5 The London Plan was adopted in February 2004.

4.6 The vision of the London Plan is to develop London as an exemplary,

sustainable world city, based on three interwoven themes:

• Strong, diverse long term economic growth

• Social inclusivity to give all Londoners the opportunity to share in
London’s future success
• Fundamental improvements in London’s environment and use of
resources.

4.7 Working with strategic partners, setting priorities for the Greater London
Authority (GLA) group, and in exercising his planning functions, the Mayor of
London seeks to implement the following objectives, which he stresses DPD
objectives should take fully into account:

• To accommodate London’s growth within its boundaries without

encroaching on open spaces
• To make London a better city for people to live in
• To make London a more prosperous city with strong and diverse
economic growth
• To promote social inclusion and tackle deprivation and discrimination
• To improve London’s accessibility
• To make London a more attractive, well designed and green city

4.8 In October 2005, the Mayor of London published Draft Early Alterations to the
London Plan. These seek to update the London Plan by:
• Bringing forward new housing provision targets based on the
London Housing Capacity Study published in 2000
• Identifying the number and type of new or enhanced waste
processing facilities required and opportunities for their broad
location
• Setting out the necessary provision for land won aggregates in
East and West London.

These early alterations were adopted and published in December 2006.

4.9 In September 2006 Draft Further Alterations to the London Plan were
published for consultation. In December 2006 a Draft Minor Alteration on
Borough Level Waste Apportionment was published for consultation. An
Examination in Public is due to be held in June 2007 into these early and draft
minor alterations.

4.10 Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) to the London Plan

25
 provides additional information to support the implementation of the
Mayor’s London Plan (the Spatial Development Strategy). As SPG this does
not set new policy, however, it has been taken into account in preparing the
Core Strategy as it is a further material consideration due to the weight it has
as a supplement to the London Plan. As of April 2007, the following SPG has
been published by the Mayor of London:

• Sustainable Design and Construction (May 2006)

• Housing (November 2005)
• Accessible London: Achieving an Inclusive Environment (April 2004)

4.11 The Mayor of London has also published development frameworks for each
of London’s sub-regions. Havering is within the East London sub-region along
with the City of London and the boroughs of Hackney, Tower Hamlets,
Newham, Barking and Dagenham, Redbridge, Lewisham, Greenwich and
Bexley.

4.12 Part One of the East London Sub Regional Development Framework (SRDF)
sets out an overall direction for the sub-region reflecting the fact that East
London is the Mayor’s priority area for development, regeneration and
infrastructure improvement. Part Two looks at implementation. In particular, it
quantifies the various impacts of the growth that is projected to take place in
the sub-region and proposes how it can be accommodated in the right place,
at the right time and in a sustainable way.

4.13 The SRDF provides non-statutory guidance on the implementation of the

London Plan, and, therefore, does not usurp, supersede or otherwise change
London Plan policy. New information is only included as best practice
guidance and to secure and inform the implementation of existing policy.
However, as it has been issued by a key strategic partner, following three
months of consultation, it is a material consideration for stakeholders.

Other relevant plans, policies and strategies

4.14 PPS12 explains that; ‘local planning authorities should adopt a spatial
planning approach to local development frameworks…(and that)…spatial
planning goes beyond traditional land use planning to bring together and
integrate policies for the development and use of land with other policies and
programmes which influence the nature of places and how they function…
Local planning authorities should therefore take account of the principles and
characteristics of other relevant strategies and programmes when preparing
local development documents and in particular the core strategy.’3

4.15 Havering Council has therefore thoroughly appraised all relevant policies and
programmes to ensure that the Core Strategy fully integrates the existing and
future plans of all those with a stake in the future planning of the borough.
The most important of these is the Havering Strategic Partnership’s

3
PPS12, Local Development Frameworks, ODPM July 2006

26
Community Strategy. In line with PPS12 this provides the framework for the
Vision of the Core Strategy and is set out in Section 6. The other policies and
programmes are covered where relevant under the respective Core Strategy
policy, and are too numerous to mention here. Annex 2 provides a selected
list of strategies and programmes at the national, regional and local level
which have been taken into account in preparing the Core Strategy. This list
also includes the key components of the evidence base, and in some
instances important parts of the evidence base are contained within local and
regional strategies.

27
28
5 Key Issues for
the Core Strategy

29
30
5 Key Issues for the Core
Strategy

5.1 This section focuses on the key issues that the Core Strategy addresses. It
looks first at Havering’s key strategic location and then focuses on the
headline data in each of the twelve key themes looking first at the major
pressures on land. It then looks at how to balance development pressures so
that present needs can be met without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs as a precursor to establishing a vision
that the plan is working towards. The structure of this and succeeding
sections is therefore as follows:

• Places to Live
• Places to Work
• Town Centres
• Culture
• Community Needs
• Transport
• Waste
• Minerals
• Green Belt
• Environmental Management
• Design
• Heritage

5.2 This then leads into a presentation of the Core Strategy Vision and related
objectives based on these themes and the framework set by the Havering
Strategic Partnership’s Community Strategy. This section does not present the
entire evidence base, as this is covered in more detail or signposted within the
reasoned justification of the respective Core Strategy policy.

Introduction to Havering

5.3 Havering is the third largest London Borough and is located in north east
London. It covers 11,227 hectares. It is adjoined by the London Boroughs of
Redbridge, Bexley, and Barking and Dagenham and by the Essex Districts of
Thurrock, Brentwood, and Epping Forest. The River Thames forms the
southern boundary to Havering. It is a mainly prosperous borough with a
diverse and successful economy although there are local pockets of social
deprivation. More than half of the borough is in the Green Belt with significant
areas of the remainder mainly suburban in character and appearance. The
borough includes Romford which is an important town centre for north east
London. There are smaller but significant centres at Hornchurch, Upminster,
Rainham, Elm Park, Harold Hill and Collier Row.

31
 Havering’s Strategic Location

5.4 Havering enjoys a key strategic location within London, the Thames Gateway
and the South East and is in close proximity to the heart of the Olympic
Games.

• Is less than 20 minutes away from Central London

Nearly 60,000 Havering residents commute into other parts of London;

in particular, central London and Canary Wharf. Liverpool Street
Station which is the Gateway to the Square Mile and is less than 20
minutes away from Romford and Fenchurch Street less than 30
minutes from Upminster. Accessibility will be improved to Romford in
the future by the proposed Crossrail scheme.

• At the heart of the Thames Gateway

Thames Gateway is a key priority for London and national government.

Government regional planning guidance on Thames Gateway (RPG9a,
1996) identified the area (within and outside London) as presenting ‘the
main opportunity for growth’ within London and the South East.4 In
February 2003, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister launched the
Sustainable Communities Action Plan (SCAP).5 This confirmed that the
Thames Gateway would be one of four priority areas for the
development of new residential communities, in order to tackle South
East England’s persistent housing supply crisis. The Mayor’s London
Plan confirms its importance.6 Within the Thames Gateway area
defined by RPG9a are fourteen ‘zones of change’, six of which are
within London. London Riverside which covers the riverside areas of
Havering and Barking and Dagenham is identified as a Zone of a
Change, and in April 2004 the Mayor of London endorsed the London
Riverside Urban Strategy. This sets out a vision to 2016 for the
regeneration of this area which focuses on the creation of compact
mixed urban communities, a leading centre for innovation and high-
tech manufacturing, for industries that serve London and environmental
technology. 7The Rainham Marshes are highlighted as potentially a
regionally important environmental and leisure asset for East London.
Rainham Village is recognised by English Heritage as the key historic
centre in the Thames Gateway.

• Minutes away from the Olympic Park

The heart of the Olympics will be the Olympic Park in Stratford. This is
less than 10 minutes from Romford by train and, therefore, Havering
has the potential to play a key role in supporting this event during the
early part of the plan period.

4
Regional Planning Guidance Note 9a, The Thames Gateway Planning Framework, ODPM, 1996
5
Sustainable Communities Building for the Future, ODPM, February 2003
6
The London Plan, GLA, 2004
7
London Riverside Urban Strategy, London Riverside Action Group, April 2004

32
 • Enjoys good access to the London-Stansted-Cambridge Corridor

The origin of the London-Stansted-Cambridge Growth Area concept

lies in the Regional Planning Guidance for the South East (RPG9),
published in March 2001.8 It too has been confirmed as one of the four
priority areas in the Sustainable Communities Action Plan.

• Has good access to M25 and routes into South East and Europe

The A12, A13 and A127 provide high quality trunk road access to the
M25 which in turn provides access to London and the south east; the
nation’s economic ‘engine-room’, and good access to the Essex and
Kent ports. The new Channel Tunnel Rail Link stations at Ebsfleet and
Stratford will further enhance Havering’s strategic position which looks
west to the rest of London and east to Europe.

Places to live

5.5 In 2001 Havering’s population was 224,000 9. Although Havering’s population

fell by 3% between 1991 and 2001 it is forecast to grow by 3% by 2021.10
More significantly, the number of households is forecast to grow by 7.5% in
the same period. This reflects the trend towards households becoming
smaller in size. However, it must be seen in the context of Havering,
compared to London as a whole, having a low proportion of one person
households and a low proportion of households comprising of married
couples with no dependent children. Conversely, Havering has the highest
proportion in London of households comprising couples with dependent
children.11

Table 1 – Household and Population growth (thousands)

2001 2004 2011 2016 2021 2026 2031

Persons 224.7 224.2 230.3 231.6 231.8 232.9 234.5

Households 91.9 93.5 96.8 98.5 99.3 100.0 100.6
Ave 2.45 2.40 2.38 2.35 2.33 2.33 2.33
Household
size

Source - DMAG Briefing 2005/33-GLA-September 2005

5.6 In 2001 Havering had the highest proportion of older people of any London
Borough. The proportion of elderly people 65 + will actually decrease from
17.7%-15.6% from 2001-2021 due to the increase in new households. Within
the same period there are forecast increases in the proportion of the very
young (under 4). However, there are also increases in the very old (over 85).
8
Regional Planning Guidance for the South East, ODPM, March 2001
9
Census 2001
10
DMAG Briefing 2005/33, GLA, September 2005
11
Focus in London, GLA, 2005

33
 By 2011 there will be a 13% increase in the number of people aged 80-84 and
a 30% increase in those over 85.

5.7 A key issue for the Core Strategy to address, therefore, is the needs of the
borough’s ageing population, in particular demands on extra care
accommodation, and the need to create accessible environments and homes
adapted to the exigencies of life which are equally important for households
with very young children.

5.8 These population/households figures reflect the results of the 2005 London
Housing Capacity Study. This estimates that there is the potential for 535 new
homes per year to be built for the ten year period 2007/8 to 2016/17. This
housing capacity comprises capacity from known large sites and presumed
capacity from small sites. The two main sources of housing within the plan
period are at London Riverside and Romford Town Centre. Between 2001­
2005, an average of 392 new homes per year have been completed. 95% of
these were developed on brownfield land at an average density of 75 units
per hectare double that achieved in 1995, although the fifth lowest in
London.12

5.9 535 new homes a year represents an increase of the existing number of
dwellings in the borough of 0.6%. Most of Havering’s existing 92,000
dwellings are suburban in character. In fact, Havering has the second highest
number of semi detached homes in London as a proportion of total stock
(42%) and the lowest proportion of flats of any London Borough. It is the only
East London Borough with more than 10% of its stock being detached.
Havering has the highest proportion of owner-occupied housing in East
London; however, there are important local concentrations of local
authority/housing association stock in Waterloo Road, the Mardyke Estate
and Harold Hill.

5.10 Sub-regionally, therefore, Havering plays an important role in offering a

diversity of and quality of housing stock and a residential environment which
is scarce in other parts of East London. This is particularly true of the pockets
of executive housing which exist in Emerson Park, Hall Lane and Gidea Park.
These housing areas play an important function in the local economy by
providing housing for high earners and play an important part in retaining and
attracting business into the borough as well as contributing to the character of
the borough.

5.11 Falling household sizes may be offset by increasing birth rates, and
moderated by people wanting to live in properties greater in size than they
need. This is often the case with older people and can influence the number
of large dwellings available within the housing market. House price data for
January-March, 2004/05/06 shows that detached houses prices have
increased 16%, semi-detached by 10%, terraced by 4%, and flats by 14%
with prices increasing overall by 11%.

12
London Anuual Monitoring Report 2, GLA, February 2006

34
 Table 2 – Housing prices 1st quarter 2004 - 2006

Detached Semi-Detached Terraced Flat/Maisonette Overall

Av Price Av Price Av Price
Sales Sales Av Price £ Sales Av Price £ Sales Sales
£ £ £
January-March 2006
390,519 87 238,282 301 194,441 274 155,290 209 219,782 871
January-March 2005
411,032 95 232,485 251 194,566 259 150,915 170 223,806 775
January-March 2004
329,584 99 214,710 428 186,981 436 133,935 288 195,540 1251

Source – Land Registry

5.12 A key issue for the Core Strategy to address will be to ensure the right mix of
new housing is provided with regard to Havering’s changing composition
whilst maintaining and enhancing Havering’s residential character.

5.13 As well as ensuring that the types and sizes of new housing meets forecast
demand it is also important that housing ‘affordability’ is addressed. The
Barker Report (March 2004) found that the supply of new homes consistently
lags behind demand and, therefore, the numbers of new homes must rise
substantially to reduce house price inflation and increase the number of
affordable new homes to buy or rent.13 The plan will need to address the
nature of this supply to ensure that local and sub-regional housing need is
met. The affordability issue is striking. In 2006, the estimated average gross
earned household income in Havering was £27,730.14 In Jan-March 2006 the
average dwelling price was £219,782, 8 times the average household
income.15 The Havering Housing Needs Survey Update 2006 identifies a
need in Havering for 875 additional affordable homes between 2006-2011
years. This survey also evidenced that there was a significant need for family
sized accommodation amongst those seeking ‘affordable’ housing.

5.14 A key issue for the Core Strategy will be to ensure an appropriate level and
type of affordable housing is provided for those on low and intermediate
incomes to help address increased incidences of homelessness, ensure
everyone has access to a decent home, whilst having regard to the
economics of supply.

Places to Work

5.15 In 2004 unemployment in Havering was 2.8% which was significantly less
than London (7.4%). However, differences in economic inactivity, 20.7% for
Havering against 25.5% for London are less marked and reflect the high
proportion of elderly people in the borough.

13
The Barker Review of Housing Supply, HM Treasury, 2004
14
Havering Housing Needs Survey Update, LB Havering, 2006
15
Land Registry

35
5.16 In 2003 over 85% of people working in Havering were employed in service
industries with only 6% working in manufacturing. By far the two most
significant sectors are retail, accounting for 1 in every 6 jobs, and business
services, accounting for 1 in every 8 jobs. All the major sectors enjoyed
significant employment growth from 1993-2003 except manufacturing and
public administration.

5.17 Altogether there are 9,000 businesses in Havering. 75% of businesses in

Havering employ fewer than 10 people but larger employers such as Ford,
Aon, Tilda Rice and Martindale Pharmaceuticals and Havering Council
employ over half the local workforce.

5.18 Havering’s Employment Land Review shows that by 2018 Havering is

predicted to have the following employment profile.16

Table 3 – Future employment by sector

Employment Sector Year % change

2005 2018
Primary and utilities 876 436 -50%
Manufacturing 5,700 4,573 -20%
Construction 7,513 4,882 -35%
Wholesale 6,196 7,580 +22%
Retail 12,272 13,003 +6%
Hotels and 5,665 7,685 +36%
Restaurants
Transport and 6,942 6,651 -4%
Communications
Financial Services 4,984 6,356 +28%
Business Services 16,675 21,897 +31%
Public Administration 2,478 2,668 +8%
Health and Education 16,675 17,674 +6%
Other services 4,941 7,975 +61%

Source – Havering Employment Land Survey 2006

The numbers of people employed in the construction sector may increase

with the pace and scale of construction activity in the borough.

5.19 Employment growth is expected to be centred on town centre based jobs

such as financial and business services, hotel and restaurants and retail. The
forecast reduction in primary and utilities, manufacturing, construction and
transport and communications employment will reduce the amount of
employment land needed throughout the plan period.

5.20 The Core Strategy will need to consider how much employment land can be
released to address Havering’s changing employment profile. At the same
time it will have to meet the needs of business, and ensure their growth in
predominantly town centre based sectors can be delivered. The Core
Strategy also needs to consider what role it can play in stimulating particular
sectors of the economy, for example:

16
Table 8.1, Havering Employment Land Review, URS, 2005

36
 • Rainham has the potential to become a major centre for leisure and
tourism with plans well advanced for the London Riverside
Conservation Park, offering wider regeneration benefits for London
Riverside.

• In 2006 Ford announced a plan to invest £1 billion in research and

development across its UK sites including the Dagenham Estate. This
reaffirms the future of advanced manufacturing in Havering and the
potential to establish related clusters adjacent to the Ford estate and
the Centre of Engineering and Manufacturing Excellence (CEME).

5.21 Improving access to training will help increase employment opportunities for
Havering residents, reduce the mismatch between available skills and skills
required and help alleviate spatial inequalities in the borough. Havering is the
best performing all-comprehensive Education Authority in England but the
pattern in post-school qualification achievement is more mixed. Relatively few
students from Havering schools go into higher education including university.

Table 4 – NVQ qualifications 2003/2004

Havering Havering (%) London (%) GB (%)

(numbers)
NVQ4 and above 20,000 14.4 30.8 25.2
NVQ3 and above 43,000 31.9 45.0 43.1
NVQ2 and above 74,000 54.8 59.0 61.5
NVQ1 and above 100,000 74.0 69.7 76.0
Other 15,000 11.4 16.4 8.8
Qualifications
No 20,000 14.6 13.9 15.1
Qualifications

Source - Local Area Labour Force Survey (3/03 – 2/04)

Town Centres

5.22 Havering’s town centres are a focus for retailing, services, employment and
increasingly a place to live. Romford is Havering’s main centre serving Essex,
East London and the Thames Gateway and has thrived on the competition
offered by Lakeside. It has benefited hugely from major new developments
and investment. Romford is a Metropolitan Centre. There are six district
centres, with Upminster and Hornchurch classified as major district centres.
There are a diffuse network of major and minor local centres which provide
day to day shops and services for residents especially the borough’s elderly
and those who are less mobile.

5.23 Retailing is the main function of Havering’s town centres and is, by far, the
main source of employment in the borough (see Table 3). Whilst the future
viability of the town centres will depend on securing the right mix of shops,
services, cultural and community facilities and housing, retail will continue to
be their raison d’etre.

37
5.24 Data from Havering’s Retail and Leisure Study shows that whilst expenditure
in both the comparison and convenience goods sectors is forecast to grow by
2018, growth in comparison goods is significantly stronger than in
convenience goods.17

Table 5 - Comparison and convenience goods expenditure 2006 – 2018

£ million
Year Zone Zone Zone Zone Zone Zone Zone Zone All
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Zones
Growth in comparison goods expenditure
2006-18 36.9 37.9 56.6 38.1 112 94.6 117.3 73 566.4
Growth in convenience goods expenditure
2006-18 4.8 4.0 8.1 5.1 20.5 10.8 21.9 12.9 88.1

Zone Name
Zone 1 Rainham
Zone 2 Upminster
Zone 3 Harold Hill
Zone 4 Collier Row
Zone 5 Romford
Zone 6 Hornchurch and Elm Park
Zone 7 Dagenham Heathway
Zone 8 Chadwell Heath

Source – Havering Retail and Leisure Study 2006

5.25 By applying market shares, spending patterns, sales densities and taking into
account new retail floorspace, and making an allowance for an increase in the
trading performance of existing retail floorspace, future comparison and
convenience floorspace requirements for Romford and the district centres
have been identified which the Core Strategy/Romford Area Action Plan will
need to plan for.

Table 6 – Havering centres future floorspace requirements

Centre Existing gross Strategy Indicative Indicative
retail comparison convenience
floorspace m2 floorspace floorspace
requirement to requirement to
2018 (m2 2018 (m2
gross) gross)
Metropolitan
Romford 152,600 Consolidation/ 12,000-30,000 1,000-1,400
Expansion
Major District
Hornchurch 32,300 Consolidation 800-2,000 1,500-1,900
Upminster 33,900 Consolidation 600-1,600 300-400
Minor District
Rainham 12,500 Expansion 200-600 600-900
Elm Park 11,200 Consolidation 100 1,500-1,900
Collier Row 9,900 Consolidation 100 300-400
Harold Hill 9,400 Consolidation 200-400 1,000-1,400
Source – Havering Retail and Leisure Study 2006

17
Havering Retail and Leisure Study, LB Havering, 2006

38
5.26 The Havering Retail and Leisure Study found that there are low levels of
expenditure ‘leakage’ as Havering residents tend to shop locally rather than
outside the borough. This is especially true for convenience goods and reflects
the good spread of foodstores throughout Havering. There is more leakage in
comparison expenditure but the overall level is relatively low considering the
proximity of Lakeside. In addition there is a significant amount of inflow of
retail expenditure into the borough particularly for comparison goods which is
forecast to total £170 million by 2018. A key issue for the Core Strategy will be
to maintain and enhance the viability of Havering’s town centres by planning
for future retail growth and increasing their attractiveness by facilitating a
diversity of different uses.
Table 7 - Main destinations for leakage of comparison and convenience goods expenditure –
2006

Comparison Convenience
Centre Comparison % of Store Convenience % convenience
turnover drawn comparison turnover drawn turnover from
from residents turnover drawn from residents residents of
of study area from residents of study area study area 2006
2006 (£m) of study area 2006 (£m) (%)
2006 (%)
Lakeside 243.6 24 Asda Walmart, 35.0 6.7
Dagenham
Bluewater 20.0 2 Tesco Extra, 25.5 4.9
Goodmayes
Ilford 18.1 2 Tesco Extra, , 6.4 1.2
Lakeside
West End 14.6 1 Other 33.6 6.4
Other 53.8 5 Total Leakage 100.5 19.2
centres
Total 350.1 34
leakage

Source - Havering Retail and Leisure Study 2006

Culture

5.27 Culture covers indoor and outdoor sports and leisure facilities, parks and
open spaces, arts and creative activities and industries, libraries, heritage,
museums and entertainments uses.

5.28 Havering has 126 parks and other publicly owned open spaces. There is a
relatively good quantity of public parks with some 3.32ha per 1,000
population.

5.29 Havering’s Open Space and Sports Needs Assessment identifies that in
terms of sports facilities up to 2016 there will be a need for up to twenty junior
football pitches, two additional artificial turf pitches, three additional sports

39
 halls and a swimming pool in Romford.18 A key issue for the Core Strategy is
to ensure that residents have convenient access to open spaces in line with
the open space hierarchy and adequate access to sports facilities.

5.30 Havering’s urban fringe offers a number of informal recreation opportunities.

Over 50% of the borough is Green Belt, and 70% of this is covered by the
Thames Chase, which includes over 400 hectares of tree cover. Adjacent to
the Thames Chase near Rainham are the Rainham and Wennington Marches
SSSI which provide the basis for the London Riverside Conservation Park.
Penetrating the urban fringe and linking it with the urban area is a network of
public footpaths, green chains and bridleways. A key issue for the Core
Strategy will be how to maintain and enhance the important recreational
function of Havering’s urban fringe in view of its contribution to the local
quality of life and attendant health benefits.

5.31 In terms of entertainment and arts facilities, centres in Havering have different
strengths. Whilst Hornchurch is the centre for arts in Havering, Romford has
been the centre for evening entertainment. Upminster and Hornchurch also
have a strong ‘eating-out’ offer. The remaining district centres contain limited
non-sport cultural facilities.

Table 7 - Number of entertainment, culture and arts facilities in town centres

Romford Hornchurch Rainham Elm Park Harold Hill Collier Upminster

Row
Restaurants 69 34 6 7 9 9 31
and cafes
Pubs and 22 8 3 2 4 3 7
Bars
Nightclubs 6 0 0 0 0 0 0
Cinemas 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Theatres 0 1 0 0 0 0 0
Other arts and 1 2 1 0 1 1 1
culture
facilities
Other 3 1 1 0 0 0 0
entertainment
facilities

Source - GLA Town Centre Health Checks 2004

5.32 Havering’s Retail and Leisure study estimates that growth in leisure spending
will grow significantly by 2018.

18
Havering Open Space and Sports Needs Assessment, LB Havering, 2006

40
 Table 8 - Expenditure to support new leisure facilities

Year Expenditure per Available Growth in

capita (£m) Expenditure Expenditure
(£m) (£m)
2006 1,712 576 0
2009 1,785 612 35
2013 1,887 661 81
2018 2,023 722 139

Source – Havering Retail and Leisure Study 2006

5.33 An important issue for the Core Strategy will be to ensure that residents have
convenient access to professional and community arts provision, and
therefore that this household expenditure leads to a diversified cultural
provision within Havering’s town centres. An important objective will be to
avoid the difficulties that have arisen in Romford where there has been an
overconcentration of a limited range of particular entertainment facilities that
have a relatively limited appeal and have prevented the centre from appealing
to a wider cross section of the community.

Community Needs

5.34 The infrastructure needed to serve existing and new households is vital to
ensuring social inclusion and improved quality of life. This infrastructure
covers a person’s needs from birth to death and includes, childcare facilities
school, healthcare, facilities for the elderly, places of worship and cemeteries
and crematoria. The preparation of this plan is based upon an understanding
and awareness of demographic changes taking place in Havering as this is
necessary to ensure the right infrastructure is provided in the right place.
Demographic changes in Havering are likely to increase not only the need for
community facilities but require a more diverse range of facilities than have
previously been provided. The demographic changes taking place will be
complex and have a number of implications for the delivery of community
services and facilities. It is possible to identify three main trends which the
Core Strategy will need to plan for in particular:

• An aging population and significant forecast increase in the

numbers of people over 85 years old
• An increasing birth rate but falling school rolls
• Overall population growth with increasing ethnic diversity

5.35 Regard also needs to be had to remedying any existing deficiencies in service
and facility provision, especially spatial inequalities in the distribution and
availability of facilities in different parts of the borough. Havering is a relatively
affluent borough but this hides localised deprivation. In particular, parts of
Harold Hill, Mardyke in Rainham, and Waterloo Road in Romford, fall within
the 20% most deprived areas in England.19 These areas tend to suffer from
poor education achievement, poor health and poor housing conditions.
19
The Indices of Multiple Deprivation, 2004

41
5.36 In general terms Havering is a relatively healthy borough but over 11,000
households (almost 12% of the borough total) contain someone with a
physical disability, equating to 11.8% of all households.20 Moreover, there are
significant spatial variations in health. The north of the borough, primarily
Gooshays and Heaton wards, has poorer health with regard to most
measures. Other areas that experience worse than average health occur in
the west and south of the borough for example in the Waterloo and Mardyke
Estates. Residents in the centre and east of Havering experience better than
average health, in some cases markedly so.21 Premature deaths under 75
years occur at twice the rate in the most deprived wards, compared with
wards having least deprivation. Reporting of long-term, limiting illness (or
condition or disability affecting ability to work), collected through Census
returns, ranges from 5.1% (Upminster) to 10.2% (Heaton).

5.37 One of the main issues affecting quality of life is access to local doctors and
medical services, and this is governed mainly by length of GP lists. In
Havering the average list at 2004 was 2,346 patients per full-time equivalent
(similar to LB Newham), against the NHS standard of 1,800 patients.

5.38 Havering was the highest performing all-comprehensive Education Authority

in England overall in 2004. However, although adult attainment to NVQ2 or
equivalent level is just above the London average, only 11.6% of working age
population is qualified to NVQ4 level or above – the London average was
19.8%.

5.39 A key issue for the Core Strategy will be to ensure that the needs of existing
and new households are met, that existing spatial inequalities particularly in
healthcare are remedied, and that local deprivation is tackled at source.

Transport

5.40 Transport for London measures public transport accessibility using Public
Transport Accessibility Levels (PTAL) on a scale of 1-6 with 6 being very
accessible and 1 indicating poor public transport accessibility.

20
Havering Housing Needs Survey Update, LB Havering, 2006
21
OFSTED 2004

42
 Table 9 – Havering Public Transport Accessibility Levels

Centre Public Principal public

Transport transport modes
Accessibility
Level
Romford 5-6 Train and bus
Upminster 3-4 Tube, train and bus
Hornchurch 3-4 Bus
Upminster Bridge 3-4 Tube and bus
Gidea Park 3-4 Train and bus
Harold Wood 3-4 Train and bus
Elm Park 3-4 Tube and bus

Source – LB Havering 2003

5.41 Outside of these centres there is a relatively low density of public transport
across much of the borough and this is reflected in the lower PTAL levels of
1-2. In percentage terms from 1994-1999 to 2004 whilst bus and coach traffic
increased by 10% or more across London, Havering’s levels have decreased
by 10% or more. Car ownership levels in Havering reflect this and are high
compared to those parts of inner London where there is much greater
provision of, and accessibility to, public transport facilities. In 2001 in Havering
there was, on average, more than 1 car per household. Consequently, the car
is the dominant mode of transport in Havering with 47% of journeys in
Havering made by car, compared to 33% for the whole of London. 18% of
journeys are made by train and only 7% by bus, compared to 12% and 11%
for the whole of London. Between 1994-2004 traffic growth increased by 5.6%
or 0.5% per annum, compared to 4.9% and 0.4% per annum for London. This
coincided with a growth in the number of people in employment locally and a
growth in the number of households.

5.42 A significant percentage of all journeys are those made to and from work. Of
the 41,000 people who work in the borough, 62% commute by car, whilst 12%
travel by bus and 11% arrive on foot. 23,000 people travel into the borough
from surrounding areas and around 50% of Havering’s residents commute to
work outside the borough. Twice as many people in Havering (28%) commute
over 20 km to work than from any other authority in London.

5.43 A key issue for the Core Strategy will be to aim to minimise the need to travel
through the location and design of new development and its relationship to
transport links and users. Where travel is necessary to promote sustainable
forms of transport whilst recognising that people will continue to use their
cars. This is a major issue in London Riverside where future growth
particularly housing and tourism is predicated on significant improvements to
public transport.

43
 Waste

5.44 Havering Council is taking forward a Joint Waste Development Plan

Document with the London Boroughs of Redbridge, Barking and Dagenham
and Newham. As part of its preparation, the evidence base will be developed
and options explored for how the amount of waste which these boroughs will
need to plan for may grow or decline over the plan period and how best to
manage this with regard to the waste hierarchy, waste recycling and
composting targets, and the principles of proximity and self sufficiency. This
not only needs to consider waste generated within the East London Waste
Authority (ELWA) area but also waste from outside the ELWA area.

5.45 The Core Strategy, therefore, needs to set the broad strategy for waste
management and for the broad location of waste management facilities to
provide the framework for the preparation of the Joint Waste Plan without
prejudicing the conclusions that it may reach. Broad data on current waste
arisings is provided below but the detailed evidence base is being prepared
separately through the preparation of the Joint Waste Plan.

5.46 There are four main waste ‘streams’, Municipal Solid Waste, Commercial and
Industrial Waste, Construction and Demolition Waste, and Hazardous Waste.

5.47 Analysis of recorded and estimated data from 2002/03 and 2004/05 shows
that approximately 1.9 million tones of waste was produced within ELWA
Boroughs, which is enough to fill one and a half Wembley Stadiums. Just
over a quarter of this total is municipal solid waste (26%), with the majority
arising from construction and demolition activities (42%) and commercial and
industrial activities (29%).

5.48 Within the East London Waste Authority Area the following amounts of waste
were generated in each of these streams:

Table 10 – Waste arisings in East London Waste Authority Area

Waste Stream Tonnes Year

Municipal Solid Waste 497,000 2004/05
Commercial and Industrial Waste 545,000 2002/03
Construction and Demolition 800,000 2003
Waste
Hazardous Waste 34,376 2003

Source – East London Joint Waste Development Plan Document, Building the Evidence
Base and Identifying Issues and Options Draft Final Report – Land Use Consultants and
Environmental Resources Management Ltd –July 2006

5.49 Management routes in ELWA varied between the four waste streams, with
around 82% of municipal solid waste being disposed to landfill and only 9%
recycled, while the majority of construction and demolition waste (84%) and
commercial and industrial waste (42%) was recycled. However 16% of
municipal solid waste was recycled in 2004/05 in Havering.

44
 Minerals

5.50 The Government’s national and regional guidelines for aggregates provision
in England 2001-2016 identify a need for land won minerals and gravel in
London of 1.2 million tonnes per annum. In response to this, amendments to
the London Plan published in August 2005 identify a requirement for London
to meet an output of 1 million tonnes per annum until 2016, apportioning half
of this to East London. Currently there are about 1 million tonnes of permitted
reserves in Havering including dormant sites or currently non-working sites.

5.51 A key issue for the Core Strategy is to set in place a framework which will,
with regard to the current supply position, make an appropriate contribution to
the need to make provision across London for an output of 1 million tones per
year whilst ensuring that any mineral extraction in Havering does not have an
unacceptable impact on the environment or human health.

Green Belt

5.52 Over 50% of Havering is in the Green Belt which, apart from in the south of
the Borough, almost entirely surrounds the built up area of the Borough
separating it from the rest of London to the west and the built up area of
Essex to the north and east. It has helped check urban sprawl and, therefore,
direct development pressures to urban brownfield sites and in the process
safeguarded the countryside from encroachment. This has enabled
Havering’s urban fringe to be protected and play an important role in providing
accessible recreation and leisure opportunities close to local communities, as
well as maintaining and enhancing biodiversity value.

5.53 A key issue for the Core Strategy is how to ensure that the Green Belt
boundary remains defensible with regard to the purposes of including land
within it and how to ensure that best use is made of this valuable resource
with regard to Green Belt objectives.

Environmental Management

5.54 The key issue for the Core Strategy will be how to enhance and protect the
environment and plan for and minimise its impact on the causes of climate
change, whilst planning for adaptation and mitigation of its effects through the
development process. It will need to focus particularly on reducing the need to
travel through more sustainable patterns of development, promoting
sustainable forms of transport and promoting sustainable forms of
construction and maximising local renewable energy production potential.

5.55 The tables below show that whilst progress is forecast in tackling some
emissions, CO2 emissions (which are the principal contributor to climate
change) is forecast to rise. The urgent need to address climate change has
led the London Mayor to set challenging CO2 reduction targets for London,
with a reduction of 20% from 1990 levels by 2010 instead of the 12.5% target

45
 for the UK identified in the Kyoto Agreement. The two principal sources of
CO2 emissions in Havering are transport and buildings which approximately
account for 30% and 70% of all emissions respectively.

5.56 Likewise, there is still considerable work to be done to improve the quality of
river water in Havering. The Core Strategy also needs to focus on other
environment management issues such as biodiversity (Havering has 93 Sites
of Importance for Nature Conservation including 3 Sites of Special Scientific
Interest and is also host to a number of protected species), geodiversity, land
contamination, air pollution, noise and light pollution and flood risk.

Table 11 - Apportionment of LAEI 2002 emission estimates to London boroughs from all
emission sources in 2002, 2005 and 2010

London NOX CO CO2

borough PM10 (tonnes/yr) (tonnes/yr) (tonnes/yr)
(tonnes/yr)

Havering 143.873 2,622.134 3,996.385 546,813.602

2002
Havering 129.604 2,170.345 2,512.131 553,038.980
2005
Havering 2010 108.435 1,648.558 1,713.038 562,925.128

NMVOC Benzene Butadiene SO2 Methane

(tonnes/yr) (tonnes/yr) (tonnes/yr) (tonnes/yr) (tonnes/yr)

Havering 2,102.220 24.448 6.091 57.536 425.032

2002
Havering 1,843.702 20.711 4.417 55.090 416.788
2005
Havering 2010 1,712.568 18.306 3.153 44.548 408.778

Table 12 – River Water Quality in Havering

River Water Quality in Havering (Source: Environment Agency)

Environment Proportion of Rivers Proportion of Rivers where
Agency Category action required
Very good 16.6 % c. 33.3% acceptable
Fairly good 16.6 %
Fair 33.3 %
c. 66.7% unacceptable

Source - Environment Agency 2005

Heritage

5.57 Havering has a major inventory of important heritage sites and areas. There
are currently:

• 200 statutory and 224 locally listed buildings

• 3 Scheduled Ancient Monuments and 139 unscheduled sites

46
 • Around half of the borough comprises Areas of Archaeological
Potential
• 9 Conservation Areas have been designated (3.5% of borough) as well
as an Area of Distinctive Character and other design policy areas. All of
the areas have unique characters which add considerable value to the
borough’s environment.
• Also there are the Council’s Romford and Hornchurch Heritage
Strategies and work carried out by the London Parks and
Gardens Trust on historic green spaces.

5.58 Havering also has significant archaeological interest. For example, the
vestiges of Roman settlements and infrastructure, Hornchurch Priory, the
medieval village centres, the Marshes and the two Havering Palaces.

5.59 The key issue for the Core Strategy will be how best to preserve and enhance
sites, buildings, areas and landscapes of special architectural or historic
importance and to consider the role they can play in regeneration.

47
48
6 The planning of
the borough up to
2020: The Core
Strategy Vision

49
50
6 The planning of the borough up
to 2020: The Core Strategy
Vision

Havering Strategic Partnership

6.1 In 2005, Havering Strategic Partnership updated the Havering Community

Strategy, taking account of the issues and opportunities identified in the
previous section, and after wide consultation with the community.

The Vision for Havering in the 2005 Community Strategy is:

• To create a safe, welcoming, healthier and more prosperous place

where people choose to live, work and visit.

To realise the vision, the Partnership has adopted this mission:

• Make Havering an inclusive place in which to live, work and visit;

• Create a dynamic, prosperous economy driven by a well-educated and

trained workforce;

• Create a thriving, successful and healthy community for all;

• Create a good quality of life in Havering for now and the future, through
actions that contribute locally, nationally and internationally to
sustainable development.

This will be delivered through a Community Strategy with six themes:

• A More Prosperous Community

• Improved Lifelong Learning

• Better Health and Welfare

• Increased Community Participation

• Protect and Improve the Environment

• A Safer Community

6.2 Achieving the vision will involve securing and managing positive changes in
the towns, suburbs, and countryside areas which make Havering the place

51
 that it is. Therefore, the aim of Havering’s Local Development Framework,
and especially the Core Strategy, is to protect and strengthen what is best
about Havering, to create places of real quality which are enjoyable and
fulfilling to live in, and to improve social, economic, and environmental
opportunities for the whole community.

6.3 The following table shows how the Vision themes relate to the Community
Strategy themes. The Vision is focused on delivering the Community Strategy
themes and is also a product of an analysis of the policy context and evidence
base as explained in Section 2 of this document.

Community strategy themes

A more Improved Better Increased Protect and A safer
prosperous life long health and community improve the community
community learning welfare participation environment
Places to live
9 9 9
Places to work
9 9 9 9 9
Town centres
9 9 9 9
Culture
9 9 9 9 9 9
Community
9 9 9
Vision themes

needs
Transport
9 9 9 9
Waste
management
9
Minerals
9
Green Belt
9 9
Environmental
management
9 9
Design
9 9 9 9
Heritage
9 9

The Vision for the Core Strategy

6.4 This leads to the following vision for how Havering will change and develop by
2020.

Places to live

1. Through partnership working with the Development Corporation and

other agencies, London Riverside will have become a major mixed
urban centre on the River Thames. Sustainable expansion of the
communities of Rainham and South Hornchurch will have taken place
within London Riverside, which will be home to 12,000 more people.
Over 3,000 people will be living in Romford Town Centre. Collectively,
these developments will help address housing need in the borough.
Elsewhere, mixed use developments will be encouraged within

52
 Havering’s town centres, promoting linked trips and helping sustain the
local economy.

2. Outside the town centres the borough’s suburban character will be

maintained and enhanced by sympathetic residential development
which respects and makes a positive contribution to the existing
context. All groups within the community will have good, affordable
access to the housing they need, including those needing larger,
family-sized accommodation.

Places to work

3. Havering will have a dynamic, prosperous economy founded on a

strong skills base, a quality environment and a hierarchy of strategic
and local employment sites. In particular, London Riverside will be a
centre for advanced manufacturing and a wide range of modern
industries clustered around the Centre for Engineering and
Manufacturing Excellence, with tourism and leisure destination centred
on the London Riverside Conservation Park. Environmental and ‘green’
industries will provide further new opportunities for economic growth
and jobs. There will be a range of e-enabled knowledge-based
industries within new mixed used developments in and around the
borough’s town centres. Havering residents will be equipped to get
good quality, well-paid, jobs locally and in the Thames Gateway.

Town centres

4. Romford town centre, with the help of the Romford Town Centre
Partnership, will continue to be East London’s premier town centre
thriving on the competition offered by Stratford to the west and
Lakeside and Bluewater to the east. It will have built upon its traditional
character, and have a safe, diverse, culturally rich and well managed
evening economy offering a range of activities for people of all ages.

5. Upminster and Hornchurch will continue to be thriving town centres,

providing a diverse mix of uses with a high quality retail offer and
convenient local services. Hornchurch will be a sub-regionally
important cultural centre anchored by the Queens Theatre and
Fairkytes Arts Centre in attractive settings which complement their role.

6. Havering’s town, district and local centres will be the focus of

community life, offering a diverse mix of shops, services, housing,
cultural and community facilities which meet the needs of the
communities they serve. They will enjoy good public transport access
and will be places to and in which more people choose to walk and
cycle.

53
Culture

7. In recognition of its importance to its residents and visitors’ quality of

life, Havering will have a strong and well-developed cultural provision,
including opportunities for sport and leisure activities, indoor and
outdoor, convenient access to a network of open space, arts and
creative activities and industries, and libraries, heritage centres or
museums. Voluntary and community groups, including faith groups, will
be able to find suitable premises and will be encouraged and
supported.

8. Havering’s countryside will offer an array of recreation and leisure

opportunities through the continuing development of the Thames
Chase, the extension of Havering Country Park and Dagnam Park and
the provision of the London Riverside Conservation Park.

Community Needs

9. Spatial inequalities in Havering’s health system will be reduced through

the provision of additional, accessible facilities. Havering’s cultural and
leisure provision will enable people to pursue a healthier lifestyle
through personal well-being and fitness from activities such as walking
and cycling. Older people will be supported to live healthily and safely
at home whenever possible. The new Oldchurch Hospital will be up
and running in conjunction with a network of Primary Care Trust
Centres. Improved availability of services and facilities in Havering’s
health care system will be achieved through the provision of additional
accessible facilities.

10. Havering schools and colleges will maintain and build upon their
reputation for excellence. More Havering residents will participate in
further and higher education (including at universities, colleges and
CEME), and lifelong learning, so that Havering residents improve their
skills and qualifications, as well as extending their personal
development at all stages of life.

Transport

11. Havering will enjoy a first class, integrated system for getting people
and goods around the Borough that will provide choice, reduce the
need to travel and promote healthier lifestyles and improve the quality
of life for all sections of the community, including those who are less
mobile and people with impairments. This will provide a competitive
advantage for local businesses and will be a major attraction for people
moving into the borough. New development will be focused on those
parts of the borough most accessible to public transport.

54
12. Havering’s transport system will consist of a comprehensive clean fuel
bus network, rail links across London that provide convenient access to
the Stratford Eurostar station, the Crossrail service through Romford, a
new station on the Fenchurch Street line serving the new residents and
employees of London Riverside, and East London Transit which will
run from Barking to Rainham, then onto Elm Park, Romford, Harold Hill
and Collier Row. Provision will continue to be made for cars in
recognition that many people will continue to use them for travel,
particularly in the suburbs, but overall traffic growth will be falling and
many more people will choose to walk and cycle. The borough will
continue to have excellent road links due to the A12, A13, A127 and
M25.

Waste management

13. Havering will be dealing with a proportionate amount of domestic and

commercial waste arising in the East London Waste Authority Area and
Central London. Municipal and domestic recycling rates will be over
33% and the borough’s landfill sites will no longer be used.

Minerals

14. The mineral industry in Havering will be sustainably managed,

balancing the needs of society and the economy with the protection of
the environment and the people who live, work and visit in Havering.

Green Belt

15. Development pressures will continue to be directed to brownfield land

due to the continuing strong protection of the Green Belt which will
cover over 50% of the borough.

Environmental management

16. Havering will be helping to address climate change by encouraging the

highest standards of sustainable construction and design and ensuring
development is protected from its effects.

17. The London Riverside Conservation Park will be London’s premier

environmental attraction. Generally, wildlife in Havering will flourish in all
habitats, particularly in priority habitats, through the implementation of
Havering’s Biodiversity Action Plan.

55
Design

18. Havering will continue to be a safe place for residents, users of public
open space, commercial enterprises and those employed within the
borough as new developments will be designed to increase the safety of
the borough’s public and private realms.

19. Overall, Havering will continue to be an attractive, liveable, safe and

fully accessible borough where developments are required to be high
quality and design-led, contributing positively to the character of the
borough, respecting the local heritage and creating an environment in
which people want to live, stay and prosper.

Heritage

20. Havering’s heritage will be maintained and enhanced and will provide a
rich context for new development. Therefore, creative and sensitive
responses will be demanded which recognise that the buildings and
environments created in the future will be tomorrow’s heritage.

56
7 Strategic
objectives for the
planning of the
borough up to
2020

57
58
7 Strategic objectives for the
planning of the borough up to
2020

7.1 These strategic objectives are focused on delivering the Vision of the Core
Strategy and are, therefore, organised under the same twelve key themes.

Places to Live

LV (A) Make Havering a place where people will want to live and where local
people are able to stay and prosper, by ensuring that local and sub­
regional housing need is addressed whilst maintaining and enhancing
the character of Havering’s residential environment which makes the
borough such an attractive place to live.

LV (B) Ensure the housing needs of the borough’s more vulnerable people
are met.

LV (C) Achieve sustainable new communities in London Riverside and

support the continuing urban renaissance of Romford Town Centre.

Places to Work

WK (A) Create a dynamic prosperous economy driven by a well educated

and trained workforce by addressing current land surpluses and skills
shortages.

WK (B) Promote London Riverside as a centre for advanced manufacturing

and a wide range of modern industries including environmental and
‘green’ industries, supported by a tourist and leisure economy
focused on the London Riverside Conservation Park.

Town Centres

TC (A) Promote and enhance the centres, including local centres, within the
town centre hierarchy, ensuring their future vitality and viability by
enabling a diverse range of shops, services, housing, cultural and
community facilities to be provided in convenient and accessible
locations, and securing environmental improvements with recourse to
external funding wherever possible.

59
TC (B) Promote Romford as a leading Metropolitan Centre serving Essex,
East London and the Thames Gateway.

Culture

CU (A) Improve the provision for culture within the borough, including sport
and leisure, parks and open spaces, arts and creative activities and
industries, and libraries, and promote equality of access.

CU (B) Promote Hornchurch as the borough’s key cultural centre.

CU (C) Promote the diversification of the borough’s evening economy for the
safe enjoyment of all sections of the community, particularly in
Romford Town Centre.

Community Needs

CM (A) Make Havering a healthier place by addressing spatial inequalities in

health, enabling people to lead healthier lifestyles and ensuring the
provision of health facilities to meet existing and forecast demand,
maintain and build upon Havering’s reputation as a centre of
excellence for education, and ensure that other essential social
infrastructure is planned for to meet the demands of existing and new
communities.

Transport

TR (A) Integrate planning and transport to reduce the need to travel, by

concentrating major trip generating development in the borough’s
main centres and other places with good public transport access, and
supporting the important role and function of the borough’s local
centres whilst recognising that many people will continue to use their
cars for travel, particularly in the suburbs.

TR (B) Ensure that where travel is necessary that there is a choice of

accessible modes of transport for people to take, through improved
public transport particularly in the borough’s most deprived areas and
London Riverside, and creating the conditions for people to walk and
cycle.

Waste Management

WM (A) Promote minimisation of waste and re-use of waste in line with the
waste hierarchy and strive for sub-regional (ELWA) self-sufficiency in
managing commercial and domestic waste arisings in line with the
‘proximity’ principle.

60
Minerals

MN (A) Promote re-use of minerals and only extract minerals within Havering
provided strict sustainability criteria are met.

Green Belt

GB (A) Provide strong protection to the Green Belt and ensure recreational
value is maintained and enhanced.

Environmental Management

EN (A) Ensure Havering reduces its impact on the environment (land, air
quality, water and flooding) and minimises its impact on the causes
of climate change, whilst planning for adaptation and mitigation of its
effects.

EN (B) Maintain and enhance the borough's biodiversity and geodiversity, in

particular the priority species and habitats identified in the London,
UK and Havering Biodiversity Action Plans and the sites identified by
the GLA Ecological Survey.

Design

DE (A) Create safe, liveable, accessible environments with distinct

characters through high quality design-led development.

Heritage

HE (A) Preserve and enhance sites, buildings, areas and landscapes of

special architectural or historic importance.

61
62
8 Key Diagrams

63
64
8 Key Diagrams
Key diagram 1 - Havering’s strategic position within the sub-region

65
Key diagram 2 – A visual summary of the Core Strategy

66
9 Core Policies

67
68
9 Core Policies

9.1 The Core Policies establish a spatial framework for the borough up to 2020.
They are ordered according to the objectives they are focused on delivering.
Each Core Policy includes an explanation of the need for the policy with
regard to the policy context and evidence base and sets out how the policy
will be monitored so the Council can keep track of its effectiveness and the
need for review. The Core Policies are also the product of the Sustainability
Appraisal process and take account of the feedback received from the
community and other stakeholders during the various consultation initiatives
undertaken in preparing the Core Strategy, at the issues and options,
preferred options and submission stages. The Core Strategy Sustainability
Appraisal Report and Statement of Compliance should be consulted for more
information on this.

9.2 The Core Policies are cross cutting and provide the framework for the
Development Control Policies and, therefore, should not be read in isolation.

Places to Live
CP1 Housing Supply 73
CP2 Sustainable Communities 75

Places to Work
CP3 Employment 83

Town Centres
CP4 Town Centres 93

Culture
CP5 Culture 101
CP6 Arts in Hornchurch 104
CP7 Recreation and Leisure 106

Community Needs
CP8 Community Facilities 113

Transport
CP9 Reducing the Need to Travel 119
CP10 Sustainable Transport 122

Waste Management
CP11 Sustainable Waste Management 129

Minerals
CP12 Use of Aggregates 135
CP13 Minerals Extraction 136

69
 Green Belt
CP14 Green Belt 141

Environmental Management
CP15 Environmental Management 147
CP16 Biodiversity and Geodiversity 151

Design
CP17 Design 157

Heritage
CP18 Heritage 163

70
PLACES TO LIVE

71
72
 CP1- HOUSING SUPPLY

A minimum of 535 new homes will be built in Havering each year by:

• prioritising the development of brownfield land and ensuring it is

used efficiently
• developing the residential and mixed use sites identified in the
Site Specific Allocation Development Plan Document (DPD) which
includes sites within the London Riverside Opportunity Area
• bringing forward housing capacity through the Romford Area
Action Plan
• outside town centres and the Green Belt, prioritising all non
designated land for housing, including that land released from
Strategic Industrial Locations and Secondary Employment Areas
as detailed in CP3
• promoting mixed use development within town centres
• enabling high density mixed use development within Romford and
the district centres
• the residential redevelopment or intensification of existing out of
centre retailing sites
• bringing vacant properties back into use through the Council’s
Empty Property Strategy
• resisting the loss of housing
• preparing development briefs/masterplans/design codes as Local
Development Documents for larger housing sites
• monitoring housing provision levels through the Housing
Trajectory within the Annual Monitoring Report and provided in
Annex 3.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

Housing supply

1.1 Ensuring an adequate housing supply to meet local and sub-regional housing
need will be important in making Havering a place where people will want to
live and where local people are able to stay and prosper. Appendix 9 of ‘We’re
Housing People’ identifies the main anticipated drivers of Havering’s housing
market to 2020 during consultation on its development.22 These drivers
include economic growth as a result of changes in the job market, improving
transport links, house price inflation and social and economic regeneration of
lower demand areas.

1.2 The London Plan sets Havering the minimum target of building 350 new
homes per year from 1997-2016.23 Between 2001-2004 an average of 375
homes were built in Havering. However, this is based on an annual supply
across London of 23,000 homes. The Mayor’s preferred target is 30,000
which takes account of economic growth and existing housing need across
22
Appendix 9, We’re Housing People, London Borough of Havering Housing Strategy 2004-2007, LB Havering 2004
23
Table 3A.1, London Plan, GLA, February 2004

73
 the capital. The Mayor’s draft alterations propose a new London target of
31,505 homes a year from all sources with a corresponding annual provision
target from 2007/08 to 2016/17 of 535 units for Havering.24 This figure is
derived from the London Housing Capacity Study (HCS), and this policy
identifies the sources of new supply which were taken into account in arriving
at Havering’s capacity figure and inform the continuous five year supply of
identified deliverable sites.25

1.3 Consequently, the sites identified in the Site Specific Allocations and those
sites which will emerge through the Romford Area Action Plan26 will, as
required by Planning Policy Statement 3: Housing (PPS3), collectively
comprise 10 years supply of housing with regard to the revised London Plan
target27. Nonetheless, as evidenced by the Housing Capacity Study, the
Council expects a significant amount of new housing to be from ‘windfall’
supply which is consistent with the London Plan which expects borough’s to
maximise housing supply.28 The total capacity of the Site Specific Allocations
and predicted capacity from the Romford Area Action Plan, together with
anticipated supply from windfall sites comprises a 15 year housing supply in
line with PPS3.29 Annex 3 includes a Housing Trajectory which compares past
performance on housing supply to future rates of anticipated supply up to
2020. This will be updated annually in the Council’s Annual Monitoring Report
and inform the continuous five year supply of identified deliverable sites.

1.4 With regard to the Council’s Employment Land Review the following changes
have been made to Havering’s reserve of Strategic Industrial Location and
Secondary Employment Land which will release land for a significant supply
of new housing.

• Removal of area north of Fenchurch Street to Southend railway from

Rainham Employment Area, but retaining some land for B1(a-c)
employment uses.30 More detail is provided in the Site Specific
Allocations Document on constituent sites.
• De-designation of Chesham Close, Lambs Lane and Spring Gardens
Secondary Employment Areas and that part of the Victoria Road
Commercial Area outside the Romford Area Action Plan area.

The list above excludes sites within Romford Town Centre as these will be
brought forward through the Romford Area Action Plan.

FURTHER POLICY AND GUIDANCE

1.5 More detail on the implementation of this policy is provided in the

Development Control Policies and supporting guidance.

24
London Plan Draft Alterations, GLA, July 2005
25
London Housing Capacity Study 2004, GLA, July 2004
26
Romford Area Action Plan, Preferred Options Report, August 2006
27
PPS3 paragraph 55, CLG, November 2006
28
Policy 3A.1, London Plan, GLA, February 2004.
29
PPS3 paragraph 55, CLG, November 2006
30
Use Classes Order 2005

74
• London Housing Capacity Study, (GLA), 2005
• Havering Employment Land Review, (LB Havering), 2006
• Romford Area Action Plan Preferred Options Report, (LB Havering),
2006
• Site Specific Allocations DPD, (LB Havering), 2007

MONITORING

Ref Indicator Source

1 Net additional dwellings over the previous Core Output (2)
five year period or since the start of the
relevant development plan document
period, whichever is the longer;

2 Net additional dwellings for the current Core Output (2)

year;

3 Projected net additional dwellings up to the Core Output (2)

end of the relevant development plan
document period or over a ten year period
from its adoption, whichever is the longer;

4 The annual net additional dwelling Core Output (2)

requirement; and

5 Annual average number of net additional Core Output (2)

dwellings needed to meet overall housing
requirements, having regard to previous
years performances.

CP2 - SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES

Sustainable, attractive, mixed and balanced communities will be created
by:

• ensuring that the sizes, types and tenures of new housing meet
the need of new and existing households at local and sub­
regional level
• ensuring that the required sizes and types of new housing are of a
density and design that is related to a site’s access to current and
future public transport and are compatible with the prevailing
character of the surrounding area
• ensuring that, in total, borough-wide 50% of all homes from new
residential planning permissions are affordable; of which 70%
social rented for those on low incomes and 30% for those on
intermediate incomes
• safeguarding the existing stock of large homes in Emerson Park
and Hall Lane
• ensuring that the needs of those households with special needs,
including the elderly, are met

75
 • ensuring that in their design and layout new homes provide for
the lifetime needs of households
• securing the social, economic and environmental regeneration of
priority housing areas
• ensuring that all development demonstrates that it supports
improved health and well being
• identifying sites to meet the identified needs of gypsies and
travellers in a Gypsy and Travellers DPD.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

Housing Mix

1.1 The Havering Primary Care Trust’s Report on Spatial Inequalities recognises
that enabling people to access decent affordable accommodation is a key
determinant in a person's quality of life, and in turn can help address other
quality of life issues such as health, crime and education.31 The mismatch
between the existing housing stock both in terms of type, size and affordability
and that required to meet the needs of new households has contributed to the
high rate of price inflation at the lower end of the market, which has ‘knock on’
impacts on affordability.

1.2 Therefore, the Council wants to ensure that the right tenures, sizes and types
of new housing are provided to meet the needs of new and existing
households. Equally, the Council thinks that it is important that these new
homes are integrated with the existing housing stock and make a positive
contribution to the character of the borough. This way the plan will achieve
mixed, balanced and attractive communities.

1.3 In line with PPS3, the Council will prepare a Strategic Housing Market
Assessment and adopt the key implications for the future planning of the
borough in the form of a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD). The
timetable for this will be set out in Havering’s Local Development Scheme
once a project plan for this work has been developed.

1.4 In the meantime, with regard to local and sub-regional housing and the need
to provide wider housing opportunity and choice and create mixed
communities, the Council will have regard to the mix identified in the Greater
London Authority’s (GLA’s) Housing Requirements Study as set out in the
GLA’s Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) Housing.32

1.5 The housing needs of three groups are particularly pronounced in Havering.
Proportionally the numbers of elderly and disabled people in the borough is
above the London average and their needs are likely to increase over the plan
period. In addition the needs of the young also need addressing, as the price
of new homes means that market housing is out of the reach of many first
time buyers.
31
Health Inequalities in Havering, Havering Primary Care Trust, 2003
32
SPG Housing, GLA, November 2005.

76
 Elderly

1.6 Whilst most, if not all, research conducted into the housing preferences of
older people points to a resounding desire to stay put in their own homes and
a reluctance to move to institutional settings such as residential and nursing
care, there is still a need to plan for sheltered and, in particular, extra care
accommodation. In addition, and in line with the London Plan, the Council
wants to make sure that new homes are designed so that they meet the needs
of households throughout their lives, thereby increasing the independence of
people in old age in the form of Lifetime Homes and Wheelchair standard
housing.

Disability

1.7 In many instances when people become disabled, their existing

accommodation needs adapting. New housing provides the opportunity to
design housing which meets the needs of households throughout their lives
through changing circumstances.

Housing Density

1.8 In the interests of retaining Havering’s green and open character, the majority
of housing supply is planned to come from brownfield land sources. It is
important that this valuable resource is used efficiently. To ensure this
developers will be required to take a design led approach so that residential
developments achieve appropriate densities with regard to their accessibility
to public transport, the type and sizes of units required to meet local and sub­
regional housing need, the local context and the principles of high quality
design with regard to being compatible with Havering’s predominantly
suburban character.

Housing Affordability

1.9 Whilst unemployment in Havering is below the national average – 2.2% in

August 2003 compared with 3.4% nationally – the gap between earnings and
house prices remains a major factor in housing affordability in the borough.33
In 2006, the estimated gross earned household income in Havering was
£27,730.34 In Jan-March 2006 the average dwelling price was £219,782 which
was 8 times the average household income.35 The Havering Housing Needs
Survey Update 2006 identifies a need in Havering for 875 additional
affordable homes between 2006-2011 years. This is the sum of the backlog of
existing need (14 households) and newly arising need 1474 (households)
minus the supply of affordable units (613).36

1.10 Therefore the Core Strategy takes a twin track approach to address housing
affordability. It aims to increase the supply of affordable housing and it aims to

33
Labour Force Survey Annual Local Area Database, 2004
34
Havering Housing Needs Survey Update, LB Havering, 2006
35
Land Registry
36
Havering Housing Needs Survey Update, LB Havering, 2006

77
 improve access to quality local jobs for residents by tackling low levels of
further education take-up, and supporting employment training and
employment access programmes and life long learning.

1.11 Therefore, demand for affordable housing far outstrips supply. Added to this
is the wider issue of sub-regional need which must be considered due to the
use of a sub-regional allocations system for all affordable housing which is
provided with recourse to Housing Corporation grant.

1.12 To address this demand and in line with national and regional guidance, the
Council has set borough wide and site specific affordable housing targets
which are based on an assessment of all housing needs and a realistic
assessment of supply. The latter consideration is particularly important in
Havering where low land values suppress a development’s ability to absorb
the cost of providing affordable housing.

Regeneration priority housing areas

1.13 Whilst Havering has the highest proportion of owner-occupied housing in East
London there are important local concentrations of local authority/housing
association stock in Waterloo Road, the Mardyke Estate and Harold Hill. Parts
of these fall within the 20% most deprived areas in England. These areas tend
to suffer from poor education achievement, poor health and poor housing
conditions. The Council is committed to addressing this deprivation. The
Council may bring forward LDDs and other strategies, as necessary, as key
tools in addressing deprivation and bringing forward regeneration
opportunities on the Waterloo Road, Mardyke and Harold Hill Estates.

FURTHER POLICY AND GUIDANCE

1.14 More detail on the implementation of this policy is provided in the

Development Control Policies and supporting guidance.

• SPG Housing, GLA, 2005

• SPD Residential Amenity Space
• Better Places to Live, Companion Guide to PPG3, DCLG, September
2001
• Manual for Streets, CLG and DoT, 2007
• SPD Emerson Park
• SPD Hall Lane
• SPD Gidea Park Conservation Area
• SPD Residential Extensions and Alterations
• SPD Affordable Housing
• Havering Housing Needs Survey Update, LB Havering, 2006
• Meeting Part M and Designing Lifetime Homes, Joseph Rowntree
Foundation 1999
• Havering Gypsy and Traveller Needs Assessment, LB Havering, 2004.

78
MONITORING

Ref Indicator Source

6 Percentage of new and converted Core Output (2)
dwellings on previously developed land

7 Percentage of new dwellings completed Core Output (2)

at less than 30 dwellings per hectare;

8 Percentage of new dwellings completed Core Output (2)

at between 30 and 50 dwellings per
hectare; and

9 Percentage of new dwellings completed Core Output (2)

at above 50 dwellings per hectare.

10 Affordable housing completions. Core Output (2)

11 Number of net completions by housing Local Output

size and type and tenure

12 Average density of new housing Sustainability

Appraisal (SEI)

13 Number of extra elderly people cared for Sustainability

at home/1000 population Appraisal (SEI)

14 Need for new affordable homes/annum Sustainability

Appraisal (SEI)

15 New homes built to Lifetime Home Sustainability

standard Appraisal (SEI)

16 New homes built to wheelchair standard Local Output

or capable of easy conversion

79
80
PLACES TO
WORK

81
82
 CP3 – EMPLOYMENT

A range of employment sites will be available to meet the needs of

business and provide local employment opportunities by:

• ensuring sufficient land is allocated within Strategic Industrial

Locations and Secondary Employment Areas and protecting this
for business, industrial and some warehousing uses
• in the Beam Reach Business Park, prioritising advanced
manufacturing uses and other modern industries in the B1 (b) (c)
and B2 use classes which provide a similar quality and intensity
of employment
• focusing office development within Romford Town Centre and the
district centres
• maximising the potential of creative industry in Hornchurch
(DC24)
• seeking contributions towards the provision of employment
training and support, and local employment access schemes.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 This policy aims to create a dynamic prosperous economy driven by a well
educated and trained workforce and promote London Riverside as a centre
for advanced manufacturing. It is founded on Havering’s Employment Land
Review 2006 which provides a realistic assessment of business needs to
ensure that sufficient land is available and readily capable of development
and well served by infrastructure.

Employment and business profile

1.2 Employment in manufacturing in Havering is in decline, reflecting wider sub­

regional trends. The B2 (general) industrial land market is characterised by
both low availability of units on the supply side and low take-up on the
demand side. General industrial employment in Havering is forecast to decline
by 19% between 2005 and 2018. However, Havering’s Employment Land
Review recognises that economic development initiatives might increase the
demand in this location further.

1.3 Employment in distribution jobs, largely represented by the wholesale sector,

increased by 16% in Havering between 1993 and 2003 and is expected to
continue to increase up to 2018. However, much of the forecast growth in B8
jobs can be accommodated in the high levels of vacant premises, which
currently account for 21% of the overall warehousing stock in Havering.
Additional land demand for B8 uses up to 2018 is expected to be minimal.
Thurrock to the East of Havering is one of the key distribution hubs in the UK.
Existing and proposed port facilities and the excellent trunk network in
Thurrock give it locational advantages over Havering and the market
assessment within Havering’s Employment Land Review supports this theory.

83
1.4 The Romford area currently accounts for 79% of B1 accommodation in
Havering and is the most important sub-market for this type of land use in the
Borough. The office market has experienced limited rental growth since 1998
and relatively little expansion (2 hectares) is expected in the B1 office sub-
sector up to 2018.

Employment Land Supply

1.5 The London Plan and the draft Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) on
Industrial Capacity37 emphasise the importance of identifying and protecting
high quality employment sites in appropriate locations to meet the needs of
general business, industry and warehousing. The SPG was prepared to deal
with a long term reduction in demand for industrial land across London of
approximately 30 to 50 ha per annum. Of the 740 ha of industrial land forecast
to be released across London between 2001 and 2016, some 500 ha is
expected to be released to other uses in East London. The SPG places
Havering in the ‘Managed Transfer’ category, as a borough which has a
greater supply of industrial sites relative to demand and which should
generally take a more permissive approach to transfer.

1.6 In line with Government guidance38 in PPS3, local authorities are required to
maintain an up to date review of employment land and premises and consider
whether some of this land might be better used for housing or mixed-use
development.

1.7 The Havering Employment Land Review provides an assessment of

employment land and demand in the Borough. This followed four steps:

• Determining the extent of existing vacant industrial land;

• Forecasting a loss of industrial land as a result of employment changes;
• Factoring in movement of industry from Central London sub-region, the
impact of City Fringe and Olympic Park regeneration programmes, and
future need for waste management, recycling, utilities and transport
infrastructure; and
• Establishing an appropriate level of vacant land for market efficiency.

1.8 The study then undertook a gap analysis to determine the difference between
the current supply of employment land and the demand for employment land
projected over the planning period.

1.9 Based on the current employment land supply of 360 hectares (309 ha built
on and 51 ha vacant) and a demand by 2018 for 326 hectares of employment
land, the review recommends the release of 34 hectares of land from
employment use. To determine which sites needed to be released to meet
this global figure each employment area was visited and appraised against a
set of agreed economic, planning and property market criteria to assess their
fitness for purpose. These criteria were modeled on those in Government’s
Employment Land Review Guidance Note and GLA SPG on Industrial
37
Draft Supplementary Planning Guidance: Industrial Capacity, GLA, September 2003
38
Planning Policy Statement 3, Housing, Paragraph 44, CLG, November 2006

84
 Capacity. The study also identified the appropriate uses for the retained
employment sites. Paragraphs 1.10 – 1.17 provide detail on how sites have
been redefined or released to remedy this surplus and the uses considered
appropriate for the remaining Strategic Industrial Locations and Secondary
Employment Areas.

Strategic Industrial Locations

1.10 The London Plan states that boroughs should promote and manage Strategic
Industrial Locations (SILs) as London’s strategic reservoir of industrial
capacity. The GLA classifies the Rainham Employment Area, Coldharbour
Lane and Harold Hill Industrial Estate as SILs. In addition, the Council
considers that the King George Close Estate in Romford shares similar
qualities to the Rainham and Harold Hill areas and classifies this as a
Strategic Industrial Location. The Council however has de-designated
Colrdharbour Lane as a Strategic Industrial Location for the reasons given
below. Therefore, the three Strategic Industrial Locations are:

• Rainham Employment Area

The boundary of the Rainham Employment Area has been revised so

that is now excludes those sites north of the London-Tilbury-Southend
railway line. This area is now formed by two Site Specific Allocations:
Rainham West and Beam Park. In line with the Employment Land
Review, the Core Strategy seeks to retain a third of the Rainham West
site for B1 (a and b) employment Uses within a mixed use
redevelopment.

• Harold Hill Industrial Estate

A slight adjustment has been made to the boundary to exclude the

housing development at Percy Close and Harris Close.

• King George Close Estate, Romford

No changes have been made to the King George Close Estate.

• Coldharbour Lane

The Coldharbour Lane area has been de-designated and has been
included within the London Riverside Conservation Park Site Specific
Allocation. The Coldharbour Lane Commercial Area, as previously
designated in the Havering UDP, comprises a landfill site which has a
temporary permission up to 2018, ancillary waste uses (including an
Autoclave), material recycling facility and a composting facility which
also have temporary permissions tied to 2018 as residues from these
are landfilled. There are also a number of other employment uses in
the far south east of the site on the former Freightmaster Estate site.
The medium to long term aspirations of the Council and the
Development Corporation is to incorporate the former Coldharbour

85
 Lane Commercial Area into the London Riverside Conservation Park in
its entirety, once the landfill tipping is complete and the land restored.
At this date the other waste uses will also cease. The Council
considers that use of this site for waste and other employment uses
beyond this date would generate a level of heavy vehicle movements
along Coldharbour Lane which would seriously conflict with, and
jeopardize, the enjoyment of and plans for the London Riverside
Conservation Park. The related Site Specific Allocation, therefore,
recognizes that the employment uses will be acceptable in their current
location in the short term but is focused on incorporating them into the
London Riverside Conservation Park in the medium to long term.

1.11 The London Plan identifies London Riverside as an Opportunity Area in East
London and a suitable location for innovation and high technology
manufacturing. The development of the Centre for Engineering and
Manufacturing Excellence (CEME)39 and Beam Park Business Park40 mean
that Havering is well placed to generate and attract higher value advanced
manufacturing businesses. The Core Strategy, therefore, prioritises higher
value advanced manufacturing in Beam Reach Business Park, with a mix of
light and general manufacturing with some warehousing focused on the Ferry
Lane area. Other employment uses will be allowed within the Beam Reach
Business Park where they provide a similar quality and level of employment
within a high quality development commensurate with the business park
location.

1.12 The Core Strategy identifies Ferry Lane, Harold Hill and the King George
Close Estates, as acceptable locations for B1 (b) + (c) research and
development and light industrial uses, B2 general industrial, and B8 storage
and distribution uses. The Council will seek to ensure that the balance
between storage and distribution and other business uses in these locations
maintains a mix of jobs accessible in terms of quality and quantity.

Secondary Employment Areas

1.13 The London Plan states that outside of the SILs, local authorities should
consider the quality and fitness for purpose of sites and the release of surplus
land for other uses in order to achieve efficient use of land in light of strategic
and local assessments of industrial land.

1.14 One Main and a number of Secondary Employment Areas have been lost to
other uses since the UDP was adopted in 1993:

• Eastern Avenue, Romford

• North Street, Hornchurch
• Rom Valley Way East (excluding The Seedbed Centre)

39
[Link]
40
Beam Reach website

86
 • Rom Valley Way West
• Romford Brewery
• Roneo Corner, Romford

1.15 The Havering Employment Land Review recommends that the following
Secondary Employment Areas outside Romford Town Centre are released.

• Chesham Close, Romford - 2 hectares

• Lambs Lane, Rainham - 2.5 hectares
• Spring Gardens, Romford - 1.4 hectares
• Part of Victoria Road Commercial Area - 1.4 hectares (outside the
Romford Area Action Plan boundary)

Sites within Romford Town Centre (Victoria Road and Bridge Close) will be
considered through the process of preparing the Romford Area Action Plan.

1.16 The remaining Secondary Employment Areas in the borough should be

retained within employment use and should accommodate all B use class
business types (except B1a) other than those that create negative
environmental impacts on surrounding uses or those which generate high
volumes of traffic on residential roads.

Offices

1.17 In line with PPS6 ‘Planning for Town Centres’; the Core Strategy identifies
offices as main town centre uses and applies the sequential test to new office
proposals.41

1.18 Romford is Havering’s major centre for office employment. It accounts for
79% of B1 accommodation within the borough. The majority of this is
concentrated within the Romford Office Quarter. However, there is a high
level of vacancy due to several recent closures. The district centres,
particularly Hornchurch and Upminster, also contain office space which
provides services and employment opportunities elsewhere in Havering. The
GLA London Office Policy Review identifies that supply and demand for
offices are low in Havering and this is likely to continue.42 The review
suggests that large scale speculative office development is not viable in
Romford and that new offices are only likely to be secured as part of a mixed
use residential or retail-led scheme. The review suggests there is no purpose
in promoting office development in Hornchurch or Upminster. However, whilst
the London Plan considers that suburban London office stock is losing its
attraction as a location for strategically important office-based activity,
Havering’s Employment Land Review identifies that there will be demand for a
further 2 hectares of office space by 2018 in Romford.

1.19 The critical mass of office space in Romford provides a high level of
employment in a town centre location with good public transport links. Public

41
Planning Policy Statement 6, Planning for Town Centres, ODPM, 2005
42
London Office Policy Review 2004, GLA, August 2004

87
 transport accessibility to Romford from central London and Heathrow will be
improved by the development of Crossrail which along with low rent levels will
help sustain demand through the plan period. More detailed policy on
Romford will be contained in the Romford Area Action Plan.

Access to Employment

1.20 A key regeneration issue in Havering is tackling the low skills and qualification
levels in the Borough. The issue in Havering is not just maximising
employment but increasing access to employment opportunities. For
regeneration policies to be effective, the local workforce must be suitably
qualified and trained to take advantage of new opportunities. A lack of key
skills and qualifications means that Havering’s workforce is disadvantaged in
the competition for employment opportunities both locally and further afield.

1.21 Improving access to training programmes and employment support schemes

will reduce the jobs-skills mismatch, increase employment opportunities for
Havering residents and help alleviate spatial inequalities in the borough.
Employment support schemes, such as the Havering Jobnet Programme,
deliver a job-brokerage service to unemployed people, offering advice and
training sessions, as part of a co-ordinated borough-wide programme.

FURTHER POLICY AND GUIDANCE

1.22 More detail on the implementation of this policy is provided in the Generic
Development Control Policies and supporting guidance.

• Havering Employment Land Review

• SPD London Riverside

MONITORING

Ref Indicator Source

17 Amount of land developed for Core Output (1)
employment by type

18 Amount of land developed for Core Output (1)

employment, by type, which is in
development and/or regeneration areas
defined in the local development
framework

19 Percentage of 17, by type, which is on Core Output (1)

previously developed land

20 Employment land supply by type Core Output (1)

88
21 Losses of employment land in: (i) Core Output (1)
development / regeneration areas and (ii)
local authority area

22 Amount of employment land lost to Core Output (1)

residential development

23 Amount of completed office development Core Output (4)

24 Percentage of completed office Core Output (4)

development in town centres

25 Percentage of employment in knowledge- Sustainability

driven business sectors Appraisal

89
90
TOWN CENTRES

91
92
 CP4 - TOWN CENTRES

Havering’s town centre hierarchy consists of:

• Metropolitan Centre - Romford

• Major District Centres - Hornchurch and Upminster
• Minor District Centres - Collier Row, Elm Park, Harold Hill
and Rainham.
• 11 Major Local Centres
• 68 Minor Local Centres

Havering’s town centre hierarchy will be promoted and enhanced by:

• directing retail, cultural and service development to the borough’s

town centres through the ‘sequential test’
• ensuring that the scale and use of new development is
consistent with the role and function of the centres and, therefore,
does not harm the vitality and viability of other centres
• promoting Romford Town Centre through the Romford Area
Action Plan as a leading Metropolitan Centre
• consolidating the District Centres of Hornchurch, Upminster,
Collier Row, Elm Park, and Harold Hill
• expanding Rainham to serve the new communities within
London Riverside
• securing qualitative improvements to town centres through
developer contributions.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 Havering’s town, district and local centres, are the focus of community life,
offering a diverse mix of uses with a high quality retail offer and convenient
local services. They are also important centres of employment not only for
retail but also office based employment particularly in Romford and creative
industries in Hornchurch, which the policies of the plan seek to maximise.

1.2 Havering has undertaken a Retail and Leisure Study which was produced in
line with PPS6.43 This assessed the balance of Havering’s existing town
centre hierarchy which classifies each centre depending on is size, its range
of shops and facilities offered and the type of community and catchment area
that it serves. This assessment was made with regard to comprehensive
town centre healthchecks. It concluded that the hierarchy is functioning well,
and that the performance of no one centre has been detrimental to another.
Nor did it find that any centres needed reclassifying.

1.3 Therefore, Havering’s town centre hierarchy consists of one Metropolitan

centre (Romford), six district centres (Hornchurch, Upminster, Collier Row,
Elm Park, Harold Hill and Rainham) and seventy nine major and minor local

43
Havering Retail and Leisure Study, Roger Tym and Partners, April 2005

93
 centres. Whilst Romford serves the sub-region, Havering’s district centres
tend to serve their local community, offering a range of everyday community,
shopping and employment opportunities. The borough’s local centres provide
day to day shops and services for residents especially the borough’s elderly
and the less mobile.

1.4 To maintain the balance between the role and function of Havering’s town
centres, the Council will apply the sequential test to new retail development
as detailed in policies DC15 and DC19. The sequential test means that retail,
cultural and service development should be located on the most central sites
in town centres before considering less central sites. The aim is to minimise
the need to travel, provide a diverse range of services in the one central
location and make facilities accessible to all. This approach is intended to
sustain and enhance the vitality and viability of town centres.

1.5 Havering’s Retail and Leisure Study identifies need over the plan period and
the appropriate strategy for Romford and each of the borough’s district
centres. The table below summarises its findings:

Centre Strategy Indicative Indicative

comparison convenience
floorspace floorspace
requirement to requirement to
2018 (m2 gross) 2018 (m2 gross)
Romford Consolidation/expansion 12,000-30,000 1,000-1,400
Hornchurch Consolidation 800-2,000 1,500-1,900
Upminster Consolidation 600-1,600 300-400
Rainham Expansion 200-600 600-900
Elm Park Consolidation 100 1,500-1,900
Collier Row Consolidation 100 300-400
Harold Hill Consolidation 200-400 1,000-1,400

1.6 It found that the district centre boundaries had been successful in helping to
achieve compact and focused town centres. The study concludes that the
district centres will experience limited growth during the plan period and,
therefore, no change to their boundaries is necessary. The Council does not
consider that it is appropriate to identify specific sites to meet this limited
growth as there are a number of small-medium size opportunities within the
district centres. Therefore, the Council would not wish to prejudice the
development of one in favour of another, thereby potentially frustrating the
strategy of consolidation in these centres, unless there is a clear cut reason
for doing so, as is the case in Elm Park and Rainham. Whilst Romford will
experience more substantial growth this can still be met within the town centre
boundaries. In summary the approach for each centre is:

Metropolitan Centre

Romford

1.7 The retail strategy for Romford, including sites to meet growth, will be set out
in the Romford Area Action Plan. The vision for Romford 2020 being taken
forward in the Romford Area Action Plan is for Romford Town Centre with the

94
 help of the Romford Town Centre Partnership to continue to be East London’s
premier town centre. This will include strengthening Romford’s historic market
as a central feature of Romford’s identity and a key part of the local eonomy.

Major District Centres

Hornchurch

1.8 Hornchurch is the borough’s cultural centre and includes a diverse retail,
culture and leisure offer, and, therefore, fulfils its role well as a major district
centre. With regard to retail, it has a localised catchment area. The overall
strategy is one of consolidation through the promotion of small to medium
scale retail (particularly convenience), culture, leisure and residential
redevelopments. Further detail will be provided in the Hornchurch Town
Centre Supplementary Planning Document.

Upminster

1.9 Upminster performs well as Havering’s second retail destination behind

Romford as it benefits from both multiple and independent retailers and,
therefore, fulfils its role well as a major district centre serving its local
catchment area.

1.10 The strategy for Upminster is consolidation with some scope for small and
medium scale retail and leisure development within the town centre to
maintain its position as one of the two complimentary retail destinations to
Romford. The main opportunities for this are largely located towards the edge
of the centre’s boundary. However, no change to this is necessary as
extending it would dilute the focus of the centre potentially undermining its
vitality and viability.

Minor District Centres

Rainham

1.11 Rainham is within the London Riverside Regeneration Area and is the focus
of a number of regeneration initiatives which are included as Site Specific
Allocations. These aim to revitalise the area and preserve or enhance its
heritage value through significant improvements to public transport and
sensitive mixed use development. These initiatives include improvements to
the Rainham Station Interchange and traffic management within the village,
improvements to Rainham Hall and Grounds, remodelling of Rainham Tesco
and development of the land between the railway and the Broadway.

1.12 Rainham includes a large Tesco and a range of individual shops. The former
contributes to the classification of Rainham as a minor district centre. There
is limited scope for further significant convenience provision. However, given
its proximity to the planned population increased in London Riverside and the
aforementioned regeneration initiatives focused on the village itself, there is
potential to increase Rainham’s comparison offer. Low floorspace to plot

95
 ratios in Rainham provide an opportunity within the existing town centre
boundary to develop new retail floorspace and, therefore, no change to the
town centre boundary is required.

1.13 Within the proposed mixed use communities within London Riverside it is
considered that there will be inadequate expenditure available to support an
additional centre of any significant size in this area, as this would dilute the
focus on Rainham. However, there may be a need for small scale retail
facilities within these communities and a larger local centre north of the
proposed Beam Park station which could act as local top-up shopping
functions together with providing other limited services for local residents. In
addition, improvements to the Roman Close Minor Local Centre will be
necessary as part of the Mardyke Estate development.

Elm Park

1.14 Elm Park is a predominantly convenience based district centre which benefits
from a range of small operators, but has a low comparison offer. Its proximity
to Romford means that there is unlikely to be little demand for further
comparison floorspace but the study has identified a shortfall in convenience
floorspace. The strategy for Elm Park is consolidation with potential for some
of the poorer quality retail units to be improved. In particular, there is scope to
improve the convenience retail offer, linkages and quality of the environment
south of the railway line. The opportunity for redevelopment of the Station and
Tadworth Parades has been identified as a Site Specific Allocation to achieve
this.

Collier Row

1.15 Collier Row is a vibrant district centre with a range of convenience and to a
lesser extent comparison shops. The strategy for Collier Row is one of
consolidation as it provides limited opportunities to accommodate new retail
floorspace. It should, therefore, continue in its role as a successful centre
which serves a largely local catchment area.

Harold Hill

1.16 Harold Hill is the smallest district centre in the borough but is no less
important to its predominantly local catchment area. The strategy here is also
one of consolidation.

Environmental and access improvements

1.17 This policy seeks to secure funding from developer contributions and other
funding sources such as the Borough Spending Plan, Groundwork, London
Development Agency and the Council’s own capital programme to improve
the attractiveness and accessibility of the borough’s town centres listed in the
hierarchy in order to strengthen and regenerate them. In order to achieve this,
funding towards improvements such as street schemes, traffic management
schemes, landscaping, paving, lighting and the provision of facilities such as

96
 public conveniences and cycle stands to improve conditions for pedestrians
and cyclists may be sought where appropriate.

FURTHER POLICY AND GUIDANCE

1.18 More detail on the implementation of this policy is provided in the

Development Control Policies and supporting guidance.

• Havering Retail and Leisure Study, LB Havering, 2006

• Hornchurch Centre SPD
• Romford Area Area Plan Preferred Options Report, LB Havering,
2006

MONITORING

Ref Indicator Source

26 Position of Havering’s town centres in the Sustainability
London strategic town centre network Appraisal

27 The amount of completed retail Core Output (4)

development.

28 The percentage of completed retail Core Output (4)

development in town centres

29 The need for further retail and service use Local Output
development based on regular need
assessments undertaken by the Council

30 The vitality and viability of centres based on Local Output

their performance against the borough’s
regular town centre health checks

31 Proportion of retail to service uses in Local Output

primary shopping areas

32 Year on year yield trends for Romford, Local Output

Hornchurch and Harold Hill.

33 Number of frontages in primary shopping Local Output

areas where a group of more than three
non-retail shop fronts exist.

34 The number of cases where non-retail uses Local Output

within the primary shopping frontage of
Collier Row, Elm Park, Harold Hill and
Rainham and Major Local Centres exceed
33% of a frontage’s total length.

35 The number of cases where non-retail uses Local Output

within the primary shopping frontage of
Hornchurch and Upminster exceed 20% of
a frontage’s total length

97
98
CULTURE

99
100
 CP5 - CULTURE

To ensure that cultural uses help improve the quality of life of residents
and visitors, a strong and well-developed cultural provision will be
established by:

• ensuring that major trip generating cultural uses are located in

town centres and sufficient facilities are provided to serve the
communities of London Riverside
• ensuring smaller facilities are easily accessible by walking and
cycling
• promoting Hornchurch as a key cultural centre for the arts serving
Havering and the wider sub-region
• promoting cultural and arts uses in Romford Town Centre to
diversify the evening economy
• diversifying the evening and night time entertainment uses in
town centres
• ensuring the impact of food, drink and evening economy uses is
carefully controlled.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 As with the Government publication ‘Sustainable Communities: People,

Places and Prosperity’ (2005), the Council recognises the particular role of
culture as a pivotal focus for community activity and a sense of shared
community and local pride and its contribution to quality of life. The Council
regards culture as essential to creating communities in which people want to
live, learn and work, both now and in the future. Cultural provision
encompasses a wide range of activities from sport and leisure, convenient
access to a network of open space, arts and creative activities and industries,
and libraries, heritage centres or museums. This policy focuses on town
centre cultural uses. Other cultural uses such as use of open spaces and less
intensive sports and recreation facilities are covered under Core Strategy
Policy CP7.

1.2 In line with Planning Policy Statement 6, the London Plan and the Mayor’s
Cultural Strategy, the Council regards cultural uses as key components of
town centres in order to increase their vitality and viability.44 45These uses
often remain open beyond shopping hours and therefore aid in extending the
economy of town centres. They also add to the diversity of uses in town
centres and, aid in promoting consumer activity. The Council supports the
diversification of town centre uses and the introduction of complementary day
and evening uses such as galleries, museums and restaurants within town
centres. The key policy tools for achieving this are the ‘sequential test’ and the
introduction of more flexibility into fringe area retail policy which is covered in
DC16 and will also be covered in the Romford Area Action Plan.

44
Planning Policy Statement 6, Planning for Town Centres, ODPM, 2005
45
London’s Cultural Capital, GLA, April 2004

101
 Assessing future demand for leisure provision

1.3 Havering’s Retail and Leisure Study identifies leisure as covering uses such
as cinemas, pubs, restaurants, health and fitness centres, family
entertainment, theatres and museums, bingo, and indoor bowling, so closely
follows the definition of cultural uses covered by this policy. It excludes the
less intensive sport and leisure uses to which the ‘sequential test’ does not
apply, for example, open spaces and libraries.

1.4 Havering’s Retail and Leisure Study notes that there are no industry standard
methodologies for modelling and apportioning growth in leisure expenditure.
Moreover, leisure has only recently been brought into the range of uses
covered by the sequential approach.

1.5 Growth in leisure expenditure will primarily come from two sources, population
growth and increased participation rates. The study anticipates that by 2018
there will be a growth in leisure expenditure in Havering of £139 million, with
three fifths of this growth likely to be spent in food and drink establishments.

1.6 The study identifies that cinema provision in the borough is above the London
average suggesting a slight oversupply and, therefore, considers there is little
scope for additional provision in the near future. The representation of food
and drink uses in Romford and the district centres was compared with the
Great Britain average. Whilst the assessment considers there is good
provision, and, indeed, over provision in some cases, the quality of the
operators could be improved. It concluded that there is a qualitative
requirement to increase the number of good quality eating and drinking
destinations rather than take-away units.

1.7 The scope is more difficult to quantify with regard to additional facilities such
as theatres, ten-pin bowling and health and fitness centres. However, given
the likely expenditure growth in leisure pursuits over the life of the plan there is
likely to be some scope to expand the offer in sectors such as theatres, ten pin
bowling, bingo, and health and fitness centres. For facilities that are intended
to serve a wide audience, particularly cultural uses, the study considers that
these should first be directed to Hornchurch as the borough’s cultural centre.
This is the approach taken by the Core Strategy.

1.8 The indicative upper limit for leisure floor space for Romford and the District
Centres is set out in DC15. This is taken from Havering’s Retail and Leisure
Study 2006.

1.9 Romford’s cultural facilities have been focused on entertainment and leisure. It
is known to attract an average of 11,000 people to pubs and nightclubs per
night. This brings with it economic benefits in terms of the jobs this sustains
but also brings problems of anti-social behaviour. Romford also includes a
bowling alley and multiplex cinema. The library hosts smaller scale arts
events, and there are plans for a Romford Museum in the Brewery
development. The Core Strategy aims to diversify Romford’s evening

102
 economy whilst at the same time managing the effects of pubs, clubs and
restaurants.

1.10 Hornchurch has a greater range and more balanced mix of cultural facilities
than Romford which includes the Queen’s Theatre and Fairkytes Arts Centre
as well as a range of pubs and restaurants. Hornchurch is, therefore, a locally
and sub-regionally important cultural quarter. The Core Strategy seeks to
continue to protect and promote Hornchurch as Havering’s cultural centre not
only serving the borough, but the wider Thames Gateway sub-region.

1.11 The remaining district centres contain a limited number of cultural facilities
mainly focused on restaurant, café and bar uses with a limited number of
leisure uses, notable exceptions include the Central Park Leisure Centre in
Harold Hill and the Upminster Tithe Barn Museum in Upminster. This
indicates that there is the further potential to diversify and enhance arts,
leisure and entertainment uses within district centres such as Rainham, Elm
Park, Harold Hill, Collier Row and Upminster which would consequently add
complementary day and night uses within these centres effectively enhancing
their vitality.

1.12 The impact of food, drink and evening economy uses in Havering’s town
centres will be controlled by considering, with regard to new development, its
likely cumulative impact on the character and function of the centre in terms of
resulting crime and anti-social behaviour, and disturbance to the amenities of
nearly residents.

FURTHER POLICY AND GUIDANCE

1.13 More detail on the implementation of this policy is provided in the

Development Control Policies and supporting guidance.

• Hornchurch Centre SPD

• Romford Area Action Plan Preferred Options Report, LB Havering, 2006
• Havering Retail and Leisure Study, LB Havering, 2005

MONITORING

Ref Indicator Source

36 Amount of completed leisure development Core Output (4)

37 Percentage of completed leisure Core Output (4)

development in town centres

26 Position of district centres in GLA town Sustainability

centre hierarchy Appraisal

103
38 Percentage of population exposed to noise Sustainability
levels above 60Db Appraisal

39 Number of arts and cultural facilities built in Local Output

town centres and out of centres

40 Amount floor area (m2 and percentage) of Local Output

arts and cultural uses in town centre
locations and out of centre locations

41 Number of major development schemes Local Output

and mixed use development schemes that
have provided a public art contribution.

41A Number of new A3, A4 and A5 permissions Local Output

within Havering’s six district centres

CP6 - ARTS IN HORNCHURCH

Hornchurch will be promoted as a key centre for artistic activities

that serve the surrounding sub-region by:

• encouraging arts and other cultural uses to locate in the centre of

Hornchurch
• encouraging the development of creative industry employment to
locate in Hornchurch through the development of a limited
number of live/work units for artists and creative workers
• supporting the development of a training centre for artists with
links to Havering College and the Queen’s Theatre
• encouraging the development of A1 uses which specialise in the
sale of books, art materials, antiques, photography and artistic
and literary creation to locate in the area bounded by and
including the High Street to the south, the Queen’s Theatre to the
north, North Street to the east and Billet Lane to the west
• supporting improvements to Fairkytes Art Centre including the
refurbishment of the façade and landscaping to the front area
• supporting proposals that improve the connectivity between the
Queen’s Theatre, Langtons, Fairkytes and High Street
• improving the setting of arts and other cultural facilities around
Langtons and the Queen’s Theatre
• seeking contributions from development proposals in Hornchurch
town centre for improvement works that will aid in implementing
the objectives and strategies of this policy.

104
 REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 The arts and cultural attributes of Hornchurch are not only popular with
residents in Havering, but also with people from surrounding boroughs.
Hornchurch has the advantage of a central location with good transport
connections to surrounding areas outside that of Havering. East London is
recognised as lacking in cultural facilities such as local theatres and tourist
attractions and, for this reason, the Mayor of London supports the
development of new cultural provision in town centres within East London and
the Thames Gateway. Hornchurch is already home to the Queen’s Theatre
and is complemented by the extensive range of facilities taking place at the
nearby Fairkytes Art Centre. Hornchurch is, therefore, considered to be a key
centre in East London with regard to arts provision and is well situated to
grow in importance to serve the planned new communities within London
Riverside and other parts of the Thames Gateway. The opportunity, therefore,
arises to build on these assets and promote Hornchurch as a key centre for
arts and other cultural facilities. This is also supported by the GLA publication
‘Creativity, London’s Core Business’ which identifies that Havering has a
sizeable growth rate in creative industry jobs, and this highlights an
opportunity for growth in creative industries in the borough particularly in
Hornchurch which already supports a strong cultural base.46

1.2 A Supplementary Planning Document will provide more detail on the

implementation of this and related policies.

FURTHER POLICY AND GUIDANCE

1.3 More detail on the implementation of this policy is provided in the

Development Control Policies and supporting guidance.

• Havering Retail and Leisure Study, LB Havering, 2006

• Hornchurch Centre SPD

MONITORING

1.4 The indicators for CP5 on page 101 will also cover this policy.

46
Creativity: London’s Core Business, GLA, October 2002

105
 CP7 – RECREATION AND LEISURE

The Council will, in partnership with other bodies, seek to retain and
increase access to recreation and leisure opportunities by:

• retaining existing facilities where a need exists

• addressing quantitative and qualitative deficiencies in open space
and recreation facilities
• improving opportunities for creative play and physical activity in
parks and open spaces
• improving opportunities for informal recreation in the
countryside, particularly through the implementation of the
Thames Chase Plan and London Riverside Conservation Park,
and also by improving footpaths and bridleways and the links
between open spaces, the urban areas, the open countryside and
the Thames including a continuous Thames Path
• supporting implementation of the following complementary
initiatives
• Thames Chase
• Green Grid
• Green Arc
• London Outer Orbital Path
• Blue Ribbon Network
• Thames Chase Forest Circle
• seeking developer contributions towards improvements to the
quality and quantity of open space, recreation and leisure
facilities

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 Access to informal and formal recreation and leisure opportunities are
important to the quality of life of all age groups. Not only are these sources of
enjoyment but also impact on other aspects of quality of life, for example the
health benefits of formal and informal recreation and the education benefits to
children of creative play.

Meeting the need for leisure and recreation activities

1.2 In line with PPG17 the Council has completed an Open Space and Sports
Needs Assessment.47 This shows that Havering has a relatively good quantity
of public parks but that there are local pockets of deficiency across the
borough. In particular, there are significant areas which are deficient in access
to dedicated children’s play areas. Figure 1 (page 107) shows deficiencies in
general terms - a more detailed assessment of deficiency will be undertaken
in individual cases where necessary. In terms of sports facilities, the
assessment identifies that up to 2016 there will be a need for a further twenty

47
Havering Open Space and Sports Needs Assessment, LB Havering, 2005

106
junior football pitches, two additional artificial turf pitches and three additional
sports halls.

Figure 1 – Areas deficient in access to public parks – source Figure 5.5

of Havering’s Open Space and Sports Assessment Volume 1

107
1.3 In line with PPG17, the Council’s aim is to promote equality of access to
leisure and recreation facilities by remedying identified deficiencies. It will
seek to achieve this by retaining existing open space, sports and recreation
buildings unless a comprehensive assessment shows them to be surplus to
requirements. Where a space or facility is surplus to specific requirements the
Council will, where necessary, seek to remedy deficiencies in other types of
provision. For example, where there is an identified surplus in one type of
open space or sports and recreational facility but a deficit in another type,
planning conditions or obligations may be used to secure part of the
development site for the type of open space or sports and recreational facility
that is deficient.

1.4 In appropriate circumstances the Council will also seek to address

deficiencies identified in the assessment through developer contributions, the
balance of open space provision and dual use of educational sports facilities.

Countryside recreation

1.5 The majority of Havering’s countryside is within the Green Belt apart from
Rainham Marshes. The Green Belt, along with the Marshes, encircles the built
up areas of the borough in the west, north and east. They have helped
maintain a valuable recreational resource on the metropolitan edge, through
the Country Parks and the Thames Chase and the network of public footpaths
and bridleways and ‘Green Chains’ which extend between them and connect
them to the urban area.

1.6 The Thames Chase covers 70% of the Green Belt in the borough including
400 hectares of tree cover. The Thames Chase Plan sets out information and
policies and proposals concerning the Community Forest.48 The Council
supports the aims of the Thames Chase project which include increasing the
amount of woodland and the creation of recreation opportunities including
enhancing access to the countryside using the Greenways concept which
provide for walking, cycling, and in some instances horse riding, linking built
up areas with the countryside and major areas of open space. The Council
will look to support the implementation of the Thames Chase through the
planning system by seeking to ensure that developments located within the
Thames Chase make a positive contribution to it. This includes the restoration
of minerals extraction sites.

1.7 The London Plan identifies that Rainham Marshes and riverside open space
should be planned to provide a regionally important environmental and leisure
asset for East London.49 This is called the London Riverside Conservation
Park which the Council is supporting the implementation of. It incorporates the
Nature Reserve on the Site of Special Scientific Interest and the land south of
Coldharbour Lane which is currently being used for waste disposal and
employment uses. This is included as a Site Specific Allocation.

48
Thames Chase Plan, Thames Chase, 2000
49
London Plan, paragraph 5.74, GLA, 2004

108
1.8 The Council will also support the many initiatives which are working towards
improving accessibility to and the quality of recreation facilities. These include:

The Green Grid: The aim of this project is to create a strategic network of
interlinked multi-functional high quality open spaces to connect residential
areas, major employment areas, town centres, public transport nodes, leisure
and recreation uses, the Green Belt and the Thames.

The Green Arc: This initiative promotes the positive management and use of
the urban fringe to provide a good quality environment for people and wildlife.

London Outer Orbital Path: This is a 150 mile long path linking the London
Boroughs along the city’s green edge. It will provide a country walk
experience whilst sill keeping London facilities close to hand.

Blue Ribbon Network: In Havering this network comprises the Thames, the
Rivers Rom, Beam and Ingrebourne (including their culverted sections),
reservoirs and lakes. The London Plan promotes the use of these water-
related spaces for a variety of sustainable uses including transport, recreation
(including waterside activities), natural habitats and flood storage or
protection.

FURTHER POLICY AND GUIDANCE

1.9 More detail on implementation of this policy is provided in the Generic

Development Control Policies and supporting guidance;

• Havering Draft Sports and Physical Activity Strategy, LB

Havering, 2006
• Havering Retail and Leisure Study, LB Havering, 2006
• Havering Draft Parks and Open Spaces Strategy, LB Havering,
2006
• Havering Cycling Strategy, LB Havering, 2006
• Havering Walking Strategy, LB Havering, 2006
• Havering Local Implementation Plan, LB Havering, 2006
• Thames Chase Plan, Thames Chase, 2000

MONITORING

Ref Indicator Source

42 Number of open spaces with Green Flag Sustainability
Award Appraisal (SEI)

43 Access to local open space: catchment Sustainability

based on maximum walking distance. Appraisal (SEI)

43A Number of junior football pitches, artificial Local Output

turf pitches and sports halls

109
43B Percentage of residents satisfied with Local Output
parks and open spaces

110
COMMUNITY
NEEDS

111
112
 CP8 - COMMUNITY FACILITIES

The Council will work in partnership with other bodies to ensure that a
suitable range of community facilities are provided to meet existing and
forecast demand by:

• ensuring major developments provide facilities to meet new

demand, especially in London Riverside and Romford Town Centre,
where significant growth in the number of residents is planned
• ensuring all new community facilities are located in places that are
or will be accessible by a range of transport, including walking and
cycling, and that the development itself is accessible to all groups
• retaining or re-providing community facilities where a need exists
• allowing the development of essential community facilities
necessary to meet the specific needs of the community on non-
allocated land and involving the net loss of existing housing.
• seeking developer contributions towards the provision of essential
new community facilities

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 “Community facilities” include:

• education facilities;
• health and medical centres;
• residential care and day care facilities;
• childcare facilities (including private nurseries);
• community centres and halls;
• places of worship;
• cemeteries and crematoria; and.
• police facilities

1.2 Community facilities have a major influence on the quality of life for local
residents and can help foster community identity and reduce social exclusion.
However improving quality of life depends on more than the provision of new
facilities. Environmental management and transport policies for example will
help improve air quality which is a major contributor to spatial health
inequalities. Similarly policies focused on design, culture and heritage will help
improve the built and natural environments and will help make walking and
cycling more attractive with attendant physical and mental health benefits.
Nevertheless the provision of community facilities remains a vital component
in improving quality of life and therefore in line with PPS1and the London
Plan, this policy seeks to reduce social inequalities and address accessibility
both in terms of location and access for all members of the community to
health, education and social facilities. 50 51 To achieve this the Council is

50
Planning Policy Statement 1, Delivering Sustainable Development, ODPM, 2005
51
Policy 3A.15, London Plan, GLA, 2004

113
 committed to working in partnership with the other agencies across the public,
private and voluntary sectors which are charged with their delivery.

1.3 Demographic changes in Havering are likely to increase not only the need for
community facilities but lead to the need for different types of community
facilities than have previously been provided. Whilst demographic changes will
be complex and have a number of implications for the delivery of community
services and facilities, it is possible to identify three main trends which the
Core Strategy will need to plan for:

• An aging population and significant forecast increase in the numbers of

people over 85 years old
• An increasing birth rate but falling school rolls
• Overall population growth with increasing ethnic diversity and mix of faith
groups

Planning for an ageing population

1.4 Havering’s Supporting People Strategy, Housing Strategy and emerging

Strategy for Housing Support and Housing Options for Older People aim to
address the challenges faced by Havering’s ageing population.

1.5 Whilst the challenges are complex and varied, in summary their spatial impact
is that more, older people will be cared for in their own homes with a related
greater need for day care facilities and extra care services. However, there
may still be a need for sheltered housing, particularly in the private sector,
due to the overall increase in the numbers of elderly people and for those
older people looking to ‘downsize’ to a smaller property. This will need to
address the fact that many older people prefer 2 rather than 1 bed
accommodation.

Planning for an increasing birth rate

1.6 There are two trends that need to be planned for regarding young people.
Data for the period up to 2021 shows that there will be an increase in the
number of 0-4 year olds. This will lead to an increased need for pre-school
childcare provision. Havering Council is implementing a number of Children’s
Centres which are designed to deliver services for families with young
children up to the age of five. It plans to deliver eleven Children’s Centres
across the borough by 2011. Government guidance states that a Children’s
Centre should be a building ‘ideally on or close to a primary school site and
within pram-pushing distance of the community it serves’. As well as the need
for new build facilities demand may also be met through childminding from
home or through the conversion of existing premises as outlined in PPG4.52
Crèches within the workplace can help remove barriers for parents to enter
employment, especially single parents.

52
Planning Policy Guidance Note 4, Industrial and Commercial Development and Small Firms, ODPM 1992

114
1.7 At the same time, the number of school age children is forecast to decline
with a shift between the population of primary and secondary school aged
pupils. Therefore, the cumulative impact of new housing development in the
borough is unlikely to have a significant effect on education needs except for
in London Riverside.53 However, the way schools are used is changing. The
Government is promoting the concept of ’extended’ schools which will
provide a range of services and activities, often beyond the school day, to
help meet the needs of children, their families and the wider community. The
Government wants to see strong links between ‘extended‘ schools and
Children’s Centres.

Planning for an increasing population

1.8 Havering’s forecast growth in population will impact on the delivery of all types
of community services and facilities, particularly in the two main growth areas
in Havering; Romford Town Centre and London Riverside. Without these
growth areas Havering’s population would decline through the period of the
plan, and exhibit an even more marked ageing trend.

1.9 The characteristics of Havering’s new population are likely to differ from the
existing population in a number of ways. Most significantly in terms of service
delivery, it will be younger, more ethnically diverse, and households will be
smaller.

1.10 In planning for the needs of new and existing residents, it is important to
recognise and remedy deficiencies in current provision. For example, the
quality of GP premises locally is an issue as many premises are below the
acceptable standard and have long patient lists. There are also significant
spatial inequalities in people’s health across the borough. The Council is
committed to working in partnership with the Havering Primary Care Trust to
transform healthcare by improving access to and the quality of GP premises
through the NHS Local Improvement Finance Trust Programme. This has
already provided new facilities in Harold Hill and Cranham, with new centres
planned or proposed in South Hornchurch, Rainham and Romford to meet the
needs of existing and new populations.

1.11 A comprehensive remodelling of Havering’s hospitals is also underway. The

Queen’s Hospital opened in 2007 and incorporates acute services from
Harold Wood which will be redeveloped for intermediate care use.

1.12 A different challenge is faced in the education sector. As noted above, whilst
population increases are likely to offset falling school rolls, in London
Riverside there is likely to be a need for increased education provision and
the Council will ensure that adequate provision is made through the planning
process. The same is true for pre-school childcare. The low levels of further
education take-up also need to be addressed so that more Havering residents
participate in further and higher education and lifelong learning, to improve

53
Havering School Organisation Plan 2003-2008, LB Havering

115
 their skills and qualifications, as well as extending their personal development
at all stages of life.

1.13 The Council recognises that providing new community facilities can be difficult
as they can be lost to, or crowded out by, competing higher value land uses.
This is particularly true for smaller scale community facilities such as
community halls and places of worship. Therefore, the Core Strategy
introduces some flexibility to ensure new community facilities can be provided
whilst ensuring they are located in accessible places, and seeks to ensure
that community facilities continue to serve residents needs.

FURTHER POLICY AND GUIDANCE

1.14 More detail on implementation of this policy is provided in the Development

Control Policies and supporting guidance:

• Barking and Havering NHS, Local Implementation Finance Trust

• Havering School Organisation Plan 2003 - 2008 and Addendum for
2004, LB Havering, 2004
• Educational Needs Generated by New Development SPD

MONITORING

Ref Indicator Source

44 Amount of land developed by employment Local Output
type – social and community facilities

45 Amount of land developed for social and Local Output

community facilities on previously
developed land

46 Supply of land for social and community Local Output

facilities

47 Amount of land for social and community Local Output

facilities lost to other development

48 Percentage of local authority buildings fully Sustainability

accessible for people with disabilities Appraisal

49 Average size of GP patient lists Sustainability

Appraisal

50 Visits to public libraries Sustainability

Appraisal

50A All age all cause mortality by ward Local Output

50B Public satisfaction with quality of Local Output

surroundings

116
TRANSPORT

117
118
 CP9 - REDUCING THE NEED TO TRAVEL

The need to travel will be reduced by:

• co-locating major trip generating retail, services, cultural, office,

and community uses in places with good public transport
accessibility
• ensuring that new development reinforces the town centre
hierarchy
• relating residential densities to current and future public transport
access levels and the character of existing development
• ensuring that there is a range of local employment opportunities,
that local people are suitably skilled to compete for these, and
maximising the employment of local people in new development
• improving opportunities for informal recreation in the Havering
countryside

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 Transport for London (TfL) has set statutory transport targets for the
implementation of the Mayor of London’s Transport Strategy which boroughs
are expected to meet in planning transport locally.54

• Between 2001 and 2011, an absolute reduction in weekday traffic of

15% in central London, zero growth across the rest of inner London,
and a reduction in growth in outer London by a third (6% growth), with
the aim of achieving zero growth in outer London town centres
• A reduction of 40% in number of persons killed and seriously injured
• Maintain or increase the proportion of personal travel made by means
other than car.
• Achieve at least an 80% increase in cycling levels by 2010 and a 200%
increase by 2020 compared to cycling levels in 2000.

1.2 In line with Planning Policy Guidance Note 13: Transport, and the London
Plan, this policy in unison with Havering’s Local Implementation Plan (LIP),
seeks to deliver these targets by integrating planning and transport to reduce
the need to travel.

1.3 Havering’s LIP is a programme of action to improve transport which is to be

taken forward from 2005/06-2010/11. LIP priorities are in line with the Mayor
of London’s Transport Strategy and are focused on delivering these targets. It
is based on the twin principles of seeking to reduce the need to travel and to
give people a choice of transport modes that are convenient, sustainable and
reliable.55

54
London Transport Strategy, GLA, July 2001
55
Havering Local Implementation Plan, LB Havering, September 2006. This is a programme of action to improve transport from
2005/06-2010/11, whose priorities are in line with those of the Mayor’s of London’s Transport Strategy.

119
1.4 Consequently, Core Strategy policies on retailing, services, culture, and
community facilities direct such uses to town centres by introducing more
flexibility about the uses which are allowed within the fringe areas of town
centres in comparison to the previous Havering UDP, and relating these uses
according to where each centre sits within the town centre hierarchy, and the
role and function of each. 56 Similarly, the housing policies encourage higher
density residential development in town centres in recognition of the greater
convenience and public transport accessibility such locations enjoy. The aim
is that this will encourage mixed use, multi-functional developments which
enhance the vitality and viability of the borough’s town centres. It will help
reduce the need to travel by enabling people to do a number of things in one
trip instead of having to make separate journeys, and by providing day to day
facilities in convenient and accessible locations to where people live. This will
also help increase the attractiveness of walking and cycling and the use of
public transport in favour of less sustainable forms of transport.

1.5 Whilst the overall aim of this policy is to reduce the need to travel by all forms
of motorised transport, the policy, in line with the Mayor of London’s Transport
Strategy and London Plan, recognises that many more people will continue to
use their cars for travel in the outer London suburbs than in inner London
where public transport accessibility and capacity is much higher.

1.6 Increasing employment opportunities locally can also help reduce the length
of journeys local people make. Around 50% of Havering’s residents commute
to work outside the borough taking advantage of Havering’s good road rail
and bus links with surrounding areas. Consequently, journey to work times in
Havering are longer than the national average and significantly longer than
the London average. 57 This indicates a lack of suitable local job opportunities
or an inability of local people to access these. At the same time, it may also
reflect the choice people make when balancing access to employment and
the quality of the residential environment they live in.

FURTHER POLICY AND GUIDANCE

1.7 More detail on implementation of this policy is provided in the

Development Control Policies and supporting guidance:

• Havering Final Local Implementation Plan, approved May 2007

56
Havering Unitary Development Plan, LB Havering, 1993
57
Twice as many people in Havering (28%) commute over 20km to work than from any other authority in London
(Hillingdon being the next highest at 15%).

120
MONITORING

Ref Indicator Source

51 Annual changes in traffic levels in Borough Sustainability
to/from Romford Town Centre Appraisal

51A Weekday traffic levels Local Output

121
CP10 - SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT

A choice of sustainable transport modes, where travel is

necessary, will be promoted by:

• achieving integration and convenient interchange between

different transport modes
• requiring the submission of a travel plan and transport
assessment for proposals with material transport implications
• ensuring that new development does not overload the capacity of
the public transport and strategic road networks, including the
motorway network
• working in partnership with the relevant agencies to seek funding
for and deliver the following public transport improvements to
support development priorities and ensuring that new
development is designed and laid out with regard to these to
facilitate its deliverability:
• East London Transit
• Crossrail Line 1
• Improvements to the c2c railway line from London to Southend
via Rainham and Upminster including the new Beam Reach
Station
• General improvements to the local bus network through the
London Bus Priority Network and in particular in London
Riverside where bus links are vital to the achievement of
sustainable communities.
• welcoming facilities which support the use of green fuels for
public transport
• where appropriate relating maximum car parking standards to
public transport accessibility
• ensuring that new developments in their design and layout
prioritise the needs of pedestrians and cyclists and minimise the
distance to local public transport nodes
• ensuring new development does not have an adverse impact on
the road hierarchy
• increasing accessibility to Romford Town Centre by considering
the potential to introduce a Park and Ride facility as part of a
wider strategy to encourage modal shift
• seeking contributions for improvements to public transport
accessibility and capacity and other transport improvements
where this is necessary to serve the new development
• maximising the use of river and rail freight facilities within and
outside the borough where this represents the most sustainable
option

122
 REASONED JUSTIFICATION

Improving public transport

1.1 Promoting sustainable alternatives to the car helps to:

• Reduce congestion
• Reduce air pollution and therefore helps meet the objectives of
Havering’s Air Quality Management Area
• Improve conditions for local businesses
• Reduce the number of people killed and seriously injured on roads in
Havering in line with Havering’s Road Safety Plan
• Generally improves quality of life by making it easier for people to get
around
• Address social exclusion and ensure equality of opportunity in terms of
access to jobs, community facilities and shops.

1.2 Through Havering’s Local Implementation Plan (LIP) 2005/6-2010/11 and the
associated annual funding and reporting submissions, the Council continues
to pursue measures to improve public transport accessibility for these
reasons.58 59 The Core Strategy can support this approach. New development
offers the opportunity to seek contributions towards improvements to public
transport especially in poorly provided locations and to help create the
conditions for improvements to the public transport infrastructure through the
location and form of new development. Attention will be paid to ensuring that
new developments do not overload the public transport network, either
individually or cumulatively.

1.3 In Havering there are a number of public transport schemes at varying stages
of development which this Core Strategy promotes. The Council will work with
the relevant statutory authorities to secure the provision of this infrastructure:

• Crossrail: This will connect stations on the existing London Liverpool St

line to central London, and beyond to Heathrow and west London. 60
• East London Transit: Initially a high quality bus with potential to
upgrade to tram. First phase from Ilford to Dagenham due to be
completed by 2010. Possible extensions to Rainham and Romford, and
the route between Romford and Rainham, are currently being
assessed and would be progressed at later stages. Bus priority and
where appropriate dedicated busways will need to be designed into
new developments once the precise alignment has been agreed.61 This
will help improve links between the north and south of the Borough but
also links to the Docklands Light Railway and to the London City Airport
and Olympic Park.

58
Havering Consultation Draft Local Implementation Plan-LB Havering-July 2005
59
Havering Borough Spending Plan-LB Havering-2004
60
[Link]
61
Transport for London

123
 • Improvements to London-Tilbury-Southend Line: Proposed new station
at Beam Park and the extension of platforms at Rainham Station to
substantially increase peak time frequency and operational capacities
• Bus access improvements in the Ferry Lane/Beam Reach employment
area: Important to achieving this is the proposed Rainham Creek
Crossing which is an essential prerequisite to enable buses to be
routed through the Rainham Employment Area
• Park and Ride: National planning guidance states that local authorities
should give favourable treatment to well conceived park and ride
schemes. In some circumstances it considers them as acceptable
Green Belt uses. Through its LIP, Havering has secured funding for a
Romford Park and Ride Feasibility Study.
• Thames Gateway Bridge: This will connect Beckton to Thamesmead
and will enable the East London Transit to connect to the Greenwich
Waterfront Transit. 62

Car Parking

1.4 Local evidence for Havering indicates that car ownership levels are related to
Public Transport Accessibility Levels. 63 Therefore, improvements to public
transport will help reduce the number of car parking spaces which are
necessary to serve new development. This in turn increases the viability of
public transport by freeing road space for buses, and enabling less
developable land to be given over to car parking, thereby making it easier for
a development to be designed around the needs of pedestrians and public
transport users. This also has the advantage of minimising additional car
travel, reducing trip lengths, and encouraging more sustainable forms of
travel. However, it is important that the level of car parking is consistent with
the level of public transport access a site enjoys, otherwise this may cause
on-street parking problems, and increase social exclusion. Equally, the
Council recognises in line with the London Plan and the Mayor of London’s
Transport Strategy, that many people will continue to use their cars for travel,
particularly in the suburbs.64 Regard also needs to be had to standards in
Essex local authorities which may be more generous than Havering
standards, this will be particularly important for employment uses to ensure it
does not act as a disincentive to inward investment.

Design and layout

1.5 There are also a number of design considerations which new development
can address to increase accessibility to public transport and between different
forms of transport. In recognition of the increasing age profile of Havering’s
population, and the significant number of people with a limiting long term
illness, this policy promotes seamless integration between forms of transport
and ensures that development promotes ease of access to public transport.

62
Transport for London
63
Neighbourhood statistics
64
London Plan, paragraph 3.205, GLA, 2004 and Mayor’s Transport Strategy, paragraph 4H.3, TfL, 2001

124
 Walking and cycling

1.6 Walking and cycling are important, and sustainable, forms of transport for the
23% of Havering households who do not have access to a car. Havering's LIP
encourages walking and cycling as modes of travel since they help improve
health, reduce congestion and help protect the environment. 65 66 Havering’s
Walking and Cycling Strategies include a number of measures for promoting
these most sustainable forms of transport.

London Riverside

1.7 Existing industry in the area enjoys excellent road links but public transport
access is poor. The provision of sustainable communities is dependent in part
on the provision of major public transport investment. Public transport is the
key to realising the optimal residential capacity of London Riverside, for
ensuring that jobs created in this area contribute to increasing the Thames
Gateway’s prosperity and for maximising accessibility to the London Riverside
Conservation Park. It will be important to improve north to south linkages
through the East London Transit, and improved bus services, to integrate the
regeneration opportunities within London Riverside with the rest of the
borough.

1.8 Funding is being sought for improvements to Rainham Interchange. In

addition, a new station at Beam Park (which is a Site Specific Allocation) is
proposed, in concert with increased frequencies and capacity on the c2c line.
The extension of East London Transit from Dagenham through to Rainham is
also proposed.67 68 It is also proposed to secure a ‘green’ tram in connection
with the London Riverside Conservation Park, connecting it with Rainham
Station.

FURTHER POLICY AND GUIDANCE

1.9 More detail on implementation of this policy is provided in the Development

Control Policies and supporting guidance:

• Havering Local Implementation Plan 2005/06-2010/11, LB Havering,

2006
• London Riverside Integrated Transport Strategy, London Riverside
Action Group, 2004
• Travel Plans SPD
• Havering Walking Strategy, LB Havering, 2005
• Havering Cycling Strategy, LB Havering, 2005
• Crossrail Safeguarding Direction-Department of Transport- July 2004
and Channel Tunnel Rail Link Safeguarding Directions 1996.
• Park and Ride Strategic Assessment Framework for London, Transport
for London, July 2004

65
Havering Walking Strategy, LB Havering, November 2005
66
Havering Cycling Strategy, LB Havering, November 2005
67
Achieving through partnership, Havering Strategic Partnership. 2005
68
London Riverside Integrated Transport Strategy, London Riverside Action Group, 2004

125
 • Transport Assessment Best Practice, Transport for London 2006

MONITORING

Ref Indicator Source

52 Percentage of new residential Core Output (3)
development within 30 minutes public
transport time of a GP, hospital, primary
and secondary school, employment and a
major health centre.69

53 Percentage of completed non-residential Core Output (3)

development complying with car parking
standards set out in the local development
framework.

54 Annual modal shift from car use in borough Sustainability

Appraisal

55 Number of organisations with a travel plan Sustainability

per annum Appraisal

56 Spatial variations in public transport Sustainability

accessibility levels Appraisal

57 Proportion of journeys made by foot Sustainability

Appraisal

58 Proportion of journeys by cycle Sustainability

Appraisal

58A Number of road traffic accidents by age Local Output

and by ward

69
The calculation of public transport time is a threshold measure which is calculated by using local timetables; interchange
times on scheduled arrival times of connecting public transport services and walking distances to access points. When
measuring from large sites, the measurement is taken from the most relevant major public transport nodal point(s) within that
area or where this is not possible the most appropriate access point(s).

126
WASTE
MANAGEMENT

127
128
 CP11- SUSTAINABLE WASTE MANAGEMENT

The Council is committed to minimising the production of waste,

increases in recycling and composting and achieving substantial
reductions in the use of landfill.

New waste management facilities, therefore, will only be acceptable in

Havering where they:

• represent the most sustainable location for the management of

the waste
• ensure that the community or business which generated the waste
is taking responsibility for its management
• help the waste planning authority or London waste authority
where the waste arose to achieve the maximum degree of self
sufficiency in managing their waste
• help deliver national targets for recycling and composting of
waste.

The broad locations for new waste management facilities will be in

Strategic Industrial Locations, secondary employment areas and
existing licensed waste management sites

Until the Joint Waste Plan is adopted the Council will safeguard all
existing waste management sites, unless appropriate compensatory
provision is made.

The Joint Waste Plan will identify the amount of waste that will need
managing across the four East London Boroughs up to 2020 and this
will be based on robust evidence which will be informed by the regional
waste apportionment. It will identify the range and type of facilities
necessary to manage this waste and suitable locations for them.

The Joint Waste Plan will identify sufficient land to manage waste by
having regard to the apportionment at Borough level as in the London
Plan.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 With regard to European Directives, the National Waste Strategy and
Planning Policy Statement 10: Planning for Sustainable Waste Management,
the London Plan encourages an increase in waste minimisation, recycling,
composting and the development of new and emerging advanced conversion
technologies for waste in preference to any increase in mass burn incineration
capacity, and substantial reductions in the use of landfill.70 71 72

70
Landfill Directive 1993/31/EC
71
Waste Framework Directive 2000/60/EC
72
Waste Strategy 2000 for England and Wales, DEFRA, 2000

129
1.2 The London Boroughs of Barking and Dagenham, Havering, Newham and
Redbridge have indicated in their Local Development Schemes that they
intend to produce a Joint Waste Development Plan Document.

1.3 In line with PPS10, the Joint Waste Plan will seek to identify the range and
types of waste management facilities and suitable locations for them to
manage the waste management needs of the four boroughs up to 2020.73
Following the advice in PPS10 and PPS12, and the accompanying best
practice guidance, it will test a number of options for meeting waste capacity
requirements through the sustainability appraisal process based on a robust
analysis of available data and information.74 75 This policy sets out the broad
principles which, in advance of the production of the Joint Waste Plan, it is
possible to identify in line with PPS10 and the London Plan and draft
Alterations to it.

1.4 One of the key means of minimising the production of waste is to ensure
communities take more responsibility for the management of their own waste,
rather than dumping it elsewhere, out of sight and out of mind. For this reason
Early Alterations to the London Plan identify that two key objectives for the
spatial distribution of waste facilities are that:

• Waste should be disposed of in one of the nearest appropriate installations

• Communities should take more responsibility for the management of their
own waste

1.5 It also clarifies that boroughs within central London must seek to achieve a
maximum degree of self-sufficiency. 76 Therefore this policy has been framed
around these principles of self-sufficiency and proximity. Havering Council
wholeheartedly supports this approach. For too long Havering has been the
dumping ground for waste from other London Boroughs. This has left a legacy
of environmental degradation in London Riverside. Maintaining this trend
would not only be unsustainable but would also run counter to government
and London Mayoral objectives for regeneration in London Riverside, deter
investment, and undermine the work of the London Thames Gateway
Development Corporation. Havering is, therefore, committed in line with draft
alterations to the London Plan to achieve the maximum degree of self-
sufficiency possible in order to contribute to sub-regional self sufficiency.77 78
The Council, in partnership with the East London Waste Authority (whose
boundaries are coterminous with the sub-region) have made substantial
progress in achieving this.

73
PPS10 Planning for Sustainable Waste Management, Para 17 and Annex E, ODPM, July 2005
74
Planning for Sustainable Waste Management: Companion Guide to PPS10, ODPM, November 2005.
75
PPS10 Planning for Sustainable Waste Management, Para 4, ODPM, July 2005
76
Early Alterations to the London Plan, Paragraph 4.10g, GLA, December 2006
77
Early Alterations to the London Plan, Paragraph 4.10g, GLA, December 2006
78
In line with paragraph 9 of PPS10 ‘Planning for Sustainable Waste Management’ the sub-region comprises the London
Borough’s of Barking and Dagenham, Havering, Newham and Redbridge

130
 FURTHER POLICY AND GUIDANCE

1.6 More detail on implementation of this policy is provided in Development

Control Policies and the Joint Waste Development Plan Document. Indicators
will be included in the Joint Waste Development Plan Document.

MONITORING

NA Monitoring of recycling will be undertaken Joint Waste Plan

as part of the Joint Waste Plan

131
132
MINERALS

133
134
 CP12 - USE OF AGGREGATES

The use of primary won minerals in redevelopments should be

minimised by:

• where practicable, recycling and re-using aggregates on site

• encouraging the use of acceptable substitute or recycled
materials in place of primary minerals
• re-use of aggregates.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 National guidelines forecast that 23% of aggregates supply will come from
recycled sources. To help achieve, this the Further Alterations to the London
Plan aims to ensure boroughs meet the strategic target of:

• 95% recycling and re-use of construction, excavation and demolition

waste by 2020
• 80% recycling of that waste as aggregates in London by 2020

FURTHER POLICY AND GUIDANCE

1.2 More detail on implementation of this policy is provided in the Development

Control Policies and supporting guidance:

• Controlling the Environmental Effects of Recycled and Secondary

Aggregates - ODPM 2000

MONITORING

Ref Indicator Source

59 Production of secondary/recycled Core Output
aggregates.

59A Use of primary won materials Local Output

135
CP13 - MINERALS EXTRACTION

The Council recognises the strategic need to supply the construction

industry with aggregates and, with regard to the current supply position
it will identify specific sites/preferred areas in a separate dedicated
Minerals DPD to ensure it makes an appropriate contribution towards
the 0.5 million tonnes per annum East London apportionment in the
London Plan.

Planning permission will only be granted for mineral workings outside

of specific sites and/or preferred areas where:

• it is demonstrated that the proposal is sustainable, essential to

maintain the East London landbank in accordance with national
policy, and necessary to maintain apportioned provision for East
London as set out in the London Plan
• suitable measures and controls are sufficient to ensure there is
not an unacceptable adverse impact on the environment or human
health
• the mineral workings can be restored to the highest standards
using progressive restoration techniques, and secure a beneficial
and acceptable after use in line with Green Belt objectives.

The Council will also apply these criteria on any applications received
before specific sites/preferred areas have been identified in the minerals
DPD.

Safeguarding

Planning permission will not be granted for non-mineral development

within the Minerals Safeguarding Area defined on the Proposals Map
unless the applicant can demonstrate that:

• the development will not sterilize the minerals resource within the
timescale that the mineral is likely to be needed
• the mineral concerned is no longer of any value or potential value
• the minerals can be extracted prior to the development taking
place and this does not render the site unsuitable for the
proposed surface development
• it is not practicable or economic to extract the minerals prior to
the development taking place
• in the Green Belt the development is required for agriculture,
forestry or nature conservation or for open air recreation and
would be otherwise acceptable in the Green Belt
• there is an overriding need for the incompatible development.

136
 REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 It is important that there is an adequate supply of raw materials to provide the
infrastructure, buildings and goods that society, industry and the economy
needs and, therefore, it is a key component in sustaining economic prosperity.
Aggregates come from a variety of sources, including marine dredged
aggregates and recycling of construction waste. However, an important
source of supply will remain from mineral deposits on land.

1.2 The Government’s National and Regional Guidelines for Aggregate’s

provision in England 2001-2016 identifies a need for land won sand and
gravel for London of 1.2 million tones per annum.79 In response to this, the
London Aggregates Working Party considered the resources available to
meet the indicative guideline figure and recommended to the Greater London
Authority that a reduced allocation of 1 million tonnes per annum to 2016
could be achieved, divided equally between east and west London. The
working party also identified the potential for substantial reserves to be
sourced from the Lea Valley Reservoirs, but no figures of the potential
resource were available so it was decided not to include it in the
apportionment. London Plan New Minerals Policy 1 incorporates the working
party’s recommendations; Havering is only one of two East London boroughs
with substantial aggregates reserves and therefore is expected to make a
significant contribution to meeting the East London apportionment.

1.3 MPS1 requires that plans should make adequate provision for the supply of
minerals, including aggregates, to make an appropriate contribution to
meeting local, regional and national needs. MPS1 recommends that Minerals
Planning Authorities maintain a land bank of 7 years output. New London
Plan Minerals Policy 1 sets an apportionment of 0.5 million tonnes per annum
to East London (Redbridge and Havering). Therefore in East London there is
a need to maintain a landbank of 3.5 million tonnes which represents an
output of 0.5 million tonnes per year. It is estimated that there is currently a
permitted reserve of about 2 million tonnes in east London leaving a shortfall
of 1.5 million tonnes. It is estimated there are 1 million tonnes of permitted
reserve in Havering including dormant sites or currently non-working sites.
The Council will identify specific sites/preferred areas in a separate dedicated
Minerals DPD to ensure it makes an appropriate contribution towards the East
London apportionment. Planning applications for new minerals extraction in
Havering will be assessed having regard to the contribution they would make
towards achieving the East London apportionment taking into account
concurrent supply from other East London boroughs.

1.4 MPS1 states that MPAs should provide a clear guide to minerals operators
and the public about the locations where minerals extraction may take place.
MPAs are expected to show areas of minerals extraction in one of three ways,
Sites, Preferred Areas or Areas of Search. Best Practice Guidance to MPS1
states that MPAs who choose to only declare ‘Areas of search’ must fully
justify it in their plan, as these provide less certainty of where and when

79
National and Regional Guidelines for Aggregate’s provision in England 2001-2016-ODPM-July 2003

137
 development might take place. Sites at South Hall Farm and Spring Farm
Rainham have planning permission and cover the initial years of the plan in
line with Best Practice Guidance to MPS1 which advises that sites with
planning permission can be identified as part of the planned provision.

1.5 The Council intends to prepare a separate Development Plan Document to

identify ‘Preferred Areas’ and specific sites for Minerals Extraction. In the
interim all proposals will be considered against the criteria in this policy and
DC42.

FURTHER POLICY AND GUIDANCE

1.6 More detail on implementation of this policy is provided in the Development

Control Policies.

MONITORING

Ref Indicator Source

60 Production of primary land won Core Output
aggregates.

138
GREEN BELT

139
140
 CP14 - GREEN BELT

The boundary of the Green Belt is shown on the Proposals Map. The
revised boundary has taken full account of development needs in the
borough over the plan period.

Because of the exceptional circumstances which exist in each case,

three sites have been removed from the Green Belt:

• Whitworth Centre
• Part of Lot 7 Hornchurch Airfield
• Tay Way

The following four Major Developed Sites remaining in the Green Belt
have been identified:

• St George’s Hospital
• Cardrome
• Quarles Campus
• Nags Head Lane Sewage Treatment Works

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 More than 50% of Havering is Green Belt land and it encircles the built up
areas of the borough in the west, north and east. It has proved effective in
preventing urban sprawl and assisting the recycling of derelict land within the
urban area and it also has helped maintain a valuable recreational resource
on the metropolitan edge, particularly through the Country Parks and the
Thames Chase. Applications for development within the Green Belt will be
assessed against the relevant Core and Development Control policies and
national planning policy on Green Belts.

1.2 The preparation of the Local Development Framework presented the

opportunity to review the Green Belt boundary to ensure that it is defensible
for the next 15 years.

1.3 During the consultation process many sites have been put forward to be
considered for removal from the Green Belt. These sites have been assessed
against the five purposes of including land in the Green Belt set out in PPG2
and whether exceptional circumstances exist to justify their removal.

1.4 This policy puts forward a revised boundary which excludes those sites where
the Council considers there are exceptional circumstances justifying their
removal. The revised boundary takes full account of housing supply and
demand issues and other development pressures, but these do not, in
themselves, justify releasing land from the Green Belt. The three sites which
have been excluded from the Green Belt are described below:

141
 Whitworth Centre

1.5 This site, and the Broxhill Centre to the north of Noak Hill Road, are both
former school sites which are currently being used as offices, in council
ownership and will both become vacant in the near future. The opportunity,
therefore, exists to deal with the future of these sites in a related and
comprehensive manner which will improve the Green Belt and, for this
reason, the Council considers there are exceptional circumstance warranting
the removal of the Whitworth Centre from the Green Belt.

1.6 To deliver these Green Belt improvements, it is proposed to demolish the

buildings at the Broxhill Centre, thus forgoing any redevelopment rights that
would exist if the site was allocated as a Major Developed Site. The Broxhill
Centre would be developed for public open space /playing fields, including the
re-provision of the redundant playing fields on the Whitworth Centre site. This
would enable the Whitworth Centre to be removed from the Green Belt and
developed to its full potential as part of the urban area of Harold Hill (also
instead of redevelopment as a Major Developed Site). The new Green Belt
boundary on the south side of Noak Hill Road would be well landscaped, and
the new development would be lower and less conspicuous than the existing
Whitworth Centre buildings.

1.7 This approach will result in the overall improvement of the Green Belt in this
location by greatly increasing the open nature of the land to the north of Noak
Hill Road and providing a defensible and sympathetic Green Belt boundary
along Noak Hill Road. More detail is provided in the related Site Specific
Allocation policy.

Part of Lot 7 Hornchurch Airfield

1.8 The exceptional circumstance in this case is that the site has now been
developed for housing as a result of a planning permission given in 1977 and,
therefore, it is no longer serving any Green Belt purpose.

Tay Way

1.9 At present the Green Belt boundary runs diagonally through the gardens of
the two residential properties at the eastern end of Tay Way so that only parts
of the gardens are in the Green Belt. The sites adjoin the Risebridge Golf
Course and that boundary makes a more logical, and defensible, Green Belt
boundary and constitutes the exceptional circumstance in this case.

Major Developed Sites

1.10 PPG2 allows limited infilling or redevelopment of major existing sites that
have been identified in a Local Plan. The Council has identified four Major
Developed sites in the Green Belt. The criteria set out in Annex C of PPG2
would apply to these Major Developed Sites.

142
 FURTHER POLICY AND GUIDANCE

1.11 More detail on the implementation of this policy is provided in the relevant
Development Control Policies and Site Specific Allocations.

143
144
ENVIRONMENTAL
MANAGEMENT

145
146
 CP15 - ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

To reduce their environmental impact and to address the causes and

adapt to and mitigate the affects of climate change in their location,
construction and use new development should:

• minimise their use of natural resources, including the efficient use

of land
• reduce and manage fluvial, tidal and surface water and all other
forms of flood risk through spatial planning, implementation of
emergency and other strategic plans and development control
policies
• have a sustainable water supply and drainage infrastructure.
• avoid an adverse impact on water quality
• ensure that it does not singularly or cumulatively breach air
quality targets
• take the necessary measures to address contaminated land
issues
• avoid a noise sensitive use being exposed to excessive noise
• minimise the negative impact of lighting.

Major new development will be required to adopt high standards of

sustainable construction and design and to incorporate on-site
renewable energy equipment to reduce predicted CO2 emissions in line
with regional and national policy.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 In line with PPS1 this policy seeks to enhance and protect the built and natural
environment by taking into account environmental issues such as renewable
energy; air quality and pollution, land contamination, the protection of
groundwater from contamination, and noise, light pollution and climate change
adaptation and mitigation.80 These are briefly covered under the respective
headings below and in more detail in the Development Control Policies.

Sustainable Construction

1.2 In line with London Plan Policy 4B.6, this policy promotes a high standard of
sustainable design and construction in new development.

Renewable Energy

1.3 In Havering, in 2003, over a million tonnes of CO2 were emitted,

approximately 70% from buildings and 30% from transport. The UK Energy
Strategy commits the Government to achieve a 20% reduction in CO2
emissions by 2020. The London Sustainable Development Commission

80
Planning Policy Statement 1, Delivering Sustainable Development, ODPM 2005

147
 recommends the adoption of a target for the reduction of carbon dioxide
emissions in London of 20 per cent from 1990 levels by 2010, as the first
stage in a process that would lead to a minimum target of a 60 per cent
reduction in carbon dioxide emissions (relative to 2000) by 2050. In line with
the London Plan, and PPS22, this policy promotes the use of all forms of
renewable energy where appropriate.

Flood risk

1.4 National guidance in the form of PPS 25, ‘Development and Flood Risk’ states
that planning authorities should apply the ‘precautionary principle’ to the issue
of flood risk, using a risk-based search sequence. Consequently, with regard
to the Havering Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA) the Council will
adopt a ‘sequential approach’ to flood risk which matches the vulnerability of
land use and development type to flood risk. In all cases, the Council will seek
to ensure that the development is located, designed and laid out to ensure that
the risk of death or injury to the public and damage from flooding is minimised
whilst not increasing the risk of flooding elsewhere and that residual risks are
safely managed. The flood risk areas are shown in the Havering SFRA and on
the Proposals Map and the related Development Control Policy sets out in
more detail the approach to determining what types and use of development
are acceptable where. The Core Strategy is supported by the sub-regional
SFRA of East London. The Havering SFRA provides further information to
complement this study. Surface water drainage should be achieved through
the use of SUDS rather than traditional piped surface water networks, where
practical. This will aid groundwater levels and recharge.

Water supply and drainage

1.5 Climate change could have fundamental effects on Havering’s supply of water
due to seasonal changes in rainfall levels and temperature increases. In 2005,
average household water consumption in Havering and surrounding areas
was around 450 litres per day and rising by 3% pa, an unsustainable trend
given the lack of spare water resources capacity in the south-east. The
planning by water companies is increasingly based on importing from other
regions but this is likely to have significant effects on river flows elsewhere.
Therefore, in line with EC Directive (2000/60/EC), national guidance and
advice from the Environment Agency, this policy promotes the sustainable use
of water resources, and recognises that the supply of water and sewage
disposal must be taken into account in drawing up development plans to
ensure that there is adequate utility infrastructure in place prior to
construction.81

Water quality

1.6 An important objective of the EC Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) is

to achieve 'good' status for all ground and surface water bodies by 2015. At a
regional level, boroughs are expected to seek to protect and improve water

81
Water Resources for the Future: A Strategy for England and Wales, Environment Agency 2001.

148
 quality to ensure that the Blue Ribbon Network82 is healthy, attractive and
offers a valuable series of habitats by directing refusal of proposals that are
likely to lead to a reduction in water quality: Therefore, it is important that new
development does not have an impact on water quality and that where
appropriate opportunities are taken to improve water quality, for example, in
the lower parts of the Rivers Beam/Rom and Ingrebourne where water quality
remains at fair, poor or even bad quality.

Air Quality

1.7 In 2003, the London Borough of Havering assessed air quality throughout the
borough with regard to the air quality targets in the National Air Quality
Strategy and the Greater London Authority's Air Quality Strategy.83 These
strategies set standards and objectives for eight main pollutants that are
known to be harmful to health. This found that monitored and predicted levels
of nitrogen dioxide and fine particulate matter (PM10) exceeded air quality
objectives at certain locations, especially in the north of the Borough, and that
this was almost entirely attributable to road traffic. The whole of Havering has
been designated as an Air Quality Management Area, and in 2007 an Action
Plan will be agreed which will set out the measures Havering intends to take to
reduce levels of Nitrogen Dioxide and PM10 to acceptable levels. This
strategy’s approach of integrating land use and transport should help tackle air
quality issues as it is focused on reducing the need to travel by promoting
linked trips, reducing commuting lengths and also promoting more sustainable
forms of travel. The strategy’s approach to sustainable construction and
renewable energy will also help reduce harmful emissions and the strategy’s
approach to biodiversity will help moderate air bourne pollutants. Havering
Council will work with Transport for London and other agencies to ensure that
development has a beneficial impact on air quality and, where a development
is likely to cause a breach of air quality targets, the possibility of securing
mitigation measures that would allow the proposal to proceed.

Contaminated Land

1.8 Contaminated land exists in Havering. As well as the industrial areas of South
Hornchurch and Rainham, there are extensive current and former mineral
workings and landfill sites, allied with numerous sensitive ‘receptor’ sites,
including sites of nature conservation importance, rivers and residential areas.
The Government’s objectives for contaminated land are set out in PPS23:
Planning and Pollution Control, and DETR (now DCLG) circular 02/2000.84
PPS23 states that opportunities should be taken wherever possible to use the
development process to assist and encourage the remediation of land already
affected by contamination and 85 places the responsibility on owners and
developers to establish the extent of any potentially harmful materials on their
sites.

82 The London Plan, Policy 4C.1: The Strategic Importance of the Blue Ribbon Network, GLA, 2004
83
National Air Quality Strategy, DEFRA 2000
84
Circular 02/2000, Contaminated Land, DETR
85
Planning Policy Statement 23, Planning and Pollution Control, ODPM 2005

149
 Noise

1.9 In line with PPG24: Noise, this policy aims to ensure that noise-sensitive
developments are located away from existing sources of significant noise (or
programmed development such as new roads) and that potentially noisy
developments are located in areas where noise will not be such an important
consideration or where its impact can be minimised.86

FURTHER POLICY AND GUIDANCE

1.10 More detail on the implementation of this policy is provided in the

Development Control Policies and supporting guidance:

• Thames Gateway Strategic Flood Risk Assessment, ERM, 2006

• Supplementary Planning Document on Sustainable Construction
• London Renewables ‘Integrating renewable energy into new
developments: a toolkit for planners, developers and consultants’, 2004
• LB Havering guide to ‘Contamination and the Planning Process’
• Noise SPD
• Lighting in the Countryside: towards good practice, ODPM, 1997

MONITORING

Ref Indicator Source

61 Loss of flood plain Sustainability
Appraisal (SEI)

62 Number of planning permissions Core Output (7)

granted contrary to the advice of
the Environment Agency

63 CO2 emission levels by 2010 Sustainability

Appraisal (SEI)

64 No. of schemes to BREEAM or Sustainability

Eco-Homes standards Appraisal (SEI)

65 % of energy generation from Sustainability

renewable sources Appraisal (SEI)

66 Renewable energy generation Core Output (9)

capacity installed by type

67 % growth in water consumption Sustainability

Appraisal (SEI)

86
Planning Policy Guidance Note 24, Planning and Noise, ODPM, 2004

150
 68 % of main rivers of good or fair Sustainability
chemical and biological quality. Appraisal (SEI)

69 Concentration of 2 main air Sustainable

pollutants (NO2, PM10) at Appraisal (SEI)
monitoring stations

69A Hospital admissions for respiratory Local Output

disease

70 Area of land remediated ready for Sustainability

development Appraisal (SEI)

71 Number of noise complaints Sustainability

Appraisal (SEI)

CP16 - BIODIVERSITY AND GEODIVERSITY

The Council will seek to protect and enhance the borough's rich
biodiversity and geodiversity, in particular, priority habitats, species and
sites. It will increase public awareness and appreciation of biodiversity
and will seek to put in place a strategic framework for the development
and delivery of the London Riverside Conservation Park.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 Biodiversity is the diversity, or variety, of plants, animals and other living
things in a particular area or region and has social and economic value for
human society.

1.2 In line with Planning Policy Statement 9: Biodiversity and Geological

Conservation, Planning Policy Statement 7: Sustainable Development in
Rural Areas, and the London Plan, this policy aims to maintain, enhance,
restore or add to Havering’s rich biodiversity and geological conservation
interests, and protect valued rural environmental resources.

1.3 The Council has the benefit of the Greater London Authority’s audit of sites of
nature conservation importance in Havering (March 2003). This identified 93
sites of Nature Conservation Importance in Havering. In addition, Havering’s
Phase 1 Biodiversity Action Plan (April 2003) identifies a range of species and
habitats which are either regional or national priorities. Naturally, these are
not confined to the designated sites, for example, private gardens are a
regionally priority habitat. This policy, therefore, not only considers the
protection of identified sites of nature conservation importance but looks at

151
 enhancing biodiversity, in particular, priority habitats and species. The
concept of wildlife corridors will be important in this as they enable wildlife to
spread out from areas of high biodiversity value. The Havering Wildlife
Partnership has identified seven such corridors.87

1.4 Even among the Outer London boroughs, Havering’s biodiversity is notable.
Its historic parks, its river valleys and its Thames-side marshland hold a
significant proportion of London’s entire resource of some priority habitats.
Over half the Borough is covered by protected countryside, parkland and
nature reserves. There are 3 designated Sites of Special Scientific Interest
(SSSIs); Rainham and Wennington Marshes, Ingrebourne Marshes and
Hornchurch Cutting (which is designated because of its geological
importance), and also a large proportion of London's flood plains and
hedgerows. At 343, the number of ponds and lakes is the largest for any
London borough. Private gardens are home to a national priority species, the
stag beetle, and Havering is also the stronghold in London for two other
national priority species - water voles and great crested newts.88 In
implementing the policy the Council will have regard to the UK, GLA and
Havering Biodiversity Action Plans

1.5 Havering is fortunate in having the most important site for nature conservation
in London at Rainham/Wennington Marsh and the Council is committed to
working in partnership with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds to
create the London Riverside Conservation Park which will become an
important visitor destination.

1.6 Havering also includes Thames Chase, one of England’s 12 Community

Forests established in 1990/91. Thames Chase, in partnership with many
organisations, has transformed the landscape and nature conservation value
of much of Havering’s Green Belt within easy reach of residents; through
woodland creation, conserving and enhancing other habitat types and
improving access.

FURTHER POLICY AND GUIDANCE

1.7 More detail on the implementation of this policy is provided in the

Development Control Policies and supporting guidance:

• Protecting the Borough’s Biodiversity SPD

• Protection of Trees During Development SPD
• Havering Biodiversity Action Plan, LB Havering, 2003
• Thames Chase Plan, 2000

87
Sites of Nature Conservation Importance Audit, GLA, March 2003
88
Havering Phase1 Action Plan, April 2003

152
MONITORING

Ref Indicator Source

72 Changes in areas designated for Core Output (8)
their intrinsic environmental value
including sites of international,
national, regional or sub-regional
significance.
73 Losses of priority habitats (BAP): Sustainability
Woodland, marsh, floodplain, Appraisal (SEI) and
grassland, hedgerows, and gardens. Core Output (8)

74 Losses of national priority species: Sustainability

Stag Beetle, Water Vole and Greater Appraisal (SEI) and
Crested Newt. Core Output (8)

153
154
DESIGN

155
156
 CP17 - DESIGN

The appearance, safety and accessibility of Havering will be maintained

and, where possible, enhanced by requiring new development to:

• maintain or improve the character and appearance of the local

area in its scale and design
• provide a high standard of inclusive design so it is accessible to
those who require access to it
• be safe and secure in its design and contribute to community
safety.

The Council may bring forward design codes as Local Development

Documents for major development sites to achieve the aims of this
policy.

The Council will prepare a Supplementary Planning Document based on

the Thames Strategy East Thames Appraisal and within this define the
extent of the Thames Policy Area.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

Urban Design

1.1 Good design is not just about the architecture of individual buildings, but also
the functionality and impact of the development on the overall character,
beauty, quality and sustainability of an area including resource efficiency. It is
pivotal in improving livability and quality of life . Successful, thriving and
prosperous communities are characterised by streets, parks and open spaces
that are safe, clean and attractive ‘livable’ spaces.’89 Therefore, in line with
Planning Policy Statement 1: Delivering Sustainable Development, and the
London Plan, this policy promotes high quality, safe and accessible design
over the lifetime of a development, and encourages design which improves
the character and quality of the borough. 90 91

1.2 In line with the London Plan, the Council recognises the importance of the
Thames and Thames frontage for transport, recreation and leisure, and its
important historic, cultural and natural connections. To better understand and
in order to capture and enhance these qualities the Council will prepare a
Supplementary Planning Document based on the Thames Strategy East
Thames Appraisal and within this define the extent of the Thames Policy Area
with regard to the criteria in the London Plan.

89
Living Places, Cleaner Safer Greener, ODPM, 2002
90
Planning Policy Statement 1, Delivering Sustainable Development, ODPM, 2005
91
The London Plan, GLA, 2004

157
 Accessibility

1.3 Access is a major issue in Havering because of the high proportion of older
people in the borough, and the relatively high number of households
containing someone with a physical disability. Therefore, in line with national
and regional policy and the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), this policy
seeks to ensure that development meets the needs of all in society and is
accessible, usable and easy to understand by them. This applies not only to
buildings but the spaces around and between them. 92 93 94 The policy will be
supported in this through schemes promoted in Havering’s Local
Implementation Plan 2005/06-2010/11 which aims to create inclusive
environments. 95

Crime

1.4 Whilst Havering is generally a safe borough it does have localised ‘hotspots’,
in particular, crime associated with Romford’s evening economy. Therefore,
the Havering, Crime, Disorder and Drugs Reduction Strategy aims to create
safer environments in order to not only address the causes of actual crime but
also to address the fear of crime. 96 To help deliver, this and in line with PPS1
and ‘Safer Places the Planning System and Crime Prevention’, this policy
places issues of community safety and crime prevention at the heart of the
planning process and aims to create safe and accessible environments where
crime and disorder or fear of crime does not undermine quality of life or
community cohesion.97 98

FURTHER POLICY AND GUIDANCE

1.5 More detail on the implementation of this policy is provided in the

Development Control Policies and supporting guidance:

• Designing for Safer Places SPD

• By Design - Urban Design in the Planning System, CLG, 2000
• SPG Accessible London achieving an inclusive environment, GLA, 2005
• Manual for Streets, DoT, CLG, 2007

MONITORING

Ref Indicator Source

48 % of LA buildings fully accessible for Sustainability
people with disabilities Appraisal (SEI)
15 % of new homes built to Lifetime Local Output
Homes standards.

92
The London Plan, GLA, 2004
93
Planning Policy Statement 1, Delivering Sustainable Development, ODPM, 2005
94
The DDA requires all public buildings to make reasonable adjustments in order to be fully accessible to all people of all ages.
95
Local Implementation Plan, LB Havering, 2007
96
Havering Crime and Disorder Strategy 2005-2008, LB Havering, 2005
97
Planning Policy Statement 1-Delivering Sustainable Development, ODPM, 2005
98
Safer Places, the Planning System and Crime Prevention, ODPM, 2005

158
75 Street crime, residential burglary and Sustainability
vehicle crime rates Appraisal (SEI)

76 Disorder call rates Local Output

159
160
HERITAGE

161
162
 CP18 - HERITAGE

All new development affecting sites, buildings, townscapes and

landscapes of special architectural, historical or archaeological
importance must preserve or enhance their character or appearance.
Contributions may be sought towards the preservation or enhancement
of historic assets where appropriate.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 The historic environment can help foster the attainment of key social
objectives, most particularly economic development, but also public health,
community safety, better educational attainment, and community cohesion.

1.2 Havering has a wealth of heritage sites the value of which has to be taken into
account when development proposals are being considered. These include
200 statutory listed buildings, three Scheduled Ancient Monuments and nine
Conservation Areas (3.5% of the borough). Around half of the borough
comprises Areas of Archaeological Potential. There are also over 200
buildings of local historical and/or architectural interest, a Special Character
Area and two design policy areas.

1.3 The Council also has the benefit of some four decades of archaeological
information. Details of statutory buildings of historical and/or architectural
interest, ancient monuments, conservation areas, parks and gardens of
historic interest and areas of archaeological potential are all set out in the
Heritage Strategy Supplementary Planning Document. In line with Planning
Policy Guidance note 16: Archaeology, the Council recognises that
archaeological remains are irreplaceable and seeks the protection,
enhancement and preservation of sites of archaeological interest and their
settings.

FURTHER GUIDANCE

1.4 More detail on the implementation of this policy is provided in the

Development Control Policies and supporting guidance:

• Heritage SPD

MONITORING

Ref Indicator Source

77 Number of historic buildings at risk Sustainability Appraisal
per annum (SEI)

78 Number of Conservation Areas with BVPI 219

Appraisals and Management Plans
79 Review need for Conservation Areas Planning(Listed
Borough wide Buildings and
Conservation) Act 1990

163
164
10 Implementation
and Monitoring

165
166
10 Implementation and Monitoring

10.1 Implementing the Vision, objectives and policies of the Core Strategy, will be
achieved in a number of ways. Many factors are outside the direct control of
those involved in the delivery of the Core Strategy for example, the global
economy, the climate, the threat of pandemics, and so on, but by working in
partnership and by using assets, tools and funding creatively and by gathering
intelligence on economic, social and environmental issues, a real and lasting
impact can be made in achieving the vision and objectives of the Core
Strategy. The key ways the Core Strategy will be implemented are as follows:

Working in partnership with other agencies in the development planning

process including at the national regional and local level

10.2 Key partners include:

• Havering Strategic Partnership and its constituent members:

• Learning and Skills Council

• Aon Group
• Havering Association of Voluntary and Community
Organisations
• Havering Trades Council
• Ford Motor Company
• Metropolitan Police
• Havering Chamber of Commerce
• Age Concern
• Havering Primary Care Trust
• Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals

• Greater London Authority

• Transport for London
• London Development Agency who also own a significant amount
of land in London Riverside.
• Thames Chase
• Havering Wildlife Partnership
• Housing Corporation
• London Thames Gateway Development Corporation

10.3 The implementation of the Core Strategy will also depend on securing the
involvement of the community especially those who live, work or visit the
area. Havering was the first London Borough to adopt its Statement of
Community Involvement and it will honour the commitments set out in this
document to involving the community in the preparation of Local Development
Documents and in making decisions on applications for major developments.

167
 Policy tools

10.4 Examples of policy tools include:

• Residential Density Matrix

• Sequential Test
• Open Space Hierarchy

Planning standards

10.5 Examples of planning standards include

• BREEAM including Code for Sustainable Homes

• Housing Corporation Development Scheme Standards
• Lifetimes Homes
• Secure by Design

Protection or safeguarding land or features

10.6 Examples of land or features protected in the Core Strategy include:

• Open space
• Green Belt
• Listed Buildings
• Conservation Areas
• Wharves
• Trees
• Sites of Nature Conservation Importance

Designation of land for particular uses

10.7 Examples of land designated for particular uses include:

• Main and secondary employment areas

• Core and fringe shopping areas

Other Local Development Framework documents

10.8 Other Development Plan Documents (DPDs) and Supplementary Planning

Documents will be prepared to help achieve the vision and objectives of the
Core Strategy. These are set out in Havering’s Local Development Scheme.
Committed DPDs include the Romford Area Action Plan, Joint Waste Plan
and Site Specific Allocations Document. Local Development Documents may
also include masterplans for major development sites to enable the wider
involvement of the community in major schemes which affect them.

168
 Best practice advice

10.9 Core Strategy policy signposts applicants, where appropriate, to best practice
guides which provide more detailed advice on the implementation of policies.
Examples include:

• The London Renewables Toolkit 2004

• By Design, Urban Design in the Planning System Towards Better
Practice 2000
• Better Places to Live 2001
• Safer Places the Planning System and Crime Prevention 2004
• Supplementary Planning Documents produced by Havering Council
and Supplementary and Best Practice Guidance produced by the GLA

Conditions and planning agreements

10.10 Core Strategy policy may apply conditions or, failing that, seek to enter into
planning agreements to ensure that new development is sustainable and to
mitigate against adverse impacts for example:

• Affordable housing
• Community facilities
• Public transport improvements
• Education contributions
• Environmental and other qualitative improvements to town centres

Planning statements and assessments

10.11 Core Strategy policy, where appropriate, requires the submission of planning
statements and assessments with planning applications to ensure the
applicants have addressed certain issues set out in the Core Strategy, for
example, to mitigate against adverse impacts or to demonstrate that specific
requirements have been met. Examples include:

• Design and access

• Transport
• Travel Plans
• Energy
• Flood Risk

Funding

10.12 Funding will be important in implementing the Core Strategy. Aside from
funding secured through planning agreements other sources include:

• Housing Corporation Funding

• Transport for London Funding
• Community Infrastructure Fund
• London Development Agency Funding
• London Thames Gateway Development Corporation Funding

169
 • Cleanaway Landfill Trust Funding
• European Union Funding

Compulsory Purchase

10.13 Havering Council and the London Thames Gateway Development

Corporation have compulsory purchase powers. Compulsory Purchase
Orders (CPOs) are an important tool to use as a means of acquiring land
needed to help deliver social and economic change. CPOs can help bring
about urban regeneration, the revitalisation of communities and the promotion
of business leading to improvements in quality of life. Examples of this
include:

• Where there is a need for a comprehensive redevelopment of an area

where there are a number of separate landowners
• Where a property has fallen into disrepair and it seems unlikely that the
owner intends to refurbish it.

Monitoring

10.14 Monitoring is a vital tool in ensuring the Core Strategy is being implemented
as intended. Havering Council produces an Annual Monitoring Report which
includes a framework of over 50 indicators and targets against which the
effectiveness of Core Strategy policies can be measured. These indicators
and targets come from a number of sources including Core Output Indicators
set by the Government, Local Output Indicators and Significant Effects
Indicators (SEI) set by the Council. The SEI are drawn from the Sustainability
Appraisal Framework which is set out in the Core Strategy Sustainability
Appraisal Scoping Report. The SEIs enable the sustainability impacts of the
Core Strategy to be assessed. The Local Output Indicators are locally defined
indicators focused on monitoring those aspects of the Core Strategy which
impact on spatial planning and expressed in local strategies, for example, the
Housing Strategy, Supporting People Strategy, Local Implementation Finance
Trust, Havering Biodiversity Action Plan, Thames Chase Plan and Local
Implementation Plan. These indicators and targets are provided against the
relevant Core Policies in Chapter 11. Where the Annual Monitoring Report
reveals a policy is not being implemented as intended, it can be reviewed and
amended, as appropriate, through revisions to the Core Strategy.

10.15 Underpinning this monitoring framework is a robust evidence base including:

• Havering Employment Land Study (2006)

• Havering Retail and Leisure Study (2006)
• Havering Open Space and Sports Assessment (2005)
• London Housing Capacity Study (2005)
• Havering Housing Needs Survey Update (2006)

10.16 These will be reviewed, on average, every five years and these detailed
assessments will augment the data in the Annual Monitoring Report.

170
10.17 Internal working groups will also help the implementation and monitoring of
Core Strategy policy. These enable Core Strategy policy to be communicated
widely, and the impact of policy and related obligations to be assessed on
individual schemes and regeneration areas. Examples include:

• S106 Working Party

• Corporate Housing and Planning Group
• Major Development Group
• Regeneration Group

How the Core Policies will be delivered

10.18 The following paragraphs provide a summary of how each of the Core
Policies will be delivered focusing on the key delivery agents, delivery
mechanisms and funding sources.

CP1 Housing Supply

CP2 Sustainable Communities

10.19 Public and private landowners and developers particularly house

builders will be key to delivering the forecast rate of house building
identified in the Housing Trajectory. Key landowners include the NHS Trust,
the Council, the London Development Agency, and the London Thames
Gateway Development Corporation. The latter two bodies own significant land
parcels in London Riverside and continue to assemble there land to facilitate
the delivery of the relevant Site Specific Allocations. A significant amount of
new housing will come forward in Romford town centre and relevant
opportunities will be identified in the Romford Area Action Plan. The Housing
Trajectory identifies the main sources of future housing supply over the life of
the plan. As well as its own land disposals, the Council will play a key role in
delivering other major sites through liaison with landowners and developers
particularly through the pre-application process and the ‘Development Team’
approach.

10.20 The Core Strategy aims to ensure that 50% of all new homes built each year
are affordable. The main sources of affordable housing supply will be funded
through planning agreements or conditions attached to general market
housing sites, council subsidy by way of recycled land value or direct grant or
funds from the Housing Corporation’s National Affordable Housing
Programme London Allocation Statements. Affordable housing may also be
delivered through Registered Social Landlord developments.

CP3 Employment

10.21 London Development Agency Opportunity Funding will continue to be bid for
to help fund improvements to the Borough’s main employment areas. Funding
(2007-2010) from this source has helped set up the Ferry Lane
Business Improvement District (BID) in 2007. The BID is funded through a
supplementary levy on the business rate to fund

171
 environmental and business improvement initiatives. The BID runs until 2012
when another vote will be necessary. Funds from the Council’s Capital
Programme and from developer contributions will also help fund
improvements. The Centre for Engineering and Manufacturing Excellence
(CEME) provides affordable learning/workspace to Small and Medium
Enterprises (SME) and the community to help to provide a catalyst for
regeneration, innovation and SME development in the Beam Reach area.

10.22 East London Learning and Skills Council Funding provides support to the
skills initiatives run by Havering Association of Community and three
Voluntary Organisations and the Havering College of Further and Higher
Education. The LDA also fund the Havering Jobnet programme which delivers
job-brokerage services to unemployed people.

10.23 In line with action TC7 of the Hornchurch Urban Strategy, the Council will
seek the opportunity to develop creative industry employment in Hornchurch
through artists’ space and training links with Havering’s Colleges and the
Queen’s Theatre.

CP4 Town Centres

10.24 The following groups are working with partners to maximise private and public
sector investment in the borough’s town centres:

• Romford Town Centre Partnership through the Romford Urban

Strategy and Romford Area Action Plan
• Hornchurch Town Centre Partnership through the Hornchurch Urban
Strategy
• Collier Row Regeneration Steering Group
• Elm Park Regeneration Steering Group

10.25 Key funding streams are from Transport for London for multi modal
improvements through the Local Implementation Plan process,
developer contributions and funds from the LB Havering Capital
Programme to a range of environmental and transport improvements.

10.26 Rainham District Centre is the focus of a number of Site Specific

Allocations supported by funding from the London Thames Gateway
Development Corporation.

10.27 Harold Hill District Centre will be at the heart of the emerging Harold Hill
Urban Strategy.

CP5 Culture
CP6 Arts in Hornchurch

10.28 The Havering Cultural Strategy 2007-2011 aims to create a place

where culture is at the heart of Havering’s towns, the lives of its
children and young people, a cohesive community and its future.

172
 Havering’s Cultural Strategy 2007-2011 and Arts Strategy 2007-2012 contain
a range of actions and related delivery measures to help ensure that cultural
uses help improve the quality of life of residents and visitors. EcoTec have
been commissioned to develop a full set of performance indicators to
measure outcomes of the Cultural Strategy’s 17 objectives. The Strategy aims
to maximise opportunities arising from the regeneration of town centres,
focusing on Thames Gateway Riverside, Romford Town Centre and the
Hornchurch Cultural Quarter. Consequently through the Hornchurch Urban
Strategy, the Hornchurch Town Centre Partnership is aiming to create a
thriving cultural suburb. Similarly, through the Romford Urban Strategy, the
Romford Town Centre Partnership is aiming amongst other things to increase
the cultural value of Romford Town Centre.

CP7 Recreation and leisure

10.29 Havering’s Parks and Open Spaces Strategy 2007-2012 and Sports
and Physical Activity Strategy 2007-2009 contain a range of actions
and related delivery measures which dovetail with the Core Strategy. The
range of partners and funding streams are dynamic and change over time and
are too numerous to mention but include:

• SLM Leisure – Manage Hornchurch, Central Park and Chafford Sports

Centres
• Thames Chase – Thames Chase Plan 2000
• London Thames Gateway Development Corporation Indicative Cost
Plan and Investment Framework – Green Grid, Thames Path, London
Riverside Conservation Park (RSPB)
• Veolia – Veolia Cleanaway ES Havering Riverside Trust
• DEFRA – Aggregate Levy Sustainability Fund
• Sport England – National and Community Funding (London Sports
Board)
• National Lottery
• Big Lottery Fund
• Physical education and sport programme
• Well being
• Children’s Play (forthcoming Children’s Play strategy will provide
basis for bids)
• Awards for All
• Heritage Lottery Fund
• Transport for London – Local Implementation Funding for recreational
walking and cycling initiatives
• Havering Primary Care Trust – Capital and revenue funding

10.30 The Council will also work with a range of local groups to increase
access to leisure and recreation opportunities including Friends of
Parks Groups, Havering Sports Council, Havering Primary Care Trust,
London Parks and Green Space Forum and East London Sports and
Physical Education Partnership.

173
 CP8 Community Facilities

10.31 There are a range of plans and strategies pertinent to this Core Policy
including:

• Havering’s 5 Year Supporting People Strategy

• Havering Children and Young Peoples Plan 2006-09
• Havering Early Years Childcare and Operational Plan 2006/07
• Havering School Organisation Plan 2003-08
• Havering Library Strategy 2006-2009
• NHS Local Improvement Finance Trust Programme
• The Local Health Services Assessment published by Havering
PCT
• London Thames Gateway Development Corporation Indicative
• Cost Plan and Investment Framework

10.32 Key partners include Havering Local Education Authority, LB Havering Social
Care and Health, Havering Primary Care Trust, North East London Mental
Health Trust, Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust,
Department of Health (Supporting People Grant), Department for Education
and Skills. All these bodies contribute revenue and capital funding
opportunities. In addition, developer contributions will be an important source
of funding.

CP9 Reducing the need to travel

CP10 Sustainable Transport

10.33 CP10 sets out a number of public transport improvements in line with the
London Plan. In London Riverside two major forms of funding will be the
London Thames Gateway Development Corporation Indicative Cost Plan and
Investment Framework and the Thames Gateway Strategic Partnership
Advisory Transport Sub Group Communities and Local Government Finance.
The following schemes are listed in CP10, the delivery agents are identified
and current indicative timescale for completion.

• East London Transit – Transport for London – 2012/2017

• Crossrail – Cross London Raillinks - 2017
• c2c Improvements – c2c Railway, Network Rail, Department for
Transport Rail Group (no date yet fixed)
• London bus network improvements – Transport for London,
• Developer contributions – ongoing

10.34 Apart from major public transport improvements these policies also
include other measures to reduce the need to travel and promote
sustainable forms of transport. Walking and cycling are promoted
through the Havering Walking and Cycling Strategies 2006 and
Thames Chase Plan 2000, with recourse to Transport for London
Funding, Developer Contributions, Lottery Funding and Veolia
Cleanaway ES Havering Riverside Trust funding. Havering’s Local

174
 Implementation Plan contains a range of other projects too numerous to list
here. LIP funding is bid for on a yearly basis.

CP12 Use of aggregates

CP13 Minerals extraction

10.35 These policies depend on minerals operators and the actions of

developers for their implementation. The restoration of mineral
workings can help achieve the implementation of the Thames Chase
Plan.

CP15 Environmental Management

10.36 The Council will continue to work with the Environment Agency with
regard to flooding and water quality issues to achieve their river water quality
targets and help implement the ‘Bringing Your Rivers Back to Life’ Strategy.
Developer actions will be important in this regard through the application of
the sequential test, implementation of Sustainable Urban Drainage systems
and through developer contributions to measures to improve river water
quality.

10.37 The achievement of Level 3 Code for Sustainable Homes will help
reduce water usage and tackle the recent growth in water consumption. The
actions of developers and the success of the Council in implementing its
Development Control Policies will be key to increasing the percentage of
energy which is derived from renewable sources. In this regard the Council
will work in partnership with the Building Research Establishment and
encourage developers to use the services of Solar Century Micropower
Planning Services and Creative Environmental Networks Developer Support
Service.

10.38 Air Quality issues will be tackled through the monitoring of Air Quality
Management Areas which may identify the need to specific measures to
address target breaches. The interaction of Core Policies will themselves help
address air pollution issues through the promotion of sustainable
development.

CP16 Biodiversity and Geodiversity

10.39 The implementation of the Thames Chase Plan and the London
Riverside Conservation Park are two key projects which will help
deliver this Core Policy. With regard to the latter, the Royal Society for the
Protection of Birds and the London Thames Gateway Development
Corporation are two key partners. More generally the Council will continue to
work with the Essex Wildlife Trust and Havering Wildlife Partnership to
implement the adopted Havering Biodiversity Action Plan. The actions of
developers will also be critical in delivering this Core Policy as the Council
looks to protect and enhance the borough’s rich biodiversity.

175
 CP17 Design

10.40 The implementation of this policy will depend on the actions of

developers through the successful application of the policy. In particular CP1
identifies that development briefs, masterplans and design codes may be
prepared for larger housing sites. Supplementary Planning Documents for
London Riverside and Hornchurch Town Centre will also include design
advice. To help ensure the successful application of these policies the Council
intends to appoint an urban designer. With regard to the achievement of the
‘Secure by Design’ standard developers are able to liaise with a Crime
Prevention Design officer who is seconded to the Council on a full-time basis.

CP18 Heritage

10.41 The Council intends to adopt Conservation Area Appraisals for each of the
Council’s Conservation Areas and these will be addressed in the forthcoming
Heritage SPD and Hornchurch SPD. This will also:

• Detail the 200 buildings of local historical and/or architectural interest in

the borough as well as the borough’s listed buildings.
• Identify the archaeological priority areas and priority zones
• Identify historic parks and gardens

10.42 The Council will work with the National Trust to aim to preserve and enhance
Rainham Hall and its grounds.

176
 London Thames Gateway Development Corporation
1. London Thames Gateway Development Corporation has been established as a
special purpose vehicle to deliver jobs and housing as part of the Government's
Sustainable Communities Plan. Its boundary is shown on the next page. The
statutory objective and powers of the Development Corporation are set out in s.134
and 135 of the Local Government Planning & Land Act 1980.

2. It is a public body, funded by the Department for Communities and Local

Governments ("DCLG") and governed by an independent board of directors,
appointed by the Secretary of State.

Statutory Purpose

3. The purpose of the Development Corporation is to secure the

regeneration of its area by:

• bringing land and buildings into effective use;

• encouraging the development of existing new industry and
commerce;
• creating an attractive environment;
• ensuring that housing and social facilities are available to encourage people
to live and work in the area.

Powers

4. For the purpose of achieving regeneration of its area, the Development

Corporation can:

• acquire, hold, manage, reclaim and dispose of land and other property;
• carry out building and other operations;
• seek to ensure the provision of water, electricity, gas, sewerage
and other services;
• provide funding to organisations whose activities meet our operational
objectives, and,
• undertake any appropriate activity which may underpin the regeneration of
the London Thames Gateway area.

Planning Powers

5. An Order giving the Corporation substantial development control powers within its
territory (with the exception of Stratford City and the Olympic zone), has been in
effect since 31/10/05.

6. It establishes the Corporation as the local planning authority for key strategic
applications relevant to its purpose (householder and minor applications remain with
the relevant Boroughs).

7. Plan making powers remain with the local authorities but the Development
Corporation will produce its own Regeneration Frameworks which will take into
account Local Development Frameworks and the Mayor's London Plan.

177
Figure 2 - Boundary of Development Corporation

178
11 Development
Control Policies

179
180
11 Development Control Policies

11.1 These Development Control policies provide detailed guidance on the criteria
against which planning applications will be determined. All applications for
planning permission must satisfy all the relevant policies of the Core Strategy
and, therefore, applicants are advised to consult the list of policies provided
in Section 12 to identify which Development Control policies are of relevance
to their application. This includes Development Control policy DC72 which
sets out the items the Council may seek in connection with a planning
application with regard to the tests set out in Circular 05/05. Where
necessary the Development Control policies include information on how they
will be implemented. Please note that a number of Development Control
policies will simply be implemented through the application of that policy and
therefore a separate implementation section is not provided in these
instances.

181
182
 PLACES TO LIVE

DC1 - LOSS OF HOUSING

Planning permission resulting in the net loss of existing housing will

only be granted in exceptional circumstances where:

• It involves the provision of essential community facilities, for

example health and education, which are necessary to meet the
specific needs of the community; or
• The proposal is necessary to deliver mixed and balanced
communities.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 Due to the high levels of housing need and demand for new housing it is
important that existing housing is retained. Otherwise more new homes may
need to be built to compensate for this which is clearly unsustainable.
However, loss of existing housing may be justified in the circumstances set
out in the policy. With regard to the provision of community facilities proposals
must also satisfy policy DC26.

1.2 This policy recognises that exceptionally the loss of housing may be
necessary to ensure the delivery of mixed and balanced communities. The
delivery of mixed and balanced communities is the focus of Core Policy 2 and,
in this regard, the loss of housing is likely to only be acceptable where it is
necessary to deliver the sizes, types and tenures of new housing which meet
the needs of new and existing households at the local and sub–regional level,
or to ensure that the needs of those households with special needs are met.

DC2 - HOUSING MIX AND DENSITY

Planning permission will only be granted for new housing if a design led
approach is adopted in determining the type, size, and form of new
development with regard to:

1. The type and size of new housing required to meet local and sub­
regional housing needs with regard to creating mixed and
balanced communities. The indicative mix for market housing is
provided below; policy DC6 provides details of the indicative
affordable housing mix.

183
 Market Housing Mix
Bedrooms99
1 2 3 4 5+
24% 41% 34% 0 1%

2. The densities set out in this density matrix

Car parking high moderate low
provision 2-1.5 1.5-1 space less than 1
spaces per unit space per
per unit unit

Predominant Detached Terraced Mostly flats

existing housing type Semi and houses and
Terraced flats
houses

LOCATION PLAN PTAL PTAI SETTING UNITS PER HECATRE/HABITABLE

ROOMS PER HECTARE
Romford 1 (1a-1c) Central 240-435
pedshed 650-1100
5-6 20.01> Urban 55-175 165-275
200-450 450-700
Suburban 50-110 80-120
200-300 250-350
Upminster 2 Urban 50-110 80-150
Hornchurch 3 (3a-3b) 200-300 250-450
Upminster 3 (3c) Suburban 30-65 50-80
Bridge 3-4 10.01-20 150-200 200-250
Gidea Park 4
Harold Wood 5
Elm Park 6
Rest of All areas Urban 50-80
Borough not covered (Harold Hill and Collier 200-250
by maps 1-6 Row District Centres)
Suburban 30-50
1-2 0-10
(All areas outside the 150-200
PTAL Zones and Harold
Hill and Collier Row
District Centres)

In the following circumstances, densities of higher than 30-50 units per

hectare outside the Public Transport Accessibility Zones (PTAL)
identified on the proposals map may be acceptable:

• on large development sites, development briefs may be prepared

which encourage higher densities
• where the existing use is non-conforming or ‘bad neighbour’
• on sites which are adjacent to the PTAL zones identified on the
proposals map, their PTAL value will be calculated on a case by
case basis, and the appropriate density range set accordingly
• for new 'special-purpose' residential development intended for
permanent occupation by the elderly.

Residential developments will only be permitted with less than one car
parking space per unit where on-street car parking can be controlled
through a Controlled Parking Zone. In these circumstances, residents of
new flatted development will be ineligible for residents parking permits,

99
Figure 90: Net 10-year Housing Requirement by Property Type and Size, GLA Housing Requirements Study, 2004

184
 unless they are a holder of a Disabled Persons Badge. This will be
achieved through the use of developer contributions, and include
successors in the property title and apply to all residents living in the
property.

Within the Emerson Park or Hall Lane Special Policy Areas the density
matrix does not apply. These areas have special policies formulated to
ensure that their existing special character of large units in generous
landscaped plots is retained and to ensure that an adequate stock of
this type of housing is maintained to attract high earning private and
public sector professionals in the borough. For similar reasons, neither
does it apply to the Gidea Park Conservation Area or Gidea Park Special
Character Area.

As existing PTALs are low, residential densities in London Riverside

will be determined with regard to future PTAL which are expected to rise
due to planned and proposed public transport improvements.

As London Plan policy in estate renewals requires at least the

equivalent re-provision of affordable housing floorspace, the matrix
would not be applied in estate renewal schemes.

Residential amenity space standards are set out in the Supplementary

Planning Document on Residential Amenity Space.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

Housing mix

1.1 The design and layout of new housing should be determined first and foremost
by the range of housing types and tenures needed to meet local and sub­
regional housing need. New developments should widen housing opportunity
and choice and create mixed and balanced communities, in particular, family
accommodation. The Council intends to prepare and adopt a Strategic
Housing Market Assessment Supplementary Planning Document. Until this
study is adopted, the Council will have regard to Havering’s Housing Need
Survey Update 2006 and the GLA Housing Requirements Study in
implementing this policy. Policy DC6 covers the required mix for affordable
housing.

Housing density

1.2 It is important that the type and size of new housing needed to meet housing
need makes efficient use of brownfield land. Therefore, developers should
take a design led approach to determining densities so that residential
developments achieve densities appropriate to their accessibility to public
transport, and the local context with regard to the principles of good design. To
enable this, applicants should follow the density matrix set out in the policy
which identifies the density ranges which apply across the borough within and

185
 outside the Public Transport Accessibility Level (PTAL) zones shown on the
Proposals Map. The design led approach will determine within the density
ranges what the appropriate density should be. The Council accepts that high
density town centre developments may not always be appropriate locations for
family units. However, in those parts of the borough where the matrix identifies
a maximum density of 80 units per hectare, family accommodation can be
provided as contemporary town housing at this density.

1.3 Within the density ranges set for the PTAL Zones and in the district centres of
Harold Hill and Collier Row, the amenity standards should still be met.
However, where this is not possible any deficits in provision must be offset by,
for example, more generous private balconies and private roof terraces.
Contributions towards improvements to the local public realm and open space
may also be sought. In this regard the Council will expect any district/town
centre developments to enhance the public realm particularly the provision of
green space.

IMPLEMENTATION

1.4 Developers should refer to the SPDs on Residential Amenity Space, Emerson
Park and Hall Lane Policy Areas, and Gidea Park and the Romford Area
Action Plan DPD.

1.5 In the London Riverside area the main housing sites are included as Site
Specific Allocations. The Site Specific Allocations document and London
Riverside SPD provide details of the approach to density for these sites which
is based on future public transport accessibility levels.

DC3 - HOUSING DESIGN AND LAYOUT

Planning permission will only be granted if, in their design and access
statements, developers demonstrate how they have addressed the
policies in this plan which impact on the design and layout of new
developments, including where appropriate:

• DC2 Housing Mix and Density

• DC7 Lifetime Homes
• DC34 Walking
• DC35 Cycling
• DC40 Waste Recycling
• DC49 Sustainable Design and Construction
• DC61 Urban Design
• DC62 Access
• DC63 Delivering Safer Places

186
 REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 Recently a number of urban design good practice guides have been published
including:

• ‘By Design - Urban design in the planning system: towards better

practice’, Department of Transport Local Government and the Regions,
May 2000
• ‘Better Places to Live’, Companion guide to PPG3, DTLR, September
2001
• ‘Manual for Streets’, Communities and Local Government, and
Department for Transport, 2007
• ‘Safer Places’, ODPM, February 2004

1.2 In line with PPS 3 Housing, and with regard to these guides, the Council
requires good design in new housing developments in order to create,
attractive, safe and secure, high-quality living environments which are
sustainable and where people will choose to live. It will, therefore, encourage
developers to embody the good practice guidance in these guides in new
residential developments, and address the criteria within the polices it refers
to. In addition, the Council will wish to ensure that new housing intended to be
rented out is low maintenance and built from durable materials.

IMPLEMENTATION

1.3 New developments must provide adequate sitting out/private amenity space
with regard to Residential Amenity Space SPD.

1.4 The Residential Extensions and Alterations SPD includes the detailed criteria
for residential extensions and alterations

1.5 SPDs on the Gidea Park Special Character Area and Hall Lane and Emerson
Park Policy Areas include specific guidance on maintaining and enhancing
the character of these areas.

1.6 The Council may prepare development briefs/masterplans for large or

complex housing sites and will publish the timetable for these through
amendments to its Local Development Scheme.

DC4 – CONVERSIONS TO RESIDENTIAL AND SUBDIVISION

OF RESIDENTIAL USES

Planning permission will only be granted for proposals involving

conversions to residential and subdivision of existing residential
dwellings provided the following criteria are satisfied:

187
 • residents/visitors are able to park without detriment to highway
safety taking into account the availability of on and off street
parking with regard to the standards set out in DC33
• there is no conflict with surrounding uses
• the proposal should not result in an unacceptable loss of privacy
enjoyed by the occupants of adjoining properties by reason of
overlooking and, should by its layout, provide a suitable degree of
privacy and private sitting out/amenity space
• the living rooms of new units do not abut the bedrooms of
adjoining dwellings

Where the conversion or subdivision involves the provision of self

contained residential accommodation provided that:

• each flat has a reasonable outlook and aspect

• at least one, one bed self-contained flat is provided with a
separate sleeping area. Studio flats will not be permitted
• the property has safe and secure access from the street.

Where the conversion/demolition/subdivision involves the provision of

residential communal uses (including bedsits, house in multiple
occupation and nursing homes) provided that:

• The original property is detached and well separated from

neighbouring dwellings
• The nature of the new use does not have an adverse impact on the
surrounding area and will not be likely to give rise to significantly
greater levels of noise and disturbance to occupiers of nearby
residential properties than would an ordinary single family
dwelling
• It satisfies policy DC5.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

Self contained dwellings

1.1 Conversions can provide an important source of additional housing for smaller
households particularly in town centres. Conversions can come from many
sources including offices and retail as well as the subdivision of existing
residential units. Indeed, the conversion of space above retail units is
encouraged as this can help bring activity to town and district centres and
increase their vitality and viability. However, policy must be careful to ensure
that the standard of the resultant new dwellings is satisfactory both in terms of
the standard of accommodation provided and its impact on the surrounding
environment. The latter consideration will be particularly important outside
PTAL areas identified on the Proposals Map within the suburban heartlands of
the borough. The Council’s density matrix directs pressure for flatted
development to those parts of the borough best served by public transport
and where the existing character is urban rather than suburban.

188
1.2 Intensification of the suburban areas of Havering could have a detrimental
impact on the residential character of Havering and the supply of family
housing if not carefully controlled. Therefore, this policy whilst recognising the
needs of smaller households balances this with the equally important
objective of ensuring that Havering remains an attractive borough where
people choose to live.

Communal residential uses

1.3 The Council has a positive attitude towards care in the community. However,
the conversion and loss of dwellings for communal uses such as Houses in
Multiple Occupation, bedsits and older persons homes can materially alter the
character of the streetscape they are set within. In particular, to change the
use of bedrooms to living rooms can lead to overlooking of nearby gardens
and the more intensive use may bring noise disturbance and parking
problems. It is, therefore, necessary to ensure that whilst seeking to support
the modernisation of existing stock, the buildings are suitable for the intensity
of use proposed and that adequate parking and amenity space are provided.

IMPLEMENTATION

1.4 Developers should refer to the SPD on Residential Amenity Space.

DC5 – SPECIALIST ACCOMMODATION

Planning permission will only be granted for all health and non-health
social service residential projects provided they satisfy the following
criteria:

• the proposal is located within a residential area unless the scale

and nature of the facility is such that it would be inappropriate in a
residential setting
• the site has reasonable pedestrian and cyclist access to shops
and services
• the site is well served by public transport
• where the proposal involves the conversion of an existing
residential property that policy DC4 is satisfied
• with regard to policy DC61, the proposal is of a high standard of
urban design and does not result in overshadowing, loss of
sunlight, unreasonable noise and disturbance, overlooking or loss
of privacy to existing and new properties and responds to
distinctive local building forms and patterns of development and
respects the scale, massing and height of adjoining buildings
• residents/visitors are able to park without detriment to highway
safety taking account of the availability of on and off street
parking with regard to the standards set out in policy DC33 and
DC35.

189
 REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 This policy covers such forms of residential accommodation as extra care
accommodation, HMOs, bedsits, hostels, foyers and residential mental health
units. Hostels and bedsits can provide valuable temporary housing for those
who may not have access to permanent housing in the borough, particularly
the non-priority homeless, students and low-paid workers. The needs of these
groups are set out in Havering’s Supporting People Strategy and other
strategic policy documents. Policy needs to establish criteria for such forms of
specialist accommodation to ensure that substandard accommodation is not
provided and that they are provided in areas accessible by public transport,
near to shops and open spaces, but at the same time that the new use is not
out of character with the locality and will not be likely to give rise to
unacceptable levels of noise and disturbance to occupiers of nearby
residential properties.

DC6 - AFFORDABLE HOUSING

Affordable housing is housing designed to meet the needs of
households whose incomes are not sufficient to allow them access to
decent and appropriate housing. Affordable housing comprises social
housing and intermediate housing.

The Council will aim to achieve 50% of all new homes built in the
borough as affordable from the following sources:

• 100% affordable scheme by residential social landlords

• provision from vacant accommodation brought back into use
• provision from non-self contained accommodation
• affordable housing secured through the use of planning
agreements or conditions

In applying this target the Council will, through negotiation and

agreement with the applicant, assess the suitability of on site or off site
provision for affordable housing and the subsequent percentage that is
sought with regard to:

• Site, size, suitability and viability

• The need to achieve and deliver a successful housing
development
• Availability of public subsidy
• Other scheme requirements

In determining planning applications for private residential schemes,

including sheltered housing, the Council will seek the maximum
reasonable amount of affordable housing having regard to the borough-
wide target and tenure split of 70:30 between social housing and

190
 intermediate forms. This will apply on sites with a capacity to
accommodate 10 or more dwellings and on residential sites of 0.5
hectares or more irrespective of the number of dwellings.

In determining the mix of affordable housing, the Council will have

regard to the indicative mixes set out in the latest versions of the
Havering Housing Needs Survey (HHNS) and the East London
Affordable Housing Investment Framework (ELAHIF).

Where schemes are brought forward for 9 or less dwellings the

developer will need to satisfy the Council that:

• The proposal does not represent an underdevelopment of the site

with regard to the Council’s policy on Housing Density (DC2)
• A large site is not being brought forward in phases to avoid the
threshold at each stage

If this proves to be the case, the Council will apply the affordable
housing target to subsequent phases based on the capacity of all
phases, including those already built or permitted.

All forms of affordable housing secured through this policy must be

governed by a mechanism to ensure the housing is affordable in
perpetuity or owned and managed by a housing association or other
Registered Social Landlord (RSL).

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 The Havering Housing Needs Survey Update 2006 identifies a need in
Havering for 875 additional affordable housing units per annum over the
period 2006-2011. Balanced against this, low land values (relative to other
London boroughs) in Havering suppress a development’s ability to absorb the
cost of providing affordable housing. Therefore, this policy sets a target and
threshold which take into account these two factors.

1.2 The Council will endeavour to ensure that all affordable housing is governed
by a mechanism or owned and managed by a housing association or other
RSL which will ensure that it remains affordable in perpetuity. Consequently, it
will generally encourage the involvement of a registered social landlord such
as a housing association in development proposals and in particular one of
the Council’s Preferred RSL Partners. The Council will be happy to provide
developers with the details of its Preferred RSL Partners.

1.3 Applicants are recommended to contact the Council at the earliest possible
stage in making their application. This will enable the Council’s housing, legal
and planning officers to guide the applicant as to how the policy impacts upon
their site and, if it does apply, to provide in more detail, information regarding
the affordable housing which it will look to secure eon the site, and details of

191
 RSLs who are active in the borough and willing to work in partnership with
developers to provide affordable housing.

1.4 For schemes which do not use Housing Corporation funding the Council will
apply the indicative mix from the Havering Housing Needs Survey. For
schemes which do use Housing Corporation Funding, sub-regional
nominations apply and therefore the Council will apply the indicative mix from
the East London Affordable Housing Investment Framework.

IMPLEMENTATION

1.5 The Council will seek to achieve the objectives of this policy by placing
appropriate planning conditions on planning permissions or through Section
106 agreements.

1.6 The Affordable Housing SPD provides more detail on the implementation of
this policy.

1.7 With regard to the affordable housing mix, developers should refer to the
latest versions of the Havering Housing Needs Survey and the East London
Affordable Housing Investment Framework as appropriate.

DC7 – LIFETIME HOMES AND MOBILITY HOUSING

The Council will seek all new homes to be built to Lifetime Homes
standards.

10% of all new homes on sites of 15 of more dwellings and on

residential sites of 0.5 hectares or more irrespective of the number of
dwellings must be designed to be wheelchair accessible or easily
adaptable for residents who are wheelchair users.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 Havering has a relatively high proportion of households containing someone

with a physical disability, and an ageing population. New housing provides the
opportunity to design housing which meets the needs of households
throughout their lives through changing circumstances. Implementation Point
12 of the GLA’s SPG on Accessible London clarifies that Lifetime Homes
should apply to all forms of housing and gives examples of successful case
studies for both houses and flats.

IMPLEMENTATION

1.2 Details on how to meet Lifetime Homes standards are provided on the Joseph
Rowntree Foundation website at [Link].

192
 DC8 - GYPSIES AND TRAVELLERS

Planning permission will only be granted for gypsy/traveller sites

provided all the following criteria are satisfied:

• The proposal meets identified need with regard to the traveller needs
assessment/local housing needs assessment
• It is suitable for mixed residential and business uses and has no
adverse impact on the safety and amenity of the occupants and their
children and neighbouring residents
• It has safe and convenient access to the road network and would not
cause a significant hazard to other road users
• It is located within reasonable distance of services and community
facilities in particular schools and essential health services
• It has provision for parking, turning, service and emergency vehicles
and servicing of vehicles
• It is capable of accommodating the number of caravans/mobile
homes proposed with any equipment for business activities
• The site will be supplied with essential services such as water,
power, sewerage and drainage, and waste disposal.

Sites within the Green Belt will only be acceptable in exceptional

circumstances and where through their design, layout and landscaping
they minimise its impact on the openness of the Green Belt, do not
prejudice the purposes of including land in the Green Belt, do not
prejudice the recreational usage of the Green Belt or involve the loss of
high grade agricultural land.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 The Council carried out a gypsy/traveller needs assessment during 2004. The
survey identified 33 gypsy and traveller families dispersed across the borough.
Of these:

• 19 live on privately owned but green belt land unauthorised for traveller
occupation
• Only 7 families live on private authorised traveller sites
• 7 families are housed in public sector housing

1.2 The criteria presented in the this policy have been defined with regard to best
practice criteria from Annex C of ODPM Circular 1/2006 ‘Planning for Gypsy
and Traveller Caravan Sites’, and the Council considers that these are fair,
reasonable, realistic and effective. The Circular makes clear that applications
cannot be refused because provision in the area is adequate.

193
 IMPLEMENTATION

1.3 A separate Gypsy and Travellers DPD will identify sites to meet the identified
needs of gypsies and travellers.

194
 PLACES TO WORK

DC9 – STRATEGIC INDUSTRIAL LOCATIONS

Planning permission will only be granted for B1 (b+c), B2 and B8 uses in

the Rainham Employment Area, Harold Hill Industrial Estate and King
George Close Estate Strategic Industrial Locations.

Advanced manufacturing uses (B1 (b) (c) and B2) will be prioritised
within the Beam Reach Business Park together with other (B1 (b) (c) and
B2) uses which provide a similar quality and intensity of employment
and a high standard of design.

Waste uses will be considered acceptable within Strategic Industrial

Locations except the Beam Reach Business Park, part of the Rainham
Employment Area, provided they are consistent with the policies set out
in the Joint Waste Development Plan Document and Core Policy CP11.

Police Patrol Bases are considered acceptable uses within Strategic

Industrial Locations due to employment density levels and the nature of
the use.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 The Rainham Employment Area provides for the needs of all industrial
businesses by offering a choice of small, medium and large premises and is
considered to be a strategically and locally important area. Given its high
environmental quality and location next to the Centre for Engineering and
Manufacturing Excellence (CEME), Beam Reach Business Park, part of the
Rainham Employment Area, is prioritised for advanced manufacturing and
other modern industries. Other uses will be allowed within the Beam Reach
Business Park where they provide a similar quality and intensity of
employment within a high quality development commensurate with the
business park environment.

1.2 Both the Harold Hill Industrial Estate and King George Close Estate are well
suited for employment uses and offer a range of accommodation to suit the
needs of all types of businesses. Both provide accessible employment in the
north of the Borough, particularly the Harold Hill Estate which is within that
part of the borough with the highest levels of unemployment. Both sites are
well served by the trunk road network and have relatively good environmental
settings.

1.3 Whilst in land use terms waste management uses are considered acceptable
uses within Strategic Industrial Locations, any sites that come forward will

195
 need to satisfy the policies within the Joint Waste Development Planning
Document and Core Policy CP11.

DC10 - SECONDARY EMPLOYMENT AREAS

Planning permission for B1 (b) (c), B2 and B8 uses will be granted within
Secondary Employment Areas provided that they do not adversely affect
the amenity of adjoining residential areas.

Planning permission for other uses will only be granted in exceptional

circumstances. In these cases the applicant will need to demonstrate
that:

• the site is not needed to meet future business needs with regard to
the difference between the current supply of employment land and
the demand for employment land over the plan period
• the site is not considered fit for purpose when assessed against the
economic, planning and property market criteria provided in
Appendix A of Havering’s Employment Land Review 2006
• the site has proved very difficult to dispose of for B1 (b) (c), B2 and
B8 uses.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 Secondary employment areas are well established locations which make an
important contribution to the range and number of job opportunities in
Havering. This policy seeks to retain the commercial nature of these areas in
so far as this is compatible with maintaining a good environment in the
surrounding areas.

1.2 The Havering Employment Land Review, 2006, identified a limited number of
Secondary Employment Sites for release to ensure that a sufficient reservoir
of employment land remained to meet future business needs over the
planning period. For this reason it is important that the remaining Secondary
Employment Areas are retained for B1, B2 and B8 uses, as their loss to other
uses would be detrimental to the local economy, and cause an imbalance
between supply and demand. The policy, therefore, will only allow non-
employment uses in exceptional circumstances. These circumstances require
the applicant to demonstrate that their site is suitable for release following the
same methodology employed in the Havering Employment Land Review.

1.3 The following areas have been designated as Secondary Employment Areas
and are defined on the Proposals Map:

• Crow Lane, Romford (three sites)

• Harold Wood Industrial Estate
• Hillman Close (Stafford Industrial Estate)

196
 • Lyon Road, Romford
• The Seedbed Centre, Romford

DC11 - NON-DESIGNATED SITES

Outside the Green Belt, the designated employment areas, Romford

town centre and the district and local centres, the Council will:

• generally resist changes of use to industrial and business uses

where these would conflict with housing or environmental
policies
• generally require the redevelopment for housing of commercial
sites which become available for development. If this is not
feasible, the Council’s main concern will be to encourage
environmental improvements in conjunction with a commercial
redevelopment of the site.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 Employment sites outside the designated employment areas will often be
unsuitable in environmental terms for employment uses and will be more
suitable for housing, especially on those sites which are close to, or within,
residential areas.

1.2 However, where an urban site which has a longstanding use of an industrial
or commercial nature becomes vacant, it may not be feasible to achieve a
residential redevelopment of the site. There may also be instances where
there is some scope for limited expansion of employment uses which are
already established outside the employment and commercial areas. In both
cases, the Council’s primary aim will be to safeguard the amenities of nearby
housing, and such developments will be expected to conform to the
environmental polices set out in the relevant chapter.

1.3 Proposals brought forward for sites in the Green Belt will need to comply
with the relevant Green Belt policies.

DC12 - OFFICES

Planning permission will only be granted for offices provided that the
sequential test is satisfied or where office development is allocated
within a Site Specific Allocation. Office development is encouraged
within Romford Town Centre and the district centres.

Within the district centres but outside the retail cores and fringes,
redevelopment for offices will be acceptable at ground floor and above

197
 provided it maintains an active frontage. However, within the retail cores
and the fringes, office uses within Use Class B1 will be restricted to first
floors and above.

Where office development involves the loss of existing residential

accommodation, the Council will wish to secure replacement housing
within the scheme to ensure there is no net loss of housing.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 Proposals for new office development in the borough are directed to Romford
and the district centres to ensure that they sustain and create accessible
employment opportunities close to public transport nodes. Offices add to the
vitality and viability of town centres but the policy is careful to ensure that they
do not conflict with the primary retail and service function of the centre nor
result in a loss of housing.

IMPLEMENTATION

1.2 Policy relating to offices within Romford Town Centre will be covered by the
Romford Area Action Plan.

DC13 - ACCESS TO EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

To ensure that Havering’s workforce is suitably skilled so that local
people can compete for high quality jobs both locally and further afield,
the Council will, where appropriate, seek to enter into agreements with
developers to contribute towards training programmes and employment
support and access schemes including the provision of premises in
appropriate locations.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 Improving access to employment through training programmes and

employment support and access schemes, such as the Havering Jobnet
Programme, will increase opportunities for Havering residents by reducing the
mismatch between available skills and the skills needed to fill jobs, both
locally and further a field, and will also help them access these jobs.
Increasing skills locally may also help attract inward investment and address
spatial inequalities in the borough.

198
 DC14 - HOTELS

Planning permission will only be granted for hotels if the sequential test
is satisfied. In this regard:

• Romford is the preferred location for large scale hotel

development
• smaller hotels will be appropriate in locations within or close to
district centres, depending on the scale of the proposals and
whether the sites are well served by public transport
• within London Riverside proposals for new hotel development will
be encouraged provided they have, or will have, convenient
access to public transport and do not harm the vitality or viability
of Rainham District Centre.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 Hotels strengthen the wider role of town centres and provide a range of
employment opportunities. The present trend of increasing numbers of
tourists visiting London is expected to continue. The GLA Hotel Demand
Study (2006)100 estimates the hotel stock in Havering to be 335 bedrooms
(0.3% of the total London supply). Between 2001 and 2005, 60 new hotel
bedrooms were completed and a further 78 are identified as being in the
pipeline between 2006 and 2010. The study estimates that between 2007 and
2026 a gross figure of 300 (new) hotel rooms will be required in Havering.
There may be additional demand for hotel accommodation in the borough with
the 2012 Olympic Games which will be less than ten minutes from Romford
by rail and with improved rail access to central London following the
development of Crossrail. Continued demand for accommodation around key
transport hubs and providing transport linkages will be one of the key issues
for determining the location of new hotel growth in the future.

100
Hotel Demand Study, GLA, June 2006

199
200
TOWN CENTRES

DC15 - LOCATING RETAIL AND SERVICE DEVELOPMENT

Planning permission for retail and service development and extensions

to, or the redevelopment of existing edge of centre and out of centre
retail stores over 200 square metres, including mezzanines, will only be
granted where the sequential test is satisfied, unless it is ancillary to
the use of an existing development or a new development to which the
sequential test does not apply, or it is accordance with a Site Specific
Allocation. Therefore, applicants should first thoroughly assess the
availability of sites within the primary shopping area (in Romford Town
Centre for non-retail uses the centre is defined as a site which falls
within the boundary of Romford Town Centre and for district centres the
boundary of the centre as shown on the Proposals Map). Where no such
sites are available, developers must then consider edge of centre sites.
Developers should take into account the following indicative upper
limits for the scale of development likely to be permissible in each of the
centres:

Centre Indicative upper limit

for additional retail
floorspace (sqm gross)
Romford 45,000
Hornchurch 5,000
Upminster 5,000
Rainham 3,000
Elm Park 1,000
Collier Row 1,000
Harold Hill 1,000

The Council recognises that larger proposals maybe appropriate in the

event of comprehensive redevelopment schemes coming forward.

For all development not located on a central site, including edge of

centre sites, or identified as a Site Specific Allocation, the applicant
must provide the following information to justify the location of their
development:

• the need for the development, including both quantitative and

qualitative need
• whether there were any more sequentially preferable sites
available
• whether more innovative layouts, different configurations, a
smaller scale of development or reduced car parking would allow
the development to fit on sequentially preferable sites

201
 • whether there are elements of the development which could be
reasonably located on separate sequentially preferable sites
• the impact of the development on the vitality and viability of the
centre and nearby town centres
• the accessibility of the site in terms of public transport, cyclist
and pedestrian access and how car borne traffic will be minimised
• the contribution and effect the development may have on
economic growth including investment in the area and
improvements in productivity
• the affect of the development on local employment and whether
the development will create higher skill opportunities or
opportunities that will benefit the local labour market
• how the development contributes to social inclusion.

Planning permission for new retail uses within the proposed new
communities from Dovers Corner to the boundary of the London
Borough of Barking and Dagenham will only be granted where:

• they are contained within a local parade or new local centre north
of the proposed Beam Park station
• they do not harm the viability and vitality of Rainham District
Centre.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 This policy sets out the tests new development not located on a central town
centre site must satisfy to gain approval, and is, therefore based on the
sequential test criteria set out in PPS6. It, therefore, aims to ensure the widest
access to shopping activities to the greatest number of people. Locating retail
and services in town centres is a key way in which to achieve this. When
considering a retail use, a central site is one that is located within the primary
shopping area which comprises the retail core and fringe areas. In Romford
Town Centre for non-retail uses the centre is defined as a site which falls
within the boundary of Romford Town Centre and for district centres the
boundary of the centre as shown on the Proposals Map. Havering’s Retail
and Leisure Study (2006) demonstrates that all identified growth within the
plan period can be provided within the boundaries of Romford and the district
centres, and, therefore, makes no allowance for any out of centre retail
provision. Therefore, applicants will need to demonstrate with regard to the
criteria set out in the policy why their proposal cannot be located in a central
site.

1.2 In applying this policy applicants should have regard to the indicative
comparison and convenience floor space requirements for each site set out in
policy CP4.

1.3 If the applicant can demonstrate that there are no appropriate sites within
existing centres or on the edge of centres then preference will be given to
existing out of centre sites as designated on the Proposals Map.

202
 Indicative upper limits

1.4 Romford is the highest order centre within East London and, therefore, the
issue of scale is less important here than in the district centre as it is the focus
of all major trip generating uses. The indicative upper limits for the district
centres are based on a consideration of the role of each centre within the
hierarchy and its future strategy as set out in policy CP4. Developments will
not be refused just because they breach the upper limit, neither does it mean
that a development within the upper limit is appropriate in scale terms.

Edge of centre

1.5 Havering’s town centres are rather contained, and have limited transition
between where town centre uses end and residential uses commence. Some
‘edge of centre’ sites, as defined by the definitions in PPS6, would mean retail
and service uses would technically be looking towards residential areas
where there were no central sites available. 101

1.6 Therefore, the definition of edge of centre will be judged on a case by case
basis, taking into account local topography; the nature of uses in the
surrounding area; perceived and actual walking distance from the centre
(primary frontages for retail uses, boundaries of centres for service uses);
barriers to accessing the town centre such as roads, railways and carparks;
the attractiveness and perceived safety of the route; the strength of the main
centre and the developments compliance with policy on design. Sites that are
located in predominantly residential areas and are poorly connected with the
town centre will not be considered favourably.

Ancillary

1.7 In assessing the definition of ancillary development the following factors will
be assessed; the use of the main development, the use of the proposed
development, the scale of the development, the range of goods sold and the
turnover of goods sold which are not related to the main use. Where
development is not considered ancillary, it must satisfy the sequential test set
out in this policy.

To ensure ancillary uses do remain genuinely ancillary to the main

development, conditions may be imposed on planning permission to limit the
range of goods sold and the area in which ancillary uses can operate.

Out of centre developments

1.8 Under the Government’s favoured ‘class of goods’ approach to the sequential
test as opposed to the ‘format driven’ approach, the convention is not to make
a distinction between bulky and non-bulky goods. Therefore, Havering’s Retail
and Leisure Study (2006) divides identified quantitative need in accordance
with the sequential approach amongst Romford and the district centres, within

101
Planning Policy Statement 6, Planning for Town Centres, Table 2, ODPM, 2005

203
 their existing boundaries. Where an out of centre retail development meets
the tests set out in the policy including considering edge of centre sites, then
the policy directs such uses to within the existing out of centre retail locations
as identified on the Proposals Map.

IMPLEMENTATION

1.9 Depending on the location of the development planning conditions may be

applied to:

• Control the proportion of convenience and comparison goods sold in a

development
• Apply restrictions to the maximum amount of floorspace allowed
• Limit the range of goods sold
• Limit internal alterations to increase the amount of floorspace
• Apply restrictions to the maximum amount of floorspace allowed
• Ensure that any retail and service use that is ancillary to the main
development remains so
• Prevent developments from being subdivided

DC16 - CORE AND FRINGE FRONTAGES IN DISTRICT AND

LOCAL CENTRES

In the district centres and major local centres:

• planning permission for A1 retail uses will be granted throughout

the primary shopping area (comprising the retail core and fringe
areas) at ground floor level
• planning permission for service uses (A2, A3, A4, A5) will only be
granted within District and Neighbourhood Centres throughout
the retail core at ground floor level where:
• the use provides a service appropriate to a shopping area
• the proposal will not result in the grouping of 3 or more
adjoining A2-A5 uses
• within the retail core of Hornchurch and Upminster the
proposal will not result in the proportion of non-retail uses
within the relevant frontage exceeding 20% of its total
length. Within the retail cores of Collier Row, Elm Park,
Harold Hill and Rainham and the Major Local Centres, a
33% figure will apply.
• planning permission for non retail uses in fringe areas will be
granted at ground level provided that the use:
• has an active frontage
• is open during shopping hours
• would not significantly harm the character, function and
vitality and viability of the centre.

204
 Planning permission for retail uses (A1) and other uses appropriate to a
shopping area (A2, A3, A4, A5) in the borough’s Minor Local Centres will
be granted at ground floor level. Exceptions may be made where the
applicant can demonstrate, through twelve months marketing
information, that the premises have proved difficult to dispose of for any
such use.
All shop fronts in retail core and fringe areas must be active and
maintain the impression of a visual and functional continuity to aid in
enhancing the vitality of the town centre. Shop fronts located in
Conservation Areas will be required to meet the guidelines within the
Havering Conservation Areas Shopfront Design Guide Supplementary
Planning Document.

The extent of District, Major Local, and Minor Local Centres is provided
in Annex 4.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 Achieving the right balance of retail and non-retail uses in a town centre is
critical to ensuring its vitality and viability. For this reason it is important that a
‘critical mass’ of retailing uses are maintained within the core areas of the
borough’s town centres. Outside of these core areas, and in line with PPS6,
there is more scope to introduce non-retailing, in the interests of providing
greater opportunitie s for flexibility and a diversity of uses in the interests of
maintaining and enhancing a centre’s vitality and viability, and to promote
linked trips. This is in line with PPS6 which considers uses such as fitness
centres, bowling, bingo, theatres, museums, and galleries as town centre
uses.102 The frontage will be measured in metres along continuous built
development between significant breaks such as a road or footpath.

1.2 Community uses for example police premises in shop units and health
centres will be considered A2 uses provided they maintain an active frontage
and are open during core retail hours and would not significantly harm the
character, function and vitality and viability of the centre.

102
Planning Policy Statement 6, Planning for Town Centres, paragraph 1.8 and paragraph 2.17, ODPM, 2005

205
206
 CULTURE

DC17 – PROTECTING EXISTING ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

FACILITIES
Planning permission which involves the loss of arts and entertainment
facilities to other uses will only be granted where the applicant can
demonstrate no need exists for the use or its loss was necessary to
achieve other planning objectives.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 Arts uses, in particular, help enrich the local community and a person’s quality
of life, and provide a sense of identity and civic pride and it is, therefore
important that their loss is resisted. Entertainment uses are also important not
least in their contribution to the evening economy and the vitality and viability
of town centres.

DC18 - PROTECTION OF PUBLIC OPEN SPACE,

RECREATION, SPORTS AND LEISURE FACILITIES

The Council will seek the retention and enhancement of all public open
space and recreation, sports and leisure facilities that are in private and
public ownership.

Where it is shown that public open space or other land /building is

surplus to requirements because other facilities exist in the locality to
meet the standards set out in Policy DC20 alternative uses will be
allowed.

Priority will be given to other recreation/leisure uses such as allotments

or sports pitches where there is an identified need for such a use. Where
no such needs exists then other uses may be approved provided that
there is no conflict with other Core and Development Control policies
and there is no unacceptable impact on the local environment or
amenities of local residents.

Any loss of open space to a non recreation/leisure use must be

accompanied by an improvement to the quality of open space in the
vicinity or to remedying qualitative and quantitative deficiencies in open
space elsewhere in the Borough.

207
 REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 The Council’s Open Space and Sports Assessment (2005) considered the
quality and value, in terms of recreation, of the borough’s open spaces. It
suggests that where open spaces have a high value they should be protected
and the quality enhanced if appropriate. Although this policy applies to all
open spaces, only spaces greater than 1 hectare are defined on the
Proposals Map.

1.2 On the other hand under the terms of the policy a site may be considered
surplus to requirements. In these cases, the policy suggests that the
redevelopment of such sites can make a contribution to improving the quality
and quantity of open space where an identified deficiency exists in the area or
to improving the quality of the remainder of the open space. The Assessment
also looked at the need for and provision of a range of different recreation,
sports and leisure facilities. Decisions about the retention of these facilities
will be based on the findings of the Assessment as required by PPG17.

IMPLEMENTATION

1.3 The Open Space and Sports Assessment will form the basis of making
decisions as to whether an open space is "surplus to requirements".
S106 agreements that comply with Circular 05/05 will be employed where
appropriate

DC19 – LOCATING CULTURAL FACILITIES

Planning permission will be granted for new cultural development where

the sequential test is satisfied. In this regard opportunities within the
boundaries of Romford Town Centre and the district centres must first
be tested before less central sites are considered. Where no central
sites are available the applicant must then assess the availability of
edge of centre sites.

Developers should take into account the following indicative upper

limits for the scale of cultural developments likely to be permissible in
each centre.

Centre Indicative upper limit for

additional cultural
floorspace (sqm gross)
Romford 45,000
Hornchurch 5,000
Upminster 5,000
Rainham 3,000
Elm Park 1,000
Collier Row 1,000
Harold Hill 1,000

208
 For all development not located on a town centre site or identified as a
Site Specific Allocation, the applicant must provide the following
information to justify the location of their development:

• the need for the development, including both quantitative and

qualitative need where necessary
• whether there were any more central sites available.
• whether the scale and use of the development relates to the scale
and role of the centre and its catchment
• whether more innovative layouts, different configurations, a
smaller scale of development or reduced car parking would allow
the development to fit on sequentially preferable sites
• whether there are elements of the development which could be
reasonably located on separate sequentially preferable sites
• the impact of the development on the vitality and viability of the
centre and nearby town centres
• the accessibility of the site in terms of public transport, cyclist
and pedestrian access and how car borne traffic will be
minimised.

In considering the location of arts uses, applicants must first thoroughly

assess the availability of sites in Hornchurch District Centre before
considering sites within Romford and the remaining District Centres.
Where arts uses are proposed in centres other than Hornchurch the
applicant must demonstrate that this will not adversely impact on the
vitality and viability of Hornchurch as the borough’s cultural centre.
Similarly edge of Hornchurch centre sites will be considered
sequentially preferable to edge of other centre sites.

In considering proposals for cultural facilities within London Riverside

any new development should:

• add to, or not harm the vitality and viability of Rainham District
Centre
• be accessible by public transport
• be well linked by pedestrian and cyclist routes to planned and
existing communities.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 Cultural uses are all the uses covered in paragraph 9 of PPS6 apart from
retail and office uses. Therefore, cultural uses are:

• leisure, entertainment facilities, and the more intensive sport and

recreation uses, (including cinemas, drive-through restaurants, night­
clubs, casinos, health and fitness centres, indoor bowling centres, and
bingo halls);
• arts, culture and tourism (theatres, museums, galleries and concert
halls, and conference facilities).

209
 Pubs, bars and restaurants are covered by DC policies 15 and 16 as they are
classified as service uses as they fall within use class A2-A5. Hotels are
covered by DC14.

1.2 Cultural uses are key components of town centres in order to increase their
vitality and viability. Cultural uses often remain open beyond shopping hours
and, therefore, aid in extending the economy of town centres. Cultural uses
also add to the diversity of uses in town centres and, therefore, aid in
promoting consumer activity. In line with PPS6, this policy takes forward the
sequential approach to the location of facilities, seeks to ensure that the scale
of development is appropriate to the centre and, in conjunction with DC16,
promotes greater opportunities for a diversity of uses in fringe shopping areas
in town centres. This will also help ensure that access to cultural facilities is
maximised as town centres tend to be well served by public transport.

1.3 The policy recognises that Hornchurch is the borough’s centre for arts, and,
therefore, applies the sequential test accordingly to ensure that proposals for
new arts developments in other borough centres do not adversely affect
Hornchurch’s status. At the same time, the lack of arts facilities in the Thames
Gateway means that Havering needs to plan for arts facilities in accessible
locations that meet the needs of the new communities within London
Riverside. Arts uses will also be important for Romford Town Centre where
aside from the retail offer, the day and evening economy is focused towards
the pub, club and entertainment culture and will help broaden the centre’s
appeal. This will complement the Romford Urban Strategy which aims to use
the historic Market Square for civic events and encourage a better restaurant
offer to broaden the centre’s appeal.

1.4 In the interests of creating sustainable communities in London Riverside the

policy recognises that applying the sequential test to proposals in the south of
the borough may result in out of town centre cultural developments. In some
cases, the nature of the uses means it would not be appropriate to locate the
use within the Rainham District Centre. This is especially the case for facilities
ancillary to the London Riverside Conservation Park. The location of, and full
justification for this site, is provided in the Site Specific Allocations
Development Plan Document.

London Riverside Conservation Park

1.5 It is proposed to develop visitor facilities and other ancillary uses as part of the
development of the London Riverside Conservation Park. Evidently these
uses must be located within the park and, therefore, the emphasis will be on
ensuring they are accessible by public transport and walking and cycling.

210
 DC20 - ACCESS TO RECREATION AND LEISURE
INCLUDING OPEN SPACE

The Council will seek to ensure that there is adequate provision of a

varied range of accessible leisure and recreation facilities throughout
the borough.

The Council will have regard to the following walking distances in order
to improve the distribution of public open space:

• Regional Park (400 ha) 3.2 to 8 km

• Metropolitan Park (60 ha) 3.2km
• District Park (20ha) 1.2km
• Local Park (2ha) 800m

The Council will also seek to achieve the following standard of

provision:

• Children's Play Space 0.8 hectares per 1,000 population

with access to formal/informal
play provision within 400 m of
home

• Allotments 0.18 hectares per 1,000 population

with access within 800 m of home

• Sports pitches 0.75 hectares per 1,000 population

with access within 1200 m of home

In order to make the best use of facilities, the Council will promote the
dual use of education sports and recreation facilities by the public.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 Access to informal and formal recreation and leisure opportunities is important
to residents ‘quality of life’ as not only are these sources of enjoyment but
they also bring related health benefits.

1.2 Informal open spaces such as urban and country parks tend to provide the
setting for informal recreation such as walking and cycling. Formal recreation
is usually practiced on sports pitches and within sports centres.

1.3 Besides their recreational function, open spaces can also help increase
biodiversity and manage flood risk as well as provide a valuable role in
increasing general environmental quality and amenity.

1.4 The Council has undertaken an Open Space and Sports Assessment which
covers all aspects of recreation and sport based leisure pursuits in line with

211
 the advice in PPG17 and its accompanying guidance. The policies of the Core
Strategy are based on that Assessment and the standards set out above are
those recommended in the Assessment. Figure 1 of the Core Strategy shows
deficiencies in general terms; a more detailed assessment of deficiency will
be undertaken in individual cases, where necessary, when implementing this
policy. The assessment of sports pitches was carried out using the Sport
England Playing Pitch Model in line with the advice set out in the companion
guide to PPG17. The Council intends to prepare a Parks and Open Spaces
Strategy and this will be a major tool in implementing the findings of the
Assessment.

IMPLEMENTATION

1.5 The Open Space Assessment and Open Space Strategy will be used when
dealing with applications in accordance with PPG17 and will also be used to
identify deficiencies.

DC21 - MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS AND OPEN SPACE,

RECREATION AND LEISURE FACILITIES

The Council will require major new residential developments to include

provision for adequate open space, recreation and leisure facilities. The
Council will require open space provision at the rate of 1.84 hectares per
thousand population. Where it is not possible to include such facilities
within the development site, the Council will require the facilities to be
provided nearby. In some cases improving the quality of existing
facilities may be appropriate. Financial contributions to enable the
provision of new facilities or improvement to the quality of existing
facilities may also be sought. The Council may also seek an agreement
with the developer for the long term maintenance of any new open
space provided in connection with their development.

Developments in areas which are deficient in open space may be

required not only to provide for the demand generated by the new
development but may also be expected to help address the current
deficiencies.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 PPG17 explains that where planning permission is granted for new
developments (especially housing), local authorities should seek to ensure
that provision is made for local sports and recreational facilities, either by
increasing the number of facilities or improving existing facilities. Planning
obligations should be used where appropriate to achieve this.

1.2 Paragraph 33 of PPG17 continues to say planning obligations should be used

as a means to remedy local deficiencies in the quantity or quality of open

212
 space. Local authorities will be justified in seeking planning obligations where
the quantity or quality of provision is inadequate or under threat, or where new
development increases local needs. Havering’s Open Space and Sports
Assessment (2005) recommended that new development should be
accompanied by 1.84 hectares of open space per 1000 population based
upon established levels of provision in areas considered to be well served.

DC22 – COUNTRYSIDE RECREATION

Opportunities for informal recreation in the countryside will be

increased by:

• the improvement of the public right of way network including links

to the urban area
• allowing equestrian and horsekeeping facilities in the Green Belt
subject to no adverse effect on the amenity of residents or the
countryside
• ensuring that all developments located within the Thames Chase
make a positive contribution to the implementation of the Thames
Chase Plan by improving, for example, access, recreation
opportunities, the landscape and nature conservation
• encouraging the provision for recreational water activities and
sport subject to no adverse effect on the amenity of residents or
the countryside
• where appropriate, seeking developer contributions towards
implementation of the Green Chain network, the London Outer
Orbital Path, the Green Arc, the Thames Chase, and the Green
Grid.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 Forming important components of the ‘Greening the Gateway Initiative’, the
Council is working with partners to implement the Thames Chase Plan, the
London Outer Orbital Path, the Green Arc, and the Green Grid to create
quality opportunities for informal recreation in Havering’s countryside.

IMPLEMENTATION

1.2 The Council will continue to bid for Local Implementation Plan funding
towards the implementation of walking and cycling initiatives within the Green
Belt.

213
 DC23 - FOOD, DRINK AND THE EVENING ECONOMY

The impacts of food, drink and evening entertainment facilities in

Havering’s town centres will be carefully controlled by:

• encouraging a diverse range of complementary day and evening

uses in town centres that meet the needs of different social
groups in the community
• promoting the objectives of the Licensing Act 2003 by carefully
considering later opening times of licensed premises with the
focus on preventing crime and disorder, maintaining public safety,
preventing public nuisance and protecting children from harm
• discouraging proposals that will result in a concentration of
similar evening uses in the one area or uses that will have a
singular or cumulative impact on the area as a result of
disturbance, amenity and type of facility.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 Food, drink and evening economy uses including restaurants, cafes, pubs,
nightclubs, wine bars, cinemas and galleries can contribute to the vitality and
viability of shopping centres. However, a concentration of these uses in a
particular location or street can detract from the amenity and character of an
area. Excessive noise, litter, smells, crime and anti social behaviour are
potential impacts such uses can have if not carefully controlled.

1.2 Therefore, in line with PPS6, this policy seeks to manage the evening and
night time economy by considering with regard to new development its
disturbance and cumulative impact on the character and function of a centre,
related anti-social behaviour, and impacts on crime and the amenities of
nearby residents. It also seeks to take account of licensing objectives under
the Licensing Act 2003.103

1.3 Any application submitted for food, drink or evening entertainment facilities
must be accompanied by a planning statement that addresses the following
factors:

• The nature and characteristics of the proposal and possible

disturbances and impacts on the surrounding area
• The scale of the development in terms of the number of patrons it
attracts and the catchment area
• The methods to address potential disturbances including smells, litter,
refuse, noise, anti-social behaviour and other general impacts on the
amenity of the surrounding area
• The concentration of food, drink and evening entertainment facilities in
the surrounding area and possible cumulative effects that may result
from the development of the facility
103
Licensing Act, DCMS, 2003

214
 • The proximity to residential uses
• Estimates of the likely numbers of customers (supported by a business
plan) and their likely nature
• The proposed hours of operation and their relationship to the hours of
operation of surrounding facilities
• Traffic implications associated with the facility and servicing
arrangements
• The use of outdoor areas.

IMPLEMENTATION

1.4 The Metropolitan Police would be directly consulted on major planning

applications to enable them to provide advice relating to crime and anti-social
behaviour issues that may be associated with a proposal.

1.5 Conditions may be imposed relating to the need to control times of

performances on the premises, operating hours, noise insulation, the erection
of notices at exits requesting the public to respect local residents and the
need to provide a refuse and litter management plans to minimise disturbance
to nearby properties.

1.6 This policy will be implemented in conjunction with policies contained in the
Romford Town Centre Area Action Plan for sites in the area within that plan.

DC24 – LIVE-WORK IN HORNCHURCH

To maximise the potential of creative industry employment in

Hornchurch, live-work units will be allowed within Hornchurch Town
Centre provided that:

• they are specifically designed for the purposes of artists and

creative workers
• they are safeguarded from a change to purely residential use
• the floorspace is split into 60% work and 40% residential and no
more than two bedrooms are provided
• the type of artist or creative industry sought will not have an
adverse impact on the quality, character or amenity of the
surrounding environment.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 The GLA publication ‘Creativity, London’s Core Business’ identifies that
Havering has a sizeable growth rate in creative industry jobs, and this
highlights an opportunity for growth in creative industries in the borough,
particularly in Hornchurch which already supports a strong cultural base.104

104
Creativity, London’s Core Business, GLA, October 2002

215
 To maximise this potential, and in line with the adopted Hornchurch Urban
Strategy, the Council will encourage a limited number of live/work units for
artists and creative workers in certain parts of designated mixed use areas.
This will be determined within the Hornchurch SPD and may include
consolidating the spare land within the rear of the plots which front the High
Street and gain access from Fentiman Way and Appleton Way. There is also
potential for these uses within the area bounded by High Street to the South,
The Queens Theatre to the North, North Street to the east and Billet Lane to
the west.

IMPLEMENTATION

1.2 More detailed guidance will be provided within the Hornchurch SPD.

1.3 Planning conditions may be applied to prevent live/work units of creative

industries and artists studios from being converted to purely residential use.

DC25 - PUBLIC ART

Where appropriate, the use of public art in all major and mixed use
development schemes including redevelopment and refurbishment
proposals is encouraged.

Where it is not appropriate for public art to be provided and

incorporated into a development site a contribution may be sought to
assist in the improvement and inclusion of art in public spaces in the
vicinity.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 The provision of public art in developments and in the public realm aids in
enhancing the appearance of buildings and their setting, the quality of the
environment and aids in promoting culture, fosters local identify and promotes
civic pride. Public art may take many forms including art installations,
sculptures, involving the community, lighting, local art projects, metal work,
floor and window designs. Artistic elements can also be incorporated into a
development in other ways including the employment of an artist as a member
of a design team, the commissioning of temporary work for performance
activities and school and community education programmes.

216
 COMMUNITY NEEDS

DC26 – LOCATION OF COMMUNITY FACILITIES

Planning permission for new community facilities will only be granted

where they:

• are accessible by a range of transport modes including walking

and cycling and to those groups who rely on public transport
• do not have a significant adverse effect on residential character
and amenity
• ensure that any on-street parking which is likely to be generated
by the use can be accommodated without detriment to pedestrian
and highway safety
• are where practicable provided in buildings which, are multi-use,
flexible and adaptable.

The preferred locations for new community facilities will be Romford,

the District and Local Centres and London Riverside.

To enable community facilities to be provided in Romford and the

District and Local Centres they will be allowed:

• above ground floor level within core retail areas

• at ground floor level outside core retail areas provided policy
DC16 is satisfied.

In addition, community facilities essential to meet the specific needs of

the community, either as part of a mixed use scheme or sole use,
depending on the scale of land available, will be allowed on sites
considered suitable for housing or involving the loss of housing.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 Opportunities for the development of new community facilities can be limited
because they cannot compete financially on equal terms for land against uses
such as residential and retail which attract higher land values. Planning policy
can help address this by seeking opportunities for the provision of new
community facilities in major mixed use developments, including the re-use of
existing buildings, and through the use of planning obligations, to ensure that
new facilities are provided in accessible locations.

1.2 Within London Riverside, community facilities will need to be provided to

serve the planned new housing. The location of these facilities will be
addressed in a SPD, and, therefore, this policy is flexible to enable community

217
 facilities in this area to be located in convenient locations for the planned new
community whilst also being accessible to the existing communities.

IMPLEMENTATION

1.3 The Council will continue to liaise with the relevant agencies to monitor the
land and building requirements for education, health and social services and
bring forward new sites through amendments to the Site Specific Allocations
DPD to meet identified requirements.

1.4 The Council may impose conditions restricting the use of community facilities
due to the large range of uses the current use classes permit. At the same
time, this will need to be balanced against the encouragement for multi-use
facilities.

DC27 – PROVISION OF COMMUNITY FACILITIES

Planning permission which involves the redevelopment of a community
facility will be granted:

• where it can be demonstrated that there is no longer a need for

the facility affected, either in its current use or any alternative use,
or
• where suitable alternative provision is made

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 Community buildings provide important facilities in which people can meet
and interact. They need to be close to places where people live to serve local
communities. The high cost of land and buildings in Havering means that
community facilities may come under pressure from more profitable uses and
the local community may lose an accessible facility. Once these sites are
redeveloped for commercial uses it is often difficult to find alternative sites
with good accessibility because these uses find it difficult to compete with
higher value land uses. Therefore, it is important to ensure that community
facilities continue to serve residents’ needs.

IMPLEMENTATION

1.2 Conditions may be attached to the permission to ensure that the replacement
facility was re-provided before 50% of the development was completed to
ensure that the facility was not out of use for any significant amount of time.

218
 DC28 - DUAL USE OF SCHOOL FACILITIES

Opportunities to make existing schools and their facilities (including

playing fields) available to wider community use will be encouraged
where such use results in no unacceptable amenity, environmental,
safety or traffic problems.

Conditions may be imposed to minimise disturbance including time

restrictions.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 Dual use of school facilities is a sensible use of scarce resources which
represent a major capital investment. By allowing community and other
groups to use education facilities and playing fields outside school hours it is
possible to use land more efficiently and to make new or improved local
facilities available in easily accessible locations. This fits in with the
Government’s ‘Extended School’ model. The Council will, therefore,
encourage schools to manage their facilities to provide opportunities for
community use, particularly in areas where an unmet need exists.

DC29 - EDUCATIONAL PREMISES

The Council will ensure that the provision of primary and secondary
education facilities is sufficient in quantity and quality to meet the needs
of residents by:

• supporting the implementation of the Havering School

Organisation Plan and by taking into account future demands as a
result of population changes
• normally seeking to meet the need for increased school places
within existing sites
• in addition to the criteria in DC26, ensuring that proposals to
locate new schools meet the following criteria:
• the sites and buildings are appropriate to the needs of the
users and the community in general, including the dual use of
premises for community purposes (see DC28)
• they are accompanied by a School Travel Plan.

• seeking payments from residential developers for the capital

infrastructure of schools required to meet the demands generated by
the residential development. Detailed guidance is provided in the
SPD.

219
 REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 The Council will continue to closely monitor the land needs of schools and
ensure the most efficient use of land and buildings in the education service in
order that a full range of education opportunities can be maintained.

1.2 Generally the cumulative impact of housing development in the borough is

unlikely to have a significant effect on education needs. However, in the
longer term, large-scale development of housing in the south of the borough,
as part of the London Riverside development, is likely to have an impact on
the need for additional school places in the southern part of the borough.

1.3 Where an education site is found to be surplus to the needs of the education
service as a whole, they will be used in accordance with the priorities of the
plan. In doing so, account will be also be taken of existing open space and
sports facilities ancillary to the school, with regard to demand for these in line
with PPG17 and the Havering Open Space and Sports Assessment.

1.4 Financial contributions from residential developers towards the educational

needs generated will be sought in line with the SPD on Educational Needs
Generated by New Development.

DC30 – CONTRIBUTION OF COMMUNITY FACILITIES

Where appropriate in major new development, the Council will seek
contributions towards the provision of essential new community
facilities.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 Planning obligations are used to lessen any adverse impact a development
may cause and contribute towards local facilities. For example, new housing
development may create additional demand for GP premises, or a major new
employment use may generate demand for childcare facilities. In such cases,
an agreement may be sought with the developer to provide (or contribute
towards providing) such facilities. Examples of community facilities are set out
in paragraph 1.1 of the reasoned justification to Core Policy 8.

DC31 – CEMETERIES AND CREMATORIA

The Council will ensure that sufficient land is retained to meet demand
for burial space and cremated remains.

220
 REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 From 2006, burial space needs in Havering are forecast to increase by more
than four acres every five years. The Core Strategy will, therefore, need to
plan for future burial space. Land at Romford Cemetery cannot be used due
to waterlogging and attendant groundwater pollution concerns. However,
there is the potential to extend Upminster Cemetery to meet burial space
need. There is also a need for extra land to bury cremated remains at the
South Essex Crematorium. This is covered in the Site Specific Allocations
Development Plan Document.

221
222
 TRANSPORT

DC32 – THE ROAD NETWORK

New development which has an adverse impact on the functioning of

the road hierarchy will not be allowed.

Planning permission for new road schemes will only be allowed

where they:

• are consistent with the Council’s road hierarchy

• improve conditions for pedestrians and cyclists and disabled
people by providing safe and convenient facilities
• improve public transport accessibility
• have net environmental benefits
• improve safety for all users
• contribute to regeneration objectives
• are consistent with the Council’s Local Implementation Plan and
the Mayor of London’s Transport Strategy
• allocate street space in accordance with the London Plan

Contributions may be sought from developers towards new road

schemes or road improvements.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 The Government in its document ‘Managing Our Road’, recognises that there
is only limited scope for tackling urban congestion by increasing road
capacity. Similarly, the key challenge in Havering is improving the
management and efficiency of the road network for all modes of transport,
and encouraging modal shift. The Council will, therefore, take care to ensure
that new development does not have an adverse impact on the functioning of
the road hierarchy and, for major developments, will require the submission of
a transport assessment to ensure this. At the same time, there may be cases
in Havering where new roads are needed to support regeneration especially
in London Riverside, or to improve the environment and increase safety (for
example, the Ferry Lane Link Road). In planning new roads, the overall
objective of the Core Strategy of reducing the need to travel and promoting
sustainable forms of transport where travel is necessary, needs to be met.
Therefore, new roads should deliver improvements to public transport
accessibility and improve conditions for walking and cycling. The Ferry Lane
Link Road is a good example of this as it enables a circular route to be formed
through London Riverside, thereby providing a viable bus route where
previously there was not one.

223
1.2 New roads will also need to be consistent with the Council’s road hierarchy.
This categorises the different types of road needed in order to serve the wide
range of vehicle types and the different journeys for which they are used.

1.3 Primary roads are the long distance links forming part of the national road
network. They cater particularly for through traffic and heavy vehicles.
Secondary roads are the other important roads where considerations of traffic
flow predominate. They provide the links from local roads to the Primary Road
Network, access to strategic centres, and the main bus routes.

1.4 Local distributor roads collect traffic from local access roads and convey it to
the Secondary and Primary Road Networks and thus also have a traffic
function. They are also used for the less important bus routes. Local access
roads (i.e. all road types below local distributors) give direct access to
buildings and land. Their use by traffic having no need for access in the
locality should be restricted. The Council also applies a hierarchy of standards
for these roads depending on the use to which they are put and the number of
dwellings they serve.

IMPLEMENTATION

1.5 The Council intends to revise its guide to the layout of roads in new
development to reflect ‘Manual for Streets’, CLG and DoT 2007. The Council,
therefore, encourages more flexible highway and footpath standards which
consider streets as open spaces promoting, for example, smaller radii shared
surfaces, and using the layouts of roads, planting and parking rather than
dedicated physical obstacles to traffic calming. This will be published as a
separate technical supporting document to Havering’s Local Development
Framework.

1.6 The Council will work closely with Transport for London on issues affecting
management of the Transport for London Road Network and Strategic Road
Network.

DC33 – CAR PARKING

Car parking provision within new developments should not exceed the
maxima set out in Annex 5 which are based on those provided in the
London Plan. They should also provide Motor-cycle Parking and
Disabled Parking to the standards provided in Annex 5.

In applying these standards developers need to satisfy the following

criteria in addition to those set out in Annex 5:

• for major commercial developments within town centres

demonstrate that the level of car parking would not adversely
affect that centre or a neighbouring centre’s vitality and viability

224
 • for public off street car parking achieve Park Mark Safer Parking
status
• for private off-street car parking achieve secure by design
standard (or equivalent methodology)
• demonstrate with regard to existing, or planned Controlled
Parking Zones, and the need for additional parking controls that
there is no adverse impact on the amenity of residents and the
interests of the users of adjacent facilities
• for development with material transport implications require a
submission of a Transport Assessment with the planning
application in line with the guidance in PPG13
• for public off street parking, show it meets an essential need and
enter into an agreement for a management scheme and pricing
structure including annual reviews to deter commuter parking or,
alternatively, contribute to off-site public parking provision.

The Council will support appropriate development proposals to

convert to alternative (non-parking) uses where:

• private non-residential parking space is not required by genuine

operational business users
• parking at residential development is in excess of current
standards and is not required to meet the parking needs of
residents
• the Council has identified public off-street parking as being
surplus to requirements

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 This policy uses a combination of Transport Assessments and a measure

called Public Transport Accessibility Level (PTAL) to determine parking
standards for different uses.

1.2 Transport Assessments should give details of proposed measures to improve

access by public transport, walking and cycling, to reduce associated parking
and mitigate adverse transport impacts. Transport Assessments will be a key
factor in assisting in the assessment of development proposals and ensuring
that parking levels sought for new developments are neither excessive nor
inadequate and that sufficient capacity exists or can be provided on the
significantly affected parts of the transport network. Equally, they will help to
ensure that the level of car parking does not give rise to on-street car parking
problems which may impact on the safety and quality of the environment. In
doing so, consideration will need to be given to ensuring that car parking
standards are integrated with on-street parking controls. Where a new
development, particularly major residential and employment uses, is proposed
in areas of poor public transport provision, the Council may seek contributions
for public transport improvements, which in turn may enable the level of car
parking to be reduced.

225
1.3 In setting parking standards the Council has been careful that there is no
incentive for uses to locate away from town centres, or that this will impact on
the viability and vitality of town centres. For example, Romford competes with
Lakeside and Bluewater which offer free parking. There is also competition
between and within town centres in Havering that has to be addressed as part
of a strategy.

1.4 Car parking standards for new dwellings are set out in development control
policy DC2 Housing Mix and Density. Standards vary from car free
developments to a maximum of two spaces per dwelling in less accessible
suburban areas. Romford and the ‘urban’ areas of Hornchurch, Upminster
and Elm Park are identified as suitable for car free housing in terms of
accessibility. However, in the interests of controlling on-street parking, the
absence of a CPZ in Hornchurch and Elm Park means that car free housing is
only acceptable in Romford and Upminster where permits can be withheld
from residents of new ‘flatted’ development.

1.5 The Council through its Local Implementation Plan and Parking and
Enforcement Strategy will continue to monitor the usage of public car parks
and identify surplus provision and the need for increased provision as
appropriate. Within town centres it is often not practicable for new
developments to accommodate additional parking demand on site, and a
contribution towards public-off street parking may be acceptable.

DC34 - WALKING

In the design and location of access and circulation arrangements

within, and between, development and local pedestrian destinations,
developers will be required to:

• take account of the needs of pedestrians

• address ‘desire lines’ to local shops, services and schools, including
safer routes to school, and public transport nodes, lighting, rest
facilities, safety and security, and barriers to local movement.

In appropriate circumstances, contributions will be sought towards

initiatives either planned, or underway, to promote walking in the
borough as included in Havering’s Local Implementation Plan, and the
strategic walking routes set out in the Transport for London Walking
Plan including the Greenways. This includes the implementation of a
continuous Thames Path across the borough which increases access to
the Thames frontage.

Where relevant, contributions may also be sought towards increasing

pedestrian accessibility between the development and important local
facilities including shops and services and local public transport nodes,
for example crossings, drop kerbs, tactile paving, lighting and so on.

226
 This would include contributions toward improving the pedestrian
environment at transport interchanges including stations and bus stops.

In major new developments used by the public the provision of public

conveniences may be sought on site or contributions to off-site
Universal Super Loos in line with the Council’s Street Environment
Maintenance and Management Plan.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 Havering’s Walking Strategy reflects the policies and objectives set by the
London Plan and PPG13 and Havering’s Local Implementation Plan (LIP).

1.2 Havering’s Walking Strategy seeks to promote walking because it is;

• good for the environment as it has the least adverse environmental

impacts of all forms of travel and has no negative impacts upon air
quality, congestion and noise.
• good for the community as it is a socially inclusive form of transport
which helps reduce social isolation and has positive impacts on
community safety
• good for the individual because it has proven health benefits.
• good for the economy as town centres which are planned around the
needs of pedestrians tend to have more vibrant day and evening
economies

1.3 Therefore in line with Havering’s LIP it sets a number of objectives the most
relevant of which to the Core Strategy are;

• to maintain a high quality walking environment

• to improve the pedestrian environment
• to promote safety, security and interaction
• to promote walking for leisure

1.4 This policy takes forward the measures within the strategy in so far as they
can be implemented through new development.

DC35 - CYCLING

The design and layout of developments will be required to take account

of the needs of cyclists by:

• encouraging safe and secure cycle parking and changing and

shower facilities to be provided appropriate to the nature and
scale and location of the development

227
 • encouraging the design and location of access and circulation
arrangement of the development to take account of the needs of
cyclists
• in major new development encouraging cycle priority measures
which link with existing routes and networks
• where appropriate seeking contributions towards off-site
improvements to the cycle network and cycle facilities including
facilities at key public transport nodes and destinations and
contributions towards the London Cycle Network Plus and
Thames Chase Forest Circle.

Applicants will be required to provide cycle parking to the standards

provided in Annex 6 from Transport for London.

In applying this policy regard will be had to the London Cycling Action
Plan ‘Creating a chain reaction’, and the London Cycle Design
standards and other relevant documents.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 Havering’s Cycling Strategy reflects the policies and objectives set by the
London Plan, PPG13 and Havering’s Local Implementation Plan.

1.2 Havering’s Cycling Strategy seeks to promote cycling because it is;

• good for the environment as it does not pollute or rely on finite fossil
fuels, and has positive effects on noise levels and air quality
• good for the community as it is an inclusive form of transport which is
accessible to many groups irrespective of age, background or income
• good for the individual because it has proven health benefits.

1.3 Therefore, in line with Havering’s LIP, it sets a number of objectives. The
most relevant to the Core Strategy are:

• to improve and increase the length of cycle routes

• to improve and increase cycle parking
• to improve the cycling environment through engineering and planning
measures

1.4 This policy takes forward the measures within the strategy in so far as they
can be implemented through new development. The cycle standards are from
Transport for London proposed guidelines on Cycle Parking Standards.

DC36 - SERVICING

Planning permission for new industrial, housing, shopping and

commercial developments will only be granted where adequate

228
 servicing arrangements are provided. As far as possible these will be
required within the curtilage of the development and be designed and
laid out so that vehicles can leave in forward gear.

Town centre developments may be serviced from the highway at the

front of the premises. However, planning permission will only be
granted where the applicant can demonstrate that:

• this will not have an adverse effect on the functioning of the road
hierarchy
• it does not adversely effect the efficient functioning of the public
transport network
• it will not cause unacceptable levels of congestion or road hazard
• it does not have an adverse effect on pedestrian safety or the
amenity of residential properties
• there is no provision of a rear service road as part of the servicing
of the wider area.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 It is important that in the planning and design of new developments that
servicing arrangements are considered from the outset. Outside town centre,
servicing off the main highway will generally be the best and safest approach.
However, within town centres service roads can take up valuable town centre
land and can impede pedestrian access. The alternative is to service
developments from the highway. This can help deliver high density mixed use
development but if not carefully controlled by for example conditioning hours
of servicing, can have an adverse impact on congestion, highway safety and
residential amenity.

1.2 The implementation of a Clear Zone remains an option for Havering to

consider for Romford Town Centre should it be required for pedestrian safety
and convenience. Clear Zones remove all vehicular traffic from the centre,
and only allow servicing during strictly defined times which are fully enforced.
Effectively this means that pedestrianised areas remain just that during the
times of peak pedestrian flows.

IMPLEMENTATION

1.3 On street servicing hours will be conditioned.

DC37 - SAFEGUARDING

Land for the Channel Tunnel Rail Link and Crossrail be safeguarded in
accordance with the safeguarding directions from the Secretary of
State, unless removed.

229
 Planning permission will only be granted for the change of use of land
from transport and transport support functions:

• where it is not required and is unlikely to be required in the future

for this purpose; or
• an equally good alternative is provided either within the borough
or in neighbouring boroughs.

The Council will seek to ensure that new development is designed and
laid out with regard to the planned and proposed improvements to
public transport set out in Core Policy 10, including Crossrail, the East
London Transit and Beam Park Station.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 PPG13 states that identifying and protecting existing and potential routes is
critical in widening choices for passengers.105 The London Plan advises that
boroughs should only identify approved schemes in their plans.106 Directions
have been made by the Secretary of State for Transport to Havering to
safeguard land for the Crossrail scheme and for CTRL (Channel Tunnel Rail
Link Act 1996). However, East London Transit is still a proposal and,
therefore, as the precise safeguarding requirements are not known, an
indicative route is shown on page 231 to enable new development to be
designed with regard to its future implementation. The proposed Beam Park
Station is included within the Beam Park Site Specific Allocation.

1.2 The London Plan recommends that changes of use from transport and
transport support functions should only be approved if it is no longer required
and is unlikely to be required in the future for this purpose, or if equally good
alternatives are provided.107

105
PPG13 Transport, paragraph 48, ODPM, March 2001.
106
London Plan, policy 3C.13, GLA, February 2004
107
London Plan policy 3C.4, GLA, February 2004

230
Figure 3 – Indicative route of East London Transit
Legend

East London Transit

Beam Park Station

M25

231
 DC38 – PARK AND RIDE

Park and Ride schemes serving Romford Town Centre which meet the
guidance provided in PPG13 and the TfL publication “Park and Ride
Strategic Assessment Framework for London” (Nov 2004) will be looked
upon favourably.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 PPG13 states that local authorities should give favourable treatment to well
conceived Park and Ride schemes and in certain circumstances considers
them as acceptable Green Belt uses.108 Park and Ride offers the opportunity
to reduce road congestion in and around Romford Town Centre to reduce car
dependency and encourage modal shift.

1.2 Romford suffers considerable traffic congestion issues which are especially
acute at weekends. The introduction of a regular Park and Ride scheme
serving Romford Town Centre would help improve residents accessibility to
services and shops and help bolster the local economy. If successful it may
also enable town centre parking to be reduced.

IMPLEMENTATION

1.3 Transport for London funding has been secured for a feasibility study into a
permanent high quality Park and Ride facility for Romford.

DC39 - FREIGHT

Improvement to the integration of rail, river and road freight will be

encouraged. Planning permission will only be granted for new
developments which generate high levels of freight provided that the
applicant demonstrates through a transport assessment how freight
movements to and from their site will be managed with regard to:

• Maximizing the use of river and rail freight facilities within and
outside the borough where this represents the most sustainable
option
• Minimising impact on the efficient functioning of the public
transport network
• Minimising impact on the efficient functioning of the strategic
road network
• Minimising the inconvenience to residents and other businesses
• Minimising the impact on the environment

108
PPG13 Transport, paragraph 59, ODPM, March 2001

232
 Encouragement will be given where practicable to using river and rail
freight facilities within and without the borough where this represents
the most sustainable option.

The use of the River Thames by freight is supported and therefore the
Tilda and Phoenix Wharves are safeguarded from redevelopment for
other purposes which would prejudice their use for river based freight
related purposes. Their development will not be allowed unless
applicants can prove that they will never be capable of being made
viable for river based cargo-handling. In implementing this policy the
relevant criteria in the London Plan will be applied. Development next to
or opposite safeguarded wharves should be designed to minimize the
potential for conflicts of use and disturbance.

Development which generates high levels of freight must be located

close to major transport routes and away from town centres and
residential areas. Any adverse impact in the strategic road network must
be mitigated if necessary.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 Havering’s economy and that of the surrounding area relies on an efficient
system for the distribution of goods and services. Within Havering the primary
freight network is the road network. The borough’s Strategic Industrial
Locations enjoy excellent access to the A13 and A12 and M25. In line with the
Road Traffic Act 2004, the Council will seek to ensure that the traffic
management of Havering’s roads is properly managed to enable freight
deliveries to be made whilst minimising the impact on Havering’s residents.

1.2 The river Thames provides an alternative to road freight in the south.
Currently, there are two safeguarded wharves, Frog Island and Tilda Rice and
another operational river terminal at Cleanaway.

1.3 Rail freight is active through the borough but not in it. There are now no rail
freight terminals within Havering, and Havering’s LIP confirms that the Council
considers that a case cannot be put forward for a rail terminal that could be
cost effectively developed. However, a freight terminal is proposed in Barking
and Dagenham which would access the Channel Tunnel Rail link (CTRL) and
give access to high gauge wagons to and from mainland Europe. Havering’s
LIP identifies that access to freight deliveries by rail for origins and
destinations within Havering should be through this terminal.

IMPLEMENTATION

1.4 As part of their transport assessment major freight generating uses would be
required to assess the sustainability of freight movements to and from their
site as detailed in the policy.

233
1.5 The Council intends to carry out a feasibility study, subject to receiving LIP
funding, to determine how the level of waste transfer by rail/water can be
increased.

234
 WASTE MANAGEMENT

DC40 – WASTE RECYCLING

Planning permission will only be granted for developments where

suitable waste and recycling storage facilities are provided.

In large residential or commercial developments neighbourhood

recycling centres should be provided where a need exists and where an
accessible facility for local residents by all forms of transport can be
provided which does not impact adversely on the amenity of
neighbouring properties.

Where it is not practical, or feasible, to service each household

individually, the developer should provide on-site or convenient and
accessible off-site communal recycling facilities. The Council will
assess the best approach in negotiation with applicants on a site by site
basis, having regard to factors such as the overall number of units and
the implications for residential amenity and access. Where off-site
facilities are considered the best approach, the Council will seek
agreements commensurate with the scale of the development proposed.

Developers are required to provide home composting units with all new
homes with gardens.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 Havering provides a weekly kerbside collection of paper, card, tins, cans,
plastic bottles, plastic bags and aluminium foil to 90,000 households using
orange survival sacks. The borough also has a network of 28 neighbourhood
recycling centres where residents can bring textiles, cans, glass bottles & jars
and paper for recycling. Havering also has a weekly collection service for
‘green’ garden waste. Alternatively, the borough supports home composting,
or residents can take their ‘green’ waste to the facility at Gerpins Lane from
where it is sent for composting.

1.2 In 2003-04, a total of 81,235 tonnes of household waste was produced in

Havering and 7.5% of this was recycled and 2.1% was composted, 9.6% in
total.

1.3 The focus of this policy is on ensuring the design of new developments
enables significantly increased levels of recycling to be undertaken to help
achieve National Recycling targets.

235
 IMPLEMENTATION

1.4 The Council may condition applications to ensure that before the new
development is operational that the terms of this policy have been met.

236
 MINERALS

DC41 – RE-USE AND RECYCLING OF AGGREGATES

All new developments are encouraged to:

• recycle and re-use as aggregate, construction and demolition

waste on development sites
• where it is not possible to process and subsequently re-use the
material within the site, to process it on-site before re-use at
another site or for local land restoration
• use substitute or recycled materials in new development in place
of primary minerals.

Subject to policy DC43, planning permission for aggregates recycling

will be granted within minerals extraction sites and existing landfill sites
where the site is in reasonable proximity to the source of the waste
and is in reasonable proximity to the Strategic Road Network or the
material can be transported by rail or river. All plant must be removed
once the primary operation of the site has ceased.

Only where the applicant can prove that there are no suitable and
available minerals extraction or landfill sites for aggregates recycling,
and the processed material cannot be transported directly by rail or river
will planning permission for aggregate recycling facilities be granted
within Strategic Industrial Areas.

For all aggregates recycling sites there must not be an unacceptable

impact on the environment or human health and noise. Dust and visual
intrusion must also be kept to a minimum. Applicants are advised to
consult the Government guide ‘Controlling the Environmental Effects of
Recycled and Secondary Aggregates’.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 This policy is focused on meeting London Plan targets for the re-use of
construction and demolition waste. The recycling of aggregates involves the
sorting, crushing and grading of construction and demolition waste. Ideally,
this process should be done on site and as much of the recycled waste re­
used in the construction process. This helps reduce the need for primary
minerals and also reduces the need to transport minerals from, and too, the
site. However, where this is not possible there will be a need for off-site
recycling facilities. These tend to be best located in mineral extraction and
landfill sites. However, in exceptional circumstances, these may be allowed
within Strategic Industrial Areas.

237
DC42 – MINERALS EXTRACTION

Planning permission for minerals extraction will be granted within the

specific sites/preferred areas shown on the proposals map provided:

Environmental Impact

• That the proposed extraction will not result singularly or

cumulatively in significant adverse impacts on the environment or
human health by ensuring:
• minimisation of environmental disturbance for the period of
the operation by means of, for example, tree planting and
land grading schemes, visual screens, acoustic baffles,
siting of plant and buildings, limitation of working hours,
direction of working and by relating excavation to
progressive restoration to minimise the extent of the area
open at any one time
• particle emissions meet EC and UK standards
• there are no adverse noise and dust impacts with regard to
Annexes 1 and 2 of MPS2. ‘Controlling and Mitigating the
Environmental Effects of Minerals Extraction in England-
Noise’. Applicants will be required to prepare and
implement a Dust Action Plan to control dust to acceptable
levels
• there is no significant adverse effect on safety and amenity
from vehicular traffic. When considering the traffic
implications the Council will not only consider the effect on
roads and the amenity of residents in the vicinity of the site
but also along routes leading to the site through built-up
areas and through the countryside
• there are no significant long term adverse effects on the
landscape
• it does not create land instability
• subject to part 19 of the General Development Plan Order
1995, ensure ancillary buildings, structure, plant or
equipment in the Green Belt are essential to the operation
and preserve the open nature of the Green Belt, and that
their materials are sympathetic to the landscape and their
impact is minimised by appropriate siting and screening
where necessary
• there is no significant adverse effect on sites of protected
or priority species or habitats in line with Havering’s
Biodiversity Action Plan, sites of historical, geological or
archaeological importance
• there is no significant adverse effect on ground or surface
waters, flooding, and air quality.

238
 Restoration

• the site workings are restored to the highest standards and

secure a beneficial and acceptable after use in line with Green
Belt objectives
• sites within the Thames Chase are provided to a high quality after-
use in liaison with the Thames Chase and the Council which
increases the recreational and biodiversity quality of the land in
line with the targets in Havering’s Biodiversity Action Plan, as
appropriate
• where extraction involves grade 1, 2 or 3A agricultural land, that
where appropriate it is restored to its former physical
characteristics, and that extraction is phased to ensure the
maximum amount of land is retained in agricultural use.

Applicants will be required to include a detailed scheme for the

progressive restoration of the land and the after-use of the site in line
with Minerals Planning Guidance Note 7: Reclamation of Mineral
Workings. Where the proposed restoration is to agriculture, forestry or
amenity, a scheme for the long term management of the land following
restoration will be required. In evaluating after-use and restoration, the
Council will take into account the applicant’s past record of working and
restoring sites. It will seek to secure the improvement of poorly restored
land within the applicant’s control and where appropriate its long term
management by imposing planning conditions or through legal
agreements, where appropriate.

Prior to the adoption of the Specific Sites/Preferred Areas for Mineral

Extraction DPD any applications received for minerals extraction will be
judged against the criteria in this policy.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 Minerals Planning Statement 1, Planning and Minerals, 2006, aims to prevent
or reduce as far as possible, impacts on the environment and human health
arising from the extraction, processing, management or transportation of
minerals. Policy 4A.5 of the London Plan similarly identifies that DPDs should
adopt the highest environmental standards for aggregates extraction.

1.2 Consequently, this policy seeks to ensure that planning permission for new
minerals extraction sites is only granted to those applications, initially within
the minerals safeguarding areas identified on the proposals map which satisfy
the criteria of this policy, and subsequently within the preferred areas or for
the specific sites after the adoption of the Minerals DPD, which are
sustainable and ensure the high quality restoration of minerals extraction
sites.

1.3 It is important to note that minerals extraction need not be inappropriate

development or conflict with the purposes of designating Green Belts.

239
 However, in permitting mineral winning developments in the Green Belt, the
Council will need to ensure that high environmental standards are maintained
during operation, and that the site is well restored to an after use consistent
with Green Belt objectives.

1.4 The policy also seeks to ensure the high quality restoration of mineral
extraction sites which may, in appropriate circumstances, help to provide
leisure and recreation opportunities in the Green Belt and, where relevant,
help deliver the Thames Chase Plan.

1.5 Applicants will be encouraged to:

• Carry out environmental audits to ensure they comply with relevant

legislation, regulation and conditions contained in pollution control
authorisations, discharge approvals and planning permissions
• Adopt voluntary site transport plans in consultation with the local
community

IMPLEMENTATION

1.6 The production of primary land won aggregates will be monitored in the
Annual Monitoring Report which will help inform the need for applications for
minerals extraction.

DC43 - READY MIXED AND PROCESSING PLANT

Within the Green Belt, planning permission will only be granted for
ready mix concrete plant and other secondary aggregate processing
plants at current mineral working sites. However, unless proposed as
part of the application for extraction, the Council may seek Article 4
Directions to restrict the rights to erect such plant where, unless
carefully controlled, this would be likely to conflict with other policies of
the Plan. All secondary plant at mineral sites will be ‘tied’ to the life of
mineral extraction at the site and all plant will be required to be removed
upon the completion of mineral working.

REASONED JUSITIFCATION

1.1 Minerals Planning Statement 1, Planning and Minerals, 2006, states that local
authorities should indicate the types of site where recycled or secondary
aggregates production could take place.

1.2 The erection of processing plant which is ancillary to mineral working is

generally permitted by the General Development Order (GDPO), although the
detail may be subject to approval. The location of ready mixed concrete and
other secondary aggregate processing plant on operational mineral sites will

240
 help to reduce traffic movements by minimising the number of traffic
movements required.

DC44 - TRANSPORT OF AGGREGATE BY RAIL OR RIVER

Planning permission for the establishment of facilities for the

importation and distribution of aggregate by rail or river will be granted
where both of the following criteria are met:

• It has no significant adverse impact on the efficient functioning of

the strategic road network
• there is no conflict with green belt, environment or employment
policies.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 The establishment of bulk handling and distribution facilities for imported
aggregates would help to reduce the need to rely on long distance lorry traffic.
The retention of existing aggregate depots is encouraged by the London Plan.
However, there are already aggregate wharves and depots in the London
Borough of Barking and Dagenham and in Thurrock which currently serve the
north eastern part of London and, now that Frog Island has been developed
for waste uses, it is very unlikely that such sites can be found in Havering.

241
242
 GREEN BELT

DC45 - APPROPRIATE DEVELOPMENT IN THE GREEN

BELT
The Council will promote uses in the Green Belt that have a positive role
in fulfilling Green Belt objectives. Planning permission for development
in the Green Belt will only be granted if it is for the following purposes:

• agriculture and forestry, outdoor recreation, nature conservation,

cemeteries
• mineral extraction provided policies in the Council’s Local
Development Framework are complied with
• Park and Ride facilities provided that the criteria in Annex E of
PPG13 are met.

Planning permission for new buildings will only be granted for the
following purposes:

• they are essential for the uses listed above; or

• they involve limited infilling or redevelopment on a site designated
as a Major Developed Site in accordance with DC46

Extensions, alterations and replacement of existing dwellings will be

allowed provided that the cubic capacity of the resultant building is not
more than 50% greater than that of the of the original dwelling.

Planning permission for the reuse of existing buildings will only be

granted if the criteria set out in PPG2 are satisfied. Particular care will
be taken to ensure that the proposed use (including the use of any
adjoining land) does not have a greater impact on the openness of the
Green Belt.

Subject to the Departure procedure, planning permission for the

redevelopment of authorised commercial/industrial sites will be granted
provided there is a substantial decrease in the amount of building on the
site and improvements to the local Green Belt environment.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 This policy is based on the guidance set out in Planning Policy Guidance Note
2, Green Belts, amended March 2001. PPG2 makes it clear that there is a
general presumption against inappropriate development which is harmful to
the Green Belt except in very special circumstances. It says that policies in
development plans should ensure that any planning applications for
inappropriate development accord with the plan. In addition, Planning Policy

243
 Guidance Note 13, Transport, 2001, amends PPG2 by saying that Park and
Ride schemes may be appropriate subject to non-Green Belt sites being
investigated first and a number of other criteria set out in Annex E of the
guidance.

1.2 The Council considers that in order to achieve improvement to both the open
nature and Green Belt environment at existing authorised commercial /
industrial sites, it may be justifiable to grant permission for a use which would
not normally be acceptable in terms of Green Belt policy. Any such proposal
will need to be treated as a Departure and will be subject to the appropriate
procedures.

1.3 In all cases, ‘original’ means the dwelling and domestic outbuildings as
existing on 1st July 1948; or if no dwelling existed on that date then ‘original’
means the dwelling as first built after 1st July 1948 excluding any extensions
or outbuildings built after completion of the dwelling.

DC46 - MAJOR DEVELOPED SITES

The following sites have been defined as Major Developed Sites in the
Green Belt:

• St George's Hospital, Hornchurch

• The Cardrome, Romford
• Quarles Campus, Harold Hill
• Nags Head Lane Sewage Treatment Works

The criteria set out in Annex C of PPG2 will be applied when determining
planning applications on these sites.

In the event of complete or partial redevelopment, the Council will seek

proposals for residential use or community use, subject to relevant
policies in the Plan

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 PPG2 allows limited infilling or redevelopment of major existing sites that
have been identified in the Local Plan. The Council has identified the following
sites as major developed sites as they all have a number of existing buildings
and may become available for other uses in the future.

1.2 St. Georges Hospital - This site lies between residential areas to the north
and Hornchurch Country Park to the south and adjoins the ecologically
sensitive Ingrebourne Valley to the east. Any redevelopment of the site will
need to relate satisfactorily to the surrounding uses.

244
1.3 The Cardrome - The majority of this site is laid out with a system of roads that
is used by persons learning to drive off the public highway. Other parts of the
site are occupied by car sales, a filling station and a variety of buildings used
in connection with the other uses on the site.

1.4 Quarles Campus - This former school site is still in education use and is
currently one of three sites in the Borough occupied by Havering College. The
western part of the site is occupied by a range of buildings and hardstanding
whilst the eastern part of the site is largely open and provides some sport
/recreation facilities. Planning permission has recently been granted for a
community football project including a full size grass pitch, an artificial training
pitch, changing facilities and car parking.

1.5 Nags Head Lane Sewage Treatment Works - This site is partly within
Brentwood Borough Council, however, the main built up part of the works is
within Havering. In line with PPG2 it has been identified as a Major Developed
Site to enable essential operational development.

DC47 - AGRICULTURE

The Council will:

• not grant planning permission where the proposal would result in

the loss of high quality agricultural land (Grades 1, 2 & 3a) unless
it can be shown that there is an overriding sustainability benefit or
the development is unavoidable and no lesser quality land is
available
• seek to ensure that new agricultural buildings are necessary for a
bona fide agricultural enterprise and that other suitable buildings
on the agricultural unit previously used for agricultural purposes
within the last four years are not being used for a non-agricultural
use
• apply the criteria set out in PPS7 when dealing with applications
for farm diversification including farm shops and applications for
permanent and temporary agricultural/forestry dwellings
• ensure that the amenities of local residents are protected when
permission is granted for diversification or a new agricultural
building.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 National planning policy in Planning Policy Statement 7, Sustainable

Development in Rural Areas, 2004, recognises the importance and varied
roles of agriculture including the maintenance and management of the
countryside and valued landscape. The guidance says that the presence of
the best and most versatile agricultural land (grades 1, 2 and 3a of the
Agricultural Land Classification) should be taken into account when

245
 determining planning applications. If development of agricultural land is
unavoidable local planning authorities should seek to use areas of poorer
quality (grade 3b or lower).

1.2 The guidance says that favourable consideration should be given to proposals
for diversification in the Green Belt where the development preserves the
openness of the Green Belt and does not conflict with the purposes of
including land in the Green Belt. When determining such applications, the
Council will apply the criteria set out in PPS7.

1.3 This policy seeks to ensure that agricultural buildings are genuinely needed
and their adverse effect on the Green Belt and the environment are minimised
in order to protect the openness of the Green Belt and the amenities of
residents.

1.4 Dwellings are often required for farm workers especially where livestock is
involved on the holding. This is a sensitive issue in the open countryside and
even more so in the Green Belt. The Council will, therefore, need to be
convinced that the new dwelling is essential for the functioning of the
available enterprise and will use the criteria set out in Annex A of PPS7.
Similarly, when new farming activities are started the criteria for temporary
dwellings set out in PPS7 will be applied.

246
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

DC48 – FLOOD RISK

Development must be located, designed and laid out to ensure that the
risk of death or injury to the public and damage from flooding is
minimised whilst not increasing the risk of flooding elsewhere and
ensuring that residual risks are safely managed.

Planning permission therefore will only be granted for development

where it can be demonstrated that:

• Through a sequential test it is located in the lowest appropriate

flood risk zone with regard to the advice in PPS25 and Havering’s
Strategic Flood Risk Assessment
• It would not constrain the natural function of the flood plain, either
by impeding flood flow or reducing storage capacity
• With regard to the London Plan drainage hierarchy, surface water
is controlled as near to its source as possible to greenfield rates
attenuated up to the 1% annual probability plus climate change,
and that the use of Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS)
has been considered. Where SUDS have not been used the
applicant should justify these reasons

A Flood Risk Assessment (FRA) which satisfies the requirements in

Havering’s Strategic Flood Risk Assessment must be submitted with
planning applications:

• For major developments in Flood Risk Zone 1 and all

developments in Flood Risk Zones 2 and 3. With regard to PPS25,
the Flood Risk Assessment must demonstrate that the sequential
test has been undertaken and in addition, where the vulnerability
classification of the development is not compatible to the flood
zone, the exception test has been passed
• In areas at risk from surface water, sewer, groundwater and lake
flooding
• Where drainage problems are identified by the Environment
Agency or the Council

Development will not be permitted where it would undermine or breach

flood defences.

247
 REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 It is important that flood risk is properly addressed in the planning of new
developments otherwise this can result in property damage during periods of
flooding, put residents in the floodplain at risk, and increase risk to those
outside the floodplain.

1.2 To ensure this developers must adopt the sequential approach as set out in
PPS25 in determining the location of their development with regard to its land
use and type and the flood risk zones provided in Havering’s Strategic Flood
Risk Assessment. Only where there are no reasonably available sites in Flood
Zones 1 or 2 should the suitability of sites in Flood Zone 3 be considered,
taking into account the flood risk vulnerability of proposed land uses and
applying the Exception Test if required. Within each Flood Zone, new
development should be directed first to sites at the lowest probability of
flooding and the flood vulnerability of the intended use matched to the flood
risk of the site, e.g. higher vulnerability uses located on parts of the site at
lowest probability of flooding.

1.3 Where appropriate, the use of Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS)
must be considered. These aim to control surface water run-off as near to its
source as possible and ensure that drainage from the site is consistent with
that of a greenfield site. SUDS can be applied to all new development and
those in flood risk areas to control the quantity of surface water drainage.
Such systems can include permeable pavements, filter drains and strips,
swale, temporary basins, ponds, wetlands, and green/brown roofs. The
Environment Agency should be contacted for more detail on SUDS. Planning
obligations to secure flood attenuation measures may be required to make the
development acceptable.

IMPLEMENTATION

1.4 More details on Flood Risk Assessments (FRAs) are provided in Havering’s
Strategic Flood Risk Assessment.

1.5 The Council will have regard to PPS25 and Havering’s Strategic Flood Risk
Assessment in operating this policy.

DC49 - SUSTAINABLE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION

Planning permission for major new developments will only be granted

where they are built to a high standard of sustainable construction.

Applicants for major developments will be required to produce

documentation from the Building Research Establishment to confirm
that the development will achieve a rating under the BREEAM rating
scheme (or equivalent methodology), for non-residential developments
of at least ‘Very Good’, or at least ‘Level 3’ Code for Sustainable Homes

248
 from 2008, ‘Level 4’ from 2010, ‘Level 5’ from 2013 and ‘Zero Carbon’
from 2016 for residential developments.109 110

More detailed advice to support this policy is included in the

Supplementary Planning Document on Sustainable Construction.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 This policy focuses on the application of the Building Research

Establishment’s BREEAM standard and the Code for Sustainable Homes
which provide an assessment of the sustainability of the design of a number of
uses including offices, homes, industrial units, retail units and schools. If these
assessments change in the future the appropriate replacement standards will
be used.

1.2 The BREEAM standard is a widely accepted benchmark for measuring the
environmental performance of buildings. It offers an independent assessment
of a proposal using a range of criteria for which credits attained are interpreted
in the form of an overall rating of Excellent, Very Good, Good and Fair.
BREEAM assesses the performance of buildings in the following areas:
management: overall management policy, commissioning site management
and procedural issues, energy use: operational energy and carbon dioxide
(CO2) issues, health and well-being: indoor and external issues affecting
health and well-being, pollution: air and water pollution issues, transport:
transport-related CO2 and location-related factors, land use: greenfield and
brownfield sites, ecology: ecological value conservation and enhancement of
the site materials: environmental implication of building materials, including
life-cycle impacts, water: consumption and water efficiency.

1.3 The Code for Sustainable Homes provides a comprehensive picture of the
sustainability of a new home and is based on EcoHomes. As well as energy,
the Code covers other key aspects including water, pollution, waste, materials
and ecology. The Code awards new homes a 1-6 star rating based on their
performance against 9 sustainability criteria. This policy sets out the Code
Level homes on major development sites must achieve throughout the life of
the plan.

DC50 – RENEWABLE ENERGY

Planning permission for major developments will only be granted where

the application:

• includes a formal energy assessment showing how the

development has sought to ensure that energy consumption and
carbon dioxide emissions are minimized applying the principles of
the energy hierarchy set out in the London Plan
109
British Research Establishment Environmental Assessment (BREEAM), British Research Establishment, 1990
110
Eco-Homes is the homes version of BREEAM

249
 • incorporates on-site renewable energy equipment to reduce
predicted CO2 emissions in line with regional and national policy
unless it can be fully demonstrated that such provision is not
feasible

Proposals for the development of renewable energy facilities will be

acceptable provided that their design is not detrimental to the character
of the surrounding area, there is no demonstrable harm to visual or
residential amenities or gives rise to unacceptable levels of pollution
generation. In assessing schemes, the benefits of achieving diverse and
sustainable energy supplies and reducing greenhouse effects will be
balanced against any harm arising from the development. Consideration
will also be given to the viability of installing renewable energy
generation equipment with regard to the type of development proposed
and its location, and design.

More detailed advice to support this policy is included in Supplementary

Planning Document on Sustainable Construction.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 In line with the London Energy Strategy and PPS22 ‘Renewable Energy’, this
policy requires major new development to incorporate on-site renewable
energy equipment to reduce predicted CO2 emissions by at least 20%.111. On-
site renewable technologies that can be used to meet the 20% target and
which are promoted by PPS22 include small scale renewable energy
schemes utilising technologies such as solar panels, biomass heating, small
scale wind turbines, and photovoltaic cells.

1.2 However, a major investment in decentralised smaller-scale renewable energy

regeneration will also be needed across the Borough to help achieve
London's potential, identified in the London Renewable Energy Assessment112
2001 (DTI).

1.3 As far as standalone developments are concerned, Havering already has a

number of wind turbines. National guidance makes it clear that specific sites
can only be allocated for renewable energy in plans where a developer has
already indicated an interest in the site, has confirmed that the site is viable,
and that it will be brought forward during the plan period.

IMPLEMENTATION

1.4 Applicants are recommended to consult The London Renewables Toolkit

'Integrating renewable energy into new developments: A toolkit for planners
developers and consultants’ (2004) or its planned replacement.113

111
London Energy Strategy, GLA, 2004
112
London Renewable Energy Assessment, Department of Trade and Industry, 2001
113
The London Renewables Toolkit ‘Integrating renewable energy into new developments: A toolkit for planners developers and
consultants, GLA, 2004

250
 DC51 - WATER SUPPLY, DRAINAGE AND QUALITY

Planning permission will only be granted for development which has no

adverse impact on water quality, water courses, groundwater, surface
water or drainage systems unless suitable mitigation measures can be
secured through conditions attached to the planning permission, or a
legal agreement. Where a development affects the lower reaches of the
Rivers Beam and Rom and River Ingrebourne, contributions may be
sought towards measures to improve the poor water quality in these
areas.

Applicants are required, as a minimum, to incorporate a high standard of

water efficiency which can include greywater and rainwater recycling to
help reduce water consumption.

New development must be co-ordinated and phased in line with the

provision of the appropriate utility infrastructure including adequate
water, foul drainage and sewerage treatment capacity to serve all
developments.

Developers must demonstrate that there is adequate capacity both on

and off the site to serve the development and that it would not lead to
problems for existing users.

Development or expansion of water supply or waste water facilities

necessary to serve existing or planned future development will need to
ensure that there is no adverse impact on other land uses or the
environment.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

Water supply and drainage

1.1 The Environment Agency estimates that rainwater and grey water recycling
(water butts or more complex collection and treatment systems) can reduce
household water use by up to 30%, with even greater savings for commercial
and public premises. This is an important issue because climate change could
have fundamental effects on water supply due to seasonal changes in rainfall
levels and temperature increases.

1.2 Sewerage and water supply to the proposed new homes in London Riverside
may need to be phased, and developer contributions sought to ensure that
new development is properly serviced.

251
 Water quality

1.3 The London Plan expects boroughs to seek to protect and improve water
quality to ensure that the Blue Ribbon Network114 is healthy, attractive and
offers a valuable series of habitats by directing refusal of proposals that are
likely to lead to a reduction in water quality. In 2004, river water quality
remains at fair, poor or even bad for the lower parts of the Rivers Beam/Rom
and Ingrebourne.

IMPLEMENTATION

1.4 More detailed advice to support this policy is included in the Sustainable
Construction SPD.

DC52 – AIR QUALITY

Planning permission will only be granted where new development, both

singularly or cumulatively, does not cause significant harm to air
quality, and does not cause a breach of the targets set in Havering's Air
Quality Management Area Action Plan (HAQMAAP).

A formal assessment will be required where it is suspected that a

development is likely to cause a breach of emission levels for
prescribed pollutants. Where the assessment confirms a breach,
planning permission will only be granted if suitable mitigation measures
are put in place through conditions or legal agreement.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 The whole of Havering has been designated as an Air Quality Management
Area, and by 2007 an Action Plan will have been agreed which will set out the
measures Havering intends to take to reduce levels of Nitrogen Dioxide and
fine particulate matter (PM10) to acceptable levels.

IMPLEMENTATION

1.2 The Supplementary Planning Document on Sustainable Construction includes

measures which may help mitigate airborne emissions from development
proposals. The Havering Air Quality Management Area Action Plan
(AQMAAP) also provides details on the boundary of the AQMAAP and the
objectives of this plan for the borough.

114
The London Plan, Policy 4C.1: The Strategic Importance of the Blue Ribbon Network, GLA, 2004

252
 DC53 - CONTAMINATED LAND

Planning permission for development will only be granted where both of

the following criteria are met:

• where the development is on or near a site where contamination is

known, or expected to exist, a full technical assessment of the
site’s physical stability, contamination and/or production of
landfill gas must be undertaken. Where the assessment identifies
an unacceptable risk to human health, flora or fauna or the water
environment, the applicant will be required to agree acceptable
long term remediation measures before any planning permission
is granted to ensure there is no future harm with regard to the
future use of the site. Where feasible, on-site remediation,
especially bio-remediation, is encouraged
• the development does not lead to future contamination of the land
in and around the site.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 Havering Council is receiving an increasing number of planning applications

for development on previously used land. In many cases, these sites are
affected by the presence of contamination due to historic industrial or waste
disposal processes. Contamination can affect the health of people, flora and
fauna as well as affecting the development potential of the site, however,
development presents an opportunity to remediate this.

IMPLEMENTATION

1.2 The Havering Council leaflet titled ‘Land Contamination and the Planning
Process’ provides information on what the Council requires in order to assess
if a development is suitable for the proposed use on land which is potentially
affected by contamination. This is available on the Council’s website.

1.3 Where there is a proposal to develop land which may be contaminated, it is

advisable to contact the Environmental Health Service (EHS) to discuss
potential land contamination issues before submitting a planning application.
This will determine whether a Phase I Preliminary Risk Assessment Report
and Checklist is required as part of the planning application. The document
also provides contact details for the Council’s Environmental Health Service.

1.4 For details on Bioremediation applicants should refer to the Environment

Agency’s Remedial Action Datasheets which are available on its website.
Applicants should also consider the Model Procedures for the Management of
Land Contamination, CLR 11 from the Environment Agency, which have been
developed to provide the technical framework for applying a risk management
process when dealing with land affected by contamination.

253
 DC54 - HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES

Planning permission will only be granted for developments involving

hazardous substances, or uses requiring hazardous substances
consent, where there is no unacceptable risk to occupiers, to public
health and safety, or to nature conservation. Development adjoining
areas in hazardous use, will be controlled if this would create an
unacceptable risk.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 The Planning (Hazardous Substances) Act 1990 provides for the control,
presence and/or use of hazardous sub-stances. The controls are designed to
ensure that hazardous substances can only be kept or used in significant
amounts after the responsible authorities have had the opportunity to assess
the degree of risk arising to persons in the surrounding area. Even after all
health and safety controls have been complied with, there remains a residual
risk to the surrounding area and these planning controls allow for this risk to
be assessed. In considering proposals involving hazardous materials in
development sites the Council will have regard to the advice in Circular 04/00:
Planning Controls for Hazardous Substances, which provides guidance on the
operation of the consent procedure for hazardous substances which
implement the land use planning requirements of Directive 96/92/EC, known
as the Seveso Directive.

DC55 - NOISE
Planning permission will not be granted if it will result in exposure to
noise or vibrations above acceptable levels affecting a noise sensitive
development such as all forms of residential accommodation, schools
and hospitals. Where the proposal would lead to a noise sensitive
development being located near to a noise generating activity, a formal
assessment will be required to ensure compliance with the noise
exposure categories in Planning Policy Guidance Note 24, Planning and
Noise. Planning conditions may be imposed to this effect.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 Noise pollution can have a significant effect on someone’s quality of life,
whether a householder, hospital patient, school pupil or employee. Therefore,
noise sensitive developments should be located away from existing sources of
significant noise, and potentially noisy developments located in areas where
noise will not be such an important consideration or where its impact can be
minimised.

254
 IMPLEMENTATION

1.2 A Supplementary Planning Document provides advice on Noise.

1.3 When completed, Havering’s Ambient Noise Strategy will provide useful
evidence for the application of this policy.

DC56 - LIGHT

In order to minimise the intrusion of artificial lighting, planning

permission will only be granted for development, including artificial
lighting, where it does not have a negative impact on the amenity of
residents or public safety.

Planning conditions may be used to control the level of luminance,

glare, spillage, angle, type of lighting and hours of operation.

Applicants are encouraged to use low energy lighting to limit the

disturbance to wildlife.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 Whilst artificial lighting is an effective measure in creating safe and secure
environments, and is also necessary for night-time sporting activity, it can
have adverse impacts, on wildlife, residential amenity, safety and energy
conservation. It is only where the provision of lighting involves development or
is part of a larger development scheme for which a planning application is
required that the Council can impose planning controls.

1.2 PPG17 ‘Planning for Open Space, Sport and Recreation’, provides guidance
on floodlighting, it states that in considering applications for floodlighting, local
authorities should ensure that local amenity is protected. It also states that the
impact on the openness of the Green Belt or on the character of the
countryside, of floodlight towers should be a key factor in determining whether
planning permission should be granted

IMPLEMENTATION

1.3 The Government has produced guidance ‘Lighting in the Countryside: towards
good practice.’ The advice is applicable in towns as well as the countryside
and will be used as part of assessing planning applications.

255
 DC57 - RIVER RESTORATION

Parts of the Rivers Beam and Ingrebourne have been identified by the
‘Bringing Your Rivers Back to Life’ strategy, as rivers which could
benefit from restoration. However, other Havering rivers could also
benefit from restoration, including the Rom, the Ravensbourne, the
Warley, the Weald Bank and Paines Brook.

Where sites are located in close proximity to a river, the Council will in
appropriate circumstances seek river restoration and/or financial
contributions towards the restoration of rivers. In particular the Council
will seek where appropriate:

• improvements to the River Ingrebourne, including full river

restoration, the restoration of banks and in-channel habitat
enhancement
• improvements to the River Beam, including full river restoration,
in channel habitat enhancement the restoration of river banks, the
removal of structures (e.g. weirs), deculverting and river channel
restoration
• improvements to the River Rom, including in-channel habitat
enhancement
• improvements to the Weald Bank and the Ravensbourne, in the
form of full river restoration.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 The ‘Bringing Your Rivers Back to Life’ strategy promotes river restoration in
Havering and other boroughs. River restoration can improve the quality of a
river and its surrounding area environmentally, socially and economically by
attracting visitors, biodiversity and businesses to the area and helps enhance
the Blue Ribbon Network as set out in the London Plan. 115

DC58 - BIODIVERSITY AND GEODIVERSITY

Biodiversity and geodiversity will be protected and enhanced
throughout the borough by:

• protecting and enhancing Sites of Special Scientific Interest, and

all sites of Metropolitan, Borough or Local Importance for Nature
Conservation as identified in Protecting the Borough’s
Biodiversity SPD, and shown on the Proposals Map. Planning
permission for development that adversely affects any of these
sites will not be granted unless the economic or social benefits of
the proposals clearly outweigh the nature conservation

115
Bringing Your Rivers Back to Life: a Strategy for Restoring Rivers in North London, Environment Agency, February 2006

256
 importance of the site and only then if adequate mitigation can be
provided and no alternative site is available
• not granting planning permissions which would adversely affect
priority species/habitats identified in either the London or
Havering Biodiversity Action Plans unless the economic or social
benefits of the proposals clearly outweigh the nature conservation
importance of the site and only then if adequate mitigation
measures to secure the protection of the species/habitat can be
provided and no alternative site is available
• protecting and promoting the linking of habitats via the wildlife
corridors shown in figure 4 (page 83)
• protecting the individual quality and character of, and promoting
access to, each Countryside Conservation Area shown on the
Proposals Map
• protecting and enhancing the biodiversity of the Blue Ribbon
Network including rivers and their associated corridors.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 Biodiversity consists of the rich diversity of flora and fauna which form a
critical part of the earth’s ecosystem which humans are a part of and depend
on. Biodiversity brings other benefits too. It can be important in flood
protection, help ameliorate pollution, and can also be important to the local
economy. It is important that biodiversity is protected and enhanced. The
London Biodiversity Action Plan, Havering’s Biodiversity Action Plan and the
GLA’s Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation in Havering provide a
wealth of information on biodiversity which is particularly rich within Havering.

1.2 The London Riverside Conservation Park which is included as a Site Specific
Allocation and part of which is already designated as a nature reserve, is
forecast to attract over half a million visitors a year when complete. Similarly,
the Thames Chase is rich in biodiversity and provides an important asset in
Havering’s urban fringe and opportunities for enhancement are included in the
Thames Chase Plan. As part of the survey of the Borough, the GLA identified
three Countryside Conservation Areas which are broad tracts of land where
more traditional landscape predominates and there is a high wildlife interest.

1.3 When implementing the policy in respect of species/habitats, reference will be

made to the UK, London, and Havering Biodiversity Action Plans.

1.4 The rivers in the borough and their associated corridors are, in the most part,
included either in wildlife corridors, SSSIs, Local Nature Reserves or other
sites of nature conservation interest. The London Plan stresses the
importance of a valuable series of habitats known as the Blue Ribbon
Network. The Council will seek to protect and enhance the biodiversity of this
network by implementing policy 4C.3 of the London Plan.

1.5 However, biodiversity is not confined to major sites and the countryside. It is
also present in private gardens and street trees provide important habitats.

257
 Previously developed land or “brownfield land” may also have biodiversity
interest. Therefore, policy should not just be concerned about ensuring new
development does not harm biodiversity it can actually represent an
opportunity to add to it.

IMPLEMENTATION

1.6 Protecting the Borough’s Biodiversity SPD provides more detailed guidance
on:

• Countryside Conservation Areas

• Wildlife corridors
• Priority habitats and species

258
Figure 4 – Wildlife Corridors in Havering

259
 DC59 - BIODIVERSITY IN NEW DEVELOPMENTS

Enhancements to biodiversity and geodiversity will be sought, in line

with London and Havering Biodiversity Action Plan targets, as an
integral part of new development.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 Planning Policy Statement 9, Biodiversity and Geological Conservation, 2005,

has, as a key principle, the promotion of opportunities for the incorporation of
beneficial biodiversity and geological features within the design of
development.

1.2 Even small scale developments can increase habitat and benefit biodiversity,
for example, by the planting of a single tree or the provision of bird/bat boxes.
The opportunities are much greater on larger sites and include, for example,
buffer zones to watercourses, planting of native species trees and shrubs,
sustainable urban drainage schemes and green roofs.

1.3 The Havering Biodiversity Action Plan identifies action plans for various
species and habitats in the borough. This will be a useful guide in deciding
how new developments can best contribute to enhancing biodiversity.

IMPLEMENTATION

1.4 Protecting the Borough’s Biodiversity SPD provides more detailed guidance
on measures to enhance biodiversity in development schemes.

DC60 – TREES AND WOODLANDS

The amenity and biodiversity value afforded by trees and

woodland will be protected and improved by:

• where appropriate, retaining trees of nature conservation and

amenity value and making tree preservation orders
• ensuring that adequate measures are put in place when granting
planning permission to protect trees during construction works
• supporting the implementation of the Thames Chase Plan and
ensuring that, development within the area makes a positive
contribution towards its implementation
• not granting planning permission for development that would
adversely affect ancient and secondary woodland.

260
 REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 Havering is fortunate in having not only a large number of woodlands but also
a large number of trees or small groups of trees interspersed within the built
environment. This is particularly so in Harold Hill, Gidea Park and Emerson
Park. Woodlands and trees make an important contribution to visual amenity,
biodiversity and, in some cases, provide recreation opportunities. Many
copses in particular ancient woodland and secondary woodland are protected
as either Sites of Special Scientific Interest or of Metropolitan or Local
Importance.

1.2 Part of the borough is in the Thames Chase area and this has resulted in the
creation of new woodlands as well as other new planting including
hedgerows. Thames Chase will continue to add to the tree cover of the
Borough in future years.

IMPLEMENTATION

1.3 The SPD on the Protection of Trees during Development provides more detail
on the implementation of this policy.

1.4 Where appropriate planning conditions will be imposed on planning

permissions to ensure the protection of trees of amenity value while
development takes place.

1.5 Tree preservation orders may be made on individual trees, groups of trees,
areas of trees, hedges or woodlands which contribute to the character of the
area and are of public amenity value.

1.6 The quality of existing trees will be assessed against the current British
Standard.

261
262
 DESIGN

DC61 - URBAN DESIGN

Planning permission will only be granted for development which

maintains, enhances or improves the character and appearance of the
local area. Development must therefore:

• harness the topographical and ecological character of the site,

including the retention of existing trees and landscape features
while providing appropriate landscaping
• respond to distinctive local building forms and patterns of
development and respect the scale, massing and height of the
surrounding physical context
• complement or improve the amenity and character of the area
through its appearance, materials used, layout and integration
with surrounding land and buildings
• provide structure by utilising and protecting existing views,
vistas, panoramas and landmarks and creating new ones;
• reinforce, define and embrace the street and create natural
surveillance by ensuring streets and open spaces are overlooked
• create or enhance and clearly define the public and private realms
and ensure these are free of clutter and easily accessible
• meet the needs of all people of all ages
• be designed and oriented around the needs of pedestrians,
cyclists and connectivity to the public transport network
• be durable, flexible and adaptable.

Where necessary, applications for planning permission must be

accompanied by a design and access statement which addresses the
guidance in Circular 1/2006. 116

Planning permission will not be granted where the proposal:

• results in unacceptable overshadowing, loss of sunlight/daylight,

overlooking or loss of privacy to existing and new properties and
has unreasonable adverse effects on the environment by reason
of noise impact, hours of operation, vibration and fumes between
and within developments; or
• prejudices the satisfactory development of adjoining land and/or
the development of the surrounding area as a whole.

116
Circular 01/06 Guidance on Changes to the Development Control System, Communities and Local Government, 2006

263
 REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 Havering is an attractive borough, with a diverse urban, suburban and rural
character. For example, Romford town centre is a bustling centre with big
buildings and a variety of different uses. The sort of development which would
work in the heart of Romford town centre would not be appropriate, for
example, in the heart of Havering-atte-Bower which is a loose collection of
one and two storey houses around a traditional village green in a rural setting.
Therefore, the need for new developments to be responsive to the
circumstances of their site and the surrounding environment is very important
in Havering. New development represents an opportunity to improve the
quality of the environment and this policy is focused on ensuring this. In line
with ‘By Design’117 this policy includes performance criteria rather than
standards which encourage creative solutions to what are often complex
brownfield urban development sites.

IMPLEMENTATION

1.2 Further detail is provided in the Residential Amenity Space SPD which
provides guidance on amenity space standards, sunlight/daylight criteria and
privacy/overlooking.

1.3 The Residential Extensions and Alterations SPD sets out guidance for
householders planning to extend or alter their home.

DC62 - ACCESS

Planning permission for public buildings and toilets or places which

provide a service including places of work, places of education, shops,
restaurants, community buildings, health, education, culture, the arts,
leisure including tourist, sport play and youth facilities will not be
granted unless a high standard of inclusive access for employees and
visiting members of the public is provided.

Where necessary, applications for planning permission will not be

entertained unless accompanied by a design and access statement.118
This should include how the specific needs of disabled people have
been integrated into the proposed development and how inclusion will
be maintained and managed.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 Access is a major issue in Havering because of the high proportion of older
people in the borough, the relatively high number of households containing

117
By Design, Urban Design in the Planning System, ODPM, 2000
118
Statutory Instrument 2006 No. 1062 The Town and Country Planning (General Development Procedure) (Amendment)
(England) Order 2006

264
 someone with a physical disability and the forecast increase in the numbers of
very young and very old. Inclusive design is based on the social model of
disability, as it focuses on the design of the environment not on an individual’s
impairment. An inclusive environment is one that can be used by everyone,
regardless of age, gender or disability. To achieve this the needs of all user
groups need to be considered at the beginning of the design process.

1.2 The Disability Discrimination Act119 (DDA) places a statutory duty on the
providers of goods and services to ensure equality of access for persons with
disabilities. As a consequence, all new public buildings must be designed to
be accessible to all members of the community. These requirements are
enforced through the Building Regulations (Part M).120 In line with the Mayor
of London’s SPG on Accessible Environments this policy aims to achieve
inclusive design and encourage developments that can be used easily by as
many people as possible without undue separation or special treatment, offer
the freedom to choose and the ability to participate equally in the
development’s mainstream activities. 121

IMPLEMENTATION

1.3 When preparing Access Statements applicants should consider the contents
of the Mayor of London’s SPG and the Disability Rights Commission guide to
Access Statements. 122

DC63 – DELIVERING SAFER PLACES

Planning permission will only be granted for proposals which:

• ensure that footway frontages, bus stops, publicly accessible

spaces, open space or other transport interchanges are
overlooked
• are designed with management and maintenance in mind, to
discourage crime in the present and in the future
• have well defined routes, spaces and entrances that provide
convenient movement without compromising security
• are structured so that different uses do not cause conflict
• promote a sense of ownership, respect, territorial responsibility
and community
• where necessary include well-designed security features
• generate a level of human activity that is appropriate to the
location and creates a reduced risk of crime and sense of safety at
all times.

119
Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), 1995 and new provisions to the act
120
The Building Regulations 1999, Approved Document M Access and Facilities for Disabled People
121
Accessible London: Achieving an Inclusive Environment Supplementary Planning Document, GLA, 2004
122
Disability Rights Commission

265
 In addressing these criteria applicants are required to adopt the
principles and practices of ‘Secured by Design’ Award Scheme. 123

Where appropriate, the Council will consider imposing community

safety conditions or seek contributions via legal agreements for crime
prevention through environmental design or community safety
initiatives, improved street lighting, alley gating, taxi marshalling
schemes, provision of CCTV, or late-night bus services.

More detail on the implementation of this policy is provided in

Supplementary Planning Document on Designing for Safer Places.

Planning applications requiring a design and access statement must

demonstrate how crime prevention measures have been considered in
the design of the proposed development and how it reflects the
attributes of ‘Safer Places’.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 Sustainable communities are communities which succeed economically,

socially and environmentally, and respect the needs of future generations.
They are well-designed places where people feel safe and secure; where
crime and disorder, or the fear of crime, does not undermine the quality of life
or community cohesion. Crime is a very important issue locally. When
surveyed in 2004, 82% of residents said low levels of crime is one of the most
important things in making an area a good place to live.

1.2 ‘Safer Places’ promotes the importance of safety and security in design,
which is essential to successful sustainable communities.124 Seven attributes
of sustainable communities that are particularly relevant to crime prevention
are central to the guide. These are not intended to be prescriptive or a set of
rules to be applied to all situations, but should be considered as prompts to
the application of crime prevention through environmental design and
promoting community safety.

1.3 This policy is in line with national and regional planning guidance which
places design at the centre of the planning process; these include PPS1125,
PPS3126, PPS6127, PPG13128 and PPG17129. The Crime and Disorder Act130
also places a duty on the local authority to do all that it can reasonably, to
prevent crime and disorder in the area.

123
Secured By Design, Police Initiative, 2004 [Link]
124
Safer Places, ODPM, 2004
125
Planning Policy Statement 1, Delivering Sustainable Development, ODPM - 2005
126
Planning Policy Statement 3 Housing CLG 2006
127
Planning Policy Guidance 6 Planning for Town Centres, ODPM, 2005
128
Planning Policy Guidance 13 Transport, ODPM, 2001
129
Planning Policy Guidance 17 Planning for Open Space, Sport and Recreation, ODPM , 2002
130
The Crime and Disorder Act , Section 17, HMSO , 1998

266
1.4 Developers, designers and those seeking planning permission should enter
into discussions with a range of interested parties before the application is
submitted, including the Havering Police Borough Crime Prevention Design
Advisor (CPDA).

IMPLEMENTATION

1.5 The Havering CPDA is available for free advice on how applicants can
achieve the ‘Secured by Design’ standard. The borough CPDA is currently
seconded to the local Council on a full time basis.

1.6 The Metropolitan Police Property Service will be directly consulted on major
planning applications to enable them to identify scope for meeting their
property requirements.

1.7 Where crime prevention or the fear of crime is material to a proposed

development, the Council will seek community safety conditions to secure
measures which will help to reduce the possibility of crime. In cases where it
is either inappropriate or simply not possible to impose a valid condition,
informatives on planning permissions drawing the applicant’s attention to
particular guidance on crime prevention or to technical publications that deal
with security measures will be used. Where appropriate, the CPDA will be
consulted with in the discharging of conditions.

DC64 - TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Planning permission for telecommunications development will only be

granted where:

• it does not have an unacceptable effect on the character and

appearance of the surrounding area or in other respects
unacceptably harm the amenity of occupiers of neighbouring sites
• the proposal is sufficiently screened, it has no undue effect on the
skyline, the height of the proposal is acceptable in relation to the
existing topography and it does not cause an adverse effect on
local conservation value
• the applicant has demonstrated the significance of, and need for
the proposal as part of a national network
• the applicant has demonstrated that the proposal is the least
environmentally intrusive option of all technically feasible
alternatives, including those of sharing a mast or site, using an
alternative location or using an existing building or structure
• a statement is provided with mobile phone base station
applications stating compliance with the ICNIRP131 (International

131
Guidelines for Limiting Exposure to Time -Varying Electric, Magnetic, and Electromagnetic Fields (up to 300 GHz)
International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) Guidelines

267
 Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection) guidelines for
public exposure

Careful consideration will be given to proposals with regard to the

Green Belt, Conservation Areas and Listed Buildings where the
architectural quality of the buildings, townscapes and landscapes may
be particularly sensitive to the intrusion of badly sited and designed
telecommunications equipment.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 The Council recognises the need for telecommunications equipment to

support, business and domestic needs. At the same time it also needs to
ensure its environmental impact and impact on the character of an area/or
building is minimised. Planning Policy Guidance Note 8 132 (PPG8)
Telecommunications seeks to balance these needs. The purpose of this
policy would, therefore, be to reconcile these two competing factors.

1.2 It should be noted that some smaller satellite dishes and other minor
telecommunications development are permitted under the Town and Country
Planning General Permitted Development Order133 (GPDO) 1995 (as
amended) and so do not require planning permission. However, planning
permission for such developments may be required in Conservation Areas
and areas that are subject to Article 4 directions.

IMPLEMENTATION

1.3 Applicants should refer to PPG8 Telecommunications and Government

guidance in Mobile Phone Network Development: Code of Best Practice.

1.4 For the siting of satellite television antennas, applicants should refer to ‘A
Householder's Planning Guide for the Installation of Antennas including
Satellite Television Dishes’134.

DC65 - ADVERTISEMENTS

Express consent for advertisements will only be granted if:

• they complement the scale, form and architectural composition of

individual buildings
• they are by size, design, siting and degree of illumination in
character with the surrounding area and the buildings they are on

132
Planning Policy Guidance 8, Telecommunications, ODPM, 2001
133
Statutory Instrument 2001 No. 2718, The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Amendment)
(England) Order 2001
134
A Householder's Planning Guide for the Installation of Antennas including Satellite Dishes, 2005, ODPM

268
 • when displayed on a paved forecourt, or in a pedestrianised area,
their dimensions are in scale with other street furniture and
should not be overwhelming upon pedestrians in the area
• when they are displayed on buildings, or as free-standing units
alongside the highway, they should be related to the scale of
surrounding buildings and have regard to the symmetry or
architectural features of their location
• they do not materially harm the visual amenity in the area
• they do not unduly compromise public safety or pose a hazard to
traffic.

Advertisements above fascia level are unlikely to be acceptable since

they tend to form an excessively prominent and incongruous feature in
the street scene.

Illuminated advertisements within predominantly residential areas will

only be granted where they comply with all of the following criteria:

• the letters only are internally illuminated or, alternatively, the

advertisement is externally spot lit
• the hours of illumination are limited to 07.00 to 21.00 hours or the
hours during which the business premises are open for trading,
whichever are the longer
• projecting box signs are positioned at or below existing facia
height, subject to a minimum clearance of 2.1m (7ft), a maximum
projection of 0.9m (3ft) and are not deeper than the existing facia
and in any case no deeper than 0.9m (3ft)
• do not materially affect the amenities of neighbouring residential
properties.

All of the borough’s Conservation Areas and the Green Belt are defined
as Areas of Special Control for Advertisements.

Applications for poster sites will be determined with regard to the

criteria contained in Annex A of PPG19.135

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 This policy covers fascia signs and projecting signs, large advertising
hoardings, freestanding illuminated adverts and smaller poster panels.

1.2 It is accepted that there is a need for advertising on commercial premises.

However, such material must be limited if adverts are not to dominate
buildings or detract from the appearance of the location. This can be
particularly detrimental to the character of Conservation Areas and the Green
Belt and for this reason all of the borough’s Conservation Areas and the Green
Belt are defined as Areas of Special Control for Advertisements. Within Areas
135
Planning Policy Guidance 19, Outdoor Advertisement Control, ODPM, 1992

269
 of Special Control there are further restrictions on the type, height and size of
signs that can be displayed without express consent from the Council.

1.3 For illuminated advertisements, the Council will have regard to standards
recommended by the Institute of Lighting Engineers.

1.4 Excessive number of advertisements and signs in close proximity can lead to
visual chaos and clutter in the street scene. The Council wishes to avoid this
by restricting the number of advertisements and signs to a level appropriate to
the character of the area.

IMPLEMENTATION

1.5 Applicants should consult the Government guide titled, ‘Outdoor

advertisements and signs: a guide for advertisers’, to find out if their
application requires advertisement consent. 136

1.6 Applicants should refer to the Havering Conservation Areas: Shopfront Design
Guide SPD which encourages high standards of shop front design within all
Conservation Areas in Havering.

1.7 Applicants should also refer to the Institute of Lighting Engineers Technical
Report No 5 on Brightness of Illuminated Advertisements137, which will be
used by the Council to assess and condition the extent of illumination. This is
to ensure that the illumination is of a level which will not materially affect the
amenities of neighbouring residential properties.

DC66 - TALL BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES

Buildings or structures of 6 storeys or greater, or above 18 metres in

height above ground level, will normally only be granted planning
permission in Romford Town Centre.

Policy on tall buildings will be contained in the Romford Town Centre

Area Action Plan. In exceptional circumstances tall buildings may be
granted planning permission outside of Romford Town Centre provided
that they:

• create an attractive landmark building which would clearly

improve the legibility of the area for example at key gateway
locations or are clustered with other buildings of a similar scale
and massing and raise the cluster’s quality or coherence
• preserve or enhance the natural environment, the historic
environment, local amenity and the local character of the area

136
Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions and the Welsh Assembly for Wales, Outdoor Advetisements
and Signs: A Guide for Advertisers
137
Institute of Lighting Engineers, Technical Report No5 on Brightness of Illuminated Advertisements, 2001

270
 • act as a catalyst for regeneration
• preserve or enhance views from Havering Ridge
• do not mar the skyline
• do not have a significant adverse impact on the amenity of nearby
occupiers
• are appropriate to the local transport infrastructure and capacity
in the area.

All tall buildings should be of exemplary high quality and inclusive

design and, in particular, they must:

• ensure that the proposed density is suited to the site and to the
wider context in terms of proportion, composition, relationship to
other buildings, streets, public and private open spaces, the
waterways or other townscape elements
• be attractive city elements as viewed from all angles and where
appropriate contribute to an interesting skyline
• create a well-defined public realm with a human scale, with
continuity of frontage and accessible entrances from street level
• be sensitive to their impact on micro-climates in terms of wind,
sun, reflection and overshadowing
• contain internal spaces, which do not become redundant over
time and can easily adapt to changing social, technological and
economic conditions
• be oriented and profiled taking into account the potential negative
impact on aircraft, navigation and telecommunications networks.

Tall buildings are not always necessary to achieve high density

development; a tall building will, therefore, only be acceptable where
there is a clear reason to have one.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 The Mayor of London defines a tall building as a building which is significantly
taller than its surroundings and/or has a significant impact on the skyline and
is larger than the threshold sizes set for the referral of planning applications to
the Mayor, which is 30 metres. However, the Mayor allows boroughs to set
locally based thresholds for tall buildings. The London Borough of Havering is
typically characterised by 2-3 storey suburban development even within the
major district centres, and a scattering of 10 storey and above buildings or
structures. There is very little development in between these heights.
Consequently, the tall buildings there are in Havering tend to feature
prominently on the skyline and there is little or no gradation of scale.

1.2 The biggest concentration of tall buildings is in Romford Town Centre, which
includes The Axis, Romford Brewery Chimney, St Andrew’s Church, Thomas
England House and William Park House, South Street Telephone Exchange,
Mercury House and North House. Even here, for example along South Street
and Victoria Road, much development is two or three storeys high. Outside of

271
 Romford Town Centre tall buildings tend to either be residential tower blocks
or churches. Examples include Highfield Tower (Collier Row), Perry, Templar,
Mardyke, Roman and Chantry Houses (Mardyke), St Andrew's Church
Hornchurch, Dryden and Kipling Towers (Harold Hill) and Haynes Park Courts
(Hornchurch). These demonstrate the importance of having a clear policy on
where tall buildings should be located and how they should be designed.

1.3 The Council considers that in Havering a tall building or structure is one which
is 6 storeys or 18 metres or more above ground level. Buildings or structures
of this height are likely only to be acceptable in Romford Town Centre.
Romford Town Centre is that area covered by the Romford Area Action Plan.
Where, exceptionally, a tall building is considered acceptable outside
Romford Town Centre the criteria in this policy must be satisfied. The criteria
within the policy are modelled on those set out in the London Plan. Policy
4B.8 promotes the development of tall buildings where they create attractive
landmarks, are of high quality and inclusive design, enhance London’s
character, and help to create economic clusters or act as a catalyst for
regeneration. 138 The criteria also have regard to criteria for evaluation within
the Joint CABE/English Heritage publication ‘Design Guidance for Tall
Buildings’.139

1.4 Tall buildings can be a method of achieving high densities; however, as

recognised by the Urban Task Force Report (1999) it is equally clear that tall
buildings are not necessary to provide high density accommodation. There
are significant advantages in adopting a low or medium rise approach to
achieving the same level of density. A medium rise perimeter block has
several distinct advantages over a single block standing in the middle of an
open space. A tall building is, therefore, only acceptable where there is a
clear reason for having one, which the applicant should highlight.

138
Policy 4B.8, Tall Buildings Location, The London Plan, 2004
139
Guidance for Tall Buildings, Para 4.6, CABE/English Heritage 2003

272
 HERITAGE

DC67 – BUILDINGS OF HERITAGE INTEREST

Planning permission involving Listed Buildings or their setting will only

be allowed where:

• it does not involve the demolition of a Listed Building

• it does not adversely affect a Listed Building or its setting

A change of use which is contrary to other Development Control

policies may be considered more favourably if it is necessary in the
interests of conserving a Listed Building.

When dealing with planning applications the Council will also take into
account the contribution that other buildings of historical and/or
architectural interest make to heritage.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 The Council has a statutory duty to protect buildings and structures of special
architectural or historic interest. These buildings are important for the positive
contribution they make to the character of an area. They are appreciated and
valued by the public as established and tangible evidence of the past,
providing a sense of permanence and belonging and a historic perspective
with which to approach today’s development opportunities. The retention and
conservation of these buildings is, therefore, very important and a wide range
of suitable and viable uses should be considered to secure their future. There
are also over 200 buildings of local historical and/or architectural interest in
the borough and account will be taken of their contribution to the heritage
when dealing with planning applications

IMPLEMENTATION

1.2 The Heritage SPD will identify all of the buildings to which this policy will
apply.

273
 DC68 – CONSERVATION AREAS

The character or appearance of Conservation Areas will be preserved or

enhanced. Planning permission for development within a Conservation
Area will only be granted where:

• It does not involve the demolition of a building that makes a

positive contribution to the character or appearance of the area
• It preserves or enhances the character or appearance of the
Conservation Area and is well designed
• It does not involve the loss of trees which contribute towards the
character or appearance of the Conservation Area
• In the case of Gidea Park Conservation Area, it ensures that all
subdivision of plots particularly within the 1911 Exhibition and
Competition housing areas result in plot sizes similar to those of
surrounding properties.

The revision of boundaries of existing Conservation Areas and the

designation of additional Conservation Areas will be based on the
Heritage SPD.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 Planning Policy Guidance Note 15 says that plans should set out an
authority's broad criteria for the designation of new conservation areas and for
the review of existing conservation area boundaries; and, where possible,
which particular areas are in mind for both. However, the detailed definition
or revision of boundaries, and formulation of proposals for individual
conservation areas should be pursued separately from the local plan process
itself.

1.2 Currently, there are nine Conservation Areas in Havering which cover 3.5% of
the Borough's area. The Council is currently carrying out appraisals of the
nine existing Conservation Areas. These appraisals will reconsider the
boundaries as well a setting out approaches to dealing with planning
applications. This work will be fed into the Heritage Strategy SPD which will
include criteria for reviewing existing Conservation Area boundaries and for
identifying additional Conservation Areas. Any changes will need to be
subject to further investigation and public consultation before any
designations can be made under the relevant sections of the Planning Acts.

IMPLEMENTATION

1.3 The Heritage Supplementary Planning Document will build on the work of the
Conservation Area appraisals and set the criteria for designating
Conservation Areas and will identify possible new Conservation Areas and
amendments to the boundaries of existing designated areas.

274
1.4 Criteria for judging applications in the Gidea Park Conservation Area are
included in the Gidea Park SPD. More detailed advice criteria for judging
applications in other specific Conservation Areas will either be included in the
Heritage SPD or in separate SPDs. Applicants for shop fronts should also
consult the Havering Conservation Area Shop Front Design Guide SPD.

DC69 - OTHER AREAS OF SPECIAL TOWNSCAPE OR

LANDSCAPE CHARACTER

Planning permission will only be granted if it maintains, or enhances,

the special character of:

• the Emerson Park Policy Area which is typified by large and

varied dwellings set in spacious mature, well landscaped grounds
• the Hall Lane Policy Area which is typified by large detached and
semi-detached dwellings set in large gardens with considerable
tree and shrub planting
• the Gidea Park Special Character Area which is derived from the
quality of its urban design and architectural detailing and also its
locally important heritage and historical associations.

Detailed criteria for dealing with planning applications in these areas will
be contained within three separate SPDs.

The Council will also seek to preserve the special character of Havering
Ridge including protecting views to and from the area.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 There are certain parts of the Borough which, whilst not Conservation Areas,
have special and unique characters which add to the townscape and
landscape quality of the Borough.

1.2 The Council has operated policies aimed at preserving the spacious character
of the Emerson Park and Hall Lane, Upminster residential areas for around
thirty years. This has helped to maintain the special character of these areas.
In addition, these areas contain a critical stock of large family and ‘executive
homes’ which have helped promote the Borough as a good business location.

1.3 The Gidea Park Special Character Area has been designated because of the
quality of its urban design, architectural detailing and locally important heritage
associations.

1.4 Havering Ridge in the north of the Borough was recognised by the former
London Planning Advisory Committee as an Area of Special Character
because of its skyline character and the panoramic views it affords of Central
London. It has also been identified by English Heritage as an Area of Heritage

275
 Land for its combined intrinsic value for landscape, historic and nature
conservation interest. Even if a development is generally acceptable in terms
of Green Belt policy, the Council will ensure that any development has regard
to the special character of the area.

IMPLEMENTATION

1.5 Detailed criteria for dealing with applications in the Emerson Park and
Hall Lane Special Policy Areas and Gidea Park Special Character Area will
be contained in separate SPDs.

DC70 – ARCHAEOLOGY AND ANCIENT MONUMENTS

The Council will ensure that the archaeological significance of sites is

taken into account when making planning decisions and will take
appropriate measures to safeguard that interest. Planning permission
will only be granted where satisfactory provision is made in appropriate
cases for preservation and recording of archaeological remains in situ
or through excavation. Where nationally important archaeological
remains exist there will be a presumption in favour of their physical
preservation. Particular care will need to be taken when dealing with
applications in archaeological 'hotspots' where there is a greater
likelihood of finding remains.

Planning permission will not be granted for development which

adversely affects the three Ancient Monuments in the Borough or their
settings.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 Archaeological sites of interest and their settings and Ancient Monuments are
irreplaceable and, therefore, it is important that policy seeks their protection,
enhancement and preservation for the benefit of current and future
generations. There are three scheduled Ancient Monuments in Havering, the
14th Century Upminster Hall Barn or Tithe Barn in Hall Lane Upminster, the
moated site at Dagnam Park and the Roman Road across Romford golf
course.

1.2 The archaeological ‘hotspots’, which are areas that have a greater potential
for containing remains, will be shown in the Heritage SPD. They are divided
into Archaeological Priority Areas where important archaeology can be
expected and Archaeological Priority Zones where there is a potential need
for archaeological consideration and consultation with English Heritage. The
identification of these areas is as a guide to the existence of or potential for
archaeological remains being present and each particular application should
be dealt with on a case by case basis.

276
 IMPLEMENTATION

1.3 Archaeological hotspots will be defined in Heritage SPD.

DC71 - OTHER HISTORIC LANDSCAPES

The character of historic parks and Common Land will be protected or

enhanced giving particular attention to the protection of views to and
from common land and other historic landscapes.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 National policy in Planning Policy Statement 9, Biodiversity and Geological

Conservation, 2005, says that registered parks and gardens should be
protected whilst there are laws which protect Common Land. There are over
50 historic parks and gardens in the Borough. The largest area of Common
Land in Havering is Upminster/Tylers Common (which also includes land on
the highway verges of nearby roads). One of the features of Upminster/Tylers
Common is the pleasant views from it over the surrounding countryside.
Views from the surrounding area including the footpath and bridleway system
are also important. The Village Green at Havering-Atte-Bower is also
Common Land and is a focus of the village and Conservation Area and
provides a fine setting for the Church and other listed buildings.

IMPLEMENTATION

1.2 The historic parks and gardens will be identified in the Heritage SPD. This will
also contain criteria aimed at keeping to a minimum the number of accesses
over Common Land in Tomkyns Lane, Nags Head Lane and Warley Road and
ensuring that any new access has the minimum adverse impact on the
character of the Common Land.

277
278
PLANNING OBLIGATIONS
DC72 - PLANNING OBLIGATIONS

In order to ensure that new development is in line with the principles of

sustainable development as set out in the Core Policies and
Development Control Policies one or more of the following or other
items, may be sought in connection with a planning application
approval where they satisfy all the tests set out in Circular 05/05.

Places to Live
Affordable housing (DC6)

Places to work
Training programmes and employment support, and access to
employment schemes including the provision of premises in
appropriate locations (CP3 and DC13)

Town Centres
Qualitative improvements to town centres (CP4)

Culture
Qualitative improvements in Hornchurch Town Centre (CP6)
Improvements to the quality and quantity of open space, recreation and
leisure facilities (CP7, DC18 and DC21)
Implementation of the Green Chain network, London Outer Orbital Path,
the Green Arc, Thames Chase and Green Grid (DC22)
Public Art (DC25)

Community Needs
Education facilities (DC29)
Community facilities (CP8 and DC30)

Transport
Improvements to public transport accessibility and capacity and other
transport infrastructure (CP10)
Improvements to conditions for walking (DC34)
Improvements to conditions for cycling (DC35)
Road improvements (DC32)

Waste Management
Waste recycling facilities (DC40)

Environmental Management
Provision of on-site renewable energy equipment (DC50)
Mitigating the impact of development on air quality (DC52)
Mitigating the impact of development on water quality, water courses,
groundwater, surface water and/or drainage system (DC51)
Restoration of rivers (DC57)

279
 Enhancements to biodiversity and geodiversity (DC59)

Heritage
Preservation or enhancement of historic assets (CP18)

Design
Measures to achieve safer environments (DC63)

For developments which are determined by the London Thames

Gateway Development Corporation (LTGDC) the LTGDC Planning
Obligations Community Benefit Strategy will be applied.

REASONED JUSTIFICATION

1.1 “Planning obligations (or ‘s106 agreements’) are private agreements

negotiated, usually in the context of planning applications, between local
planning authorities and persons with an interest in a piece of land (or
‘developers’), and intended to make acceptable development which would
otherwise be unacceptable in planning terms” (Circular 05/05, Para B3140).

1.2 Circular 05/05 states that planning obligations may be used to ensure that
development is in line with the objectives of sustainable development. This
policy lists the areas where the Council or other bodies may enter into an
agreement to ensure the principles of sustainable development as set out in
the Core Strategy and Development Control Policies DPD are met. The list of
obligations in this policy therefore is not exclusive, and other obligations may
be sought where they are necessary to achieve sustainable development,
these may be set out in other DPDs including the Romford Area Action Plan
and the Joint Waste Plan.

1.3 In line with Circular 05/05, paragraph B5 agreements will only be entered into
where the following tests are met:

• Relevant to planning
• Necessary to make the proposed development acceptable in
planning terms
• Directly related to the proposed development
• Fairly and reasonably related in scale and kind to the proposed
development
• Reasonable in all other respects

1.4 Due to the special requirements for infrastructure to enable the development
of the Thames Gateway area, this policy aims to ensure that all development
makes an appropriate contribution financially or in kind towards the
infrastructure that needs to be provided. Funding from planning obligations will
form a relatively small part of the overall funding required for this
infrastructure. The LTGDC will use other funding streams and its influence to

140
Circular 05/05: Planning Obligations, Department of the Environment Circular, 2005.

280
 ensure that infrastructure is brought forward, so that the regeneration of the
area can be achieved. This approach has been developed in consultation with
the Communities and Local Government Department. As such it forms part of
the Department’s drive to look for and develop innovative funding
mechanisms. Accordingly in London Riverside the current LTGDC Planning
Obligations Community Benefit Strategy will be applied.

IMPLEMENTATION

1.5 Supplementary Planning Guidance on Planning Obligations, Educational

Needs Generated by New Development, London Riverside, Hornchurch
Centre, Heritage, Affordable Housing, Protecting the Borough’s Biodiversity
and Havering Conservation Areas and the Shopfront Guide all provide
additional guidance on planning obligations.

281
282
12 List of Policies
Development Control Policies

Places to Live

DC1 LOSS OF HOUSING 183

DC2 HOUSING MIX AND DENSITY 183
DC3 HOUSING DESIGN AND LAYOUT 186
DC4 CONVERSIONS TO RESIDENTIAL AND 187
SUBDIVISION OF RESIDENTIAL USES
DC5 SPECIALIST ACCOMMODATION 189
DC6 AFFORDABLE HOUSING 190
DC7 LIFETIME HOMES AND MOBILITY HOUSING 192
DC8 GYPSIES AND TRAVELLERS 193

Places to Work

DC9 STRATEGIC INDUSTRIAL LOCATIONS 195

DC10 SECONDARY EMPLOYMENT AREAS 196
DC11 NON-DESIGNATED SITES 197
DC12 OFFICES 197
DC13 ACCESS TO EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES 198
DC14 HOTELS 199

Town Centres

DC15 LOCATING RETAIL AND SERVICE 201

DEVELOPMENT
DC16 CORE AND FRINGE FRONTAGES IN DISTRICT 204
AND LOCAL CENTRES

Culture

DC17 PROTECTING EXISTING ARTS AND 207

ENTERTAINMENT FACILITIES
DC18 PROTECTION OF PUBLIC OPEN SPACE, 207
RECREATION, SPORTS AND LEISURE
FACILITIES
DC19 LOCATING CULTURAL FACILITIES 208
DC20 ACCESS TO RECREATION AND LEISURE 211
INCLUDING OPEN SPACE
DC21 MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS AND OPEN SPACE, 212
RECREATION AND LEISURE ACTIVITIES
DC22 COUNTRYSIDE RECREATION 213
DC23 FOOD, DRINK AND THE EVENING ECONOMY 214
DC24 LIVE-WORK IN HORNCHURCH 215
DC25 PUBLIC ART 216

283
 Community Needs

DC26 LOCATION OF COMMUNITY FACILITIES 217

DC27 PROVISION OF COMMUNITY FACILITIES 218
DC28 DUAL USE OF SCHOOL FACILITIES 219
DC29 EDUCATIONAL PREMISES 219
DC30 CONTRIBUTION OF COMMUNITY FACILITIES 220
DC31 CEMETERIES AND CREMATORIA 220

Transport

DC32 THE ROAD NETWORK 223

DC33 CAR PARKING 224
DC34 WALKING 226
DC35 CYCLING 227
DC36 SERVICING 228
DC37 SAFEGAURDING 229
DC38 PARK AND RIDE 232
DC39 FREIGHT 232

Waste Management

DC40 WASTE RECYCLING 235

Minerals

DC41 RE-USE AND RECYCLING OF AGGREGATES 237

DC42 MINERALS EXTRACTION 238
DC43 READY MIXED AND PROCESSING PLANT 240
DC44 TRANSPORT OF AGGREGATE BY RAIL OR 241
RIVER

Green Belt

DC45 APPROPRIATE DEVELOPMENT IN THE GREEN 243

BELT
DC46 MAJOR DEVELOPED SITES 244
DC47 AGRICULTURE 245

Environmental Management

DC48 FLOOD RISK 247

DC49 SUSTAINABLE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION 248
DC50 RENEWABLE ENERGY 249
DC51 WATER SUPPLY, DRAINAGE AND QUALITY 251
DC52 AIR QUALITY 252
DC53 CONTAMINATED LAND 253
DC54 HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES 254
DC55 NOISE 254
DC56 LIGHT 255
DC57 RIVER RESTORATION 256

284
DC58 BIODIVERSITY AND GEODIVERSITY 256
DC59 BIODIVERSITY IN NEW DEVELOPMENTS 260
DC60 TREES AND WOODLAND 260

Design

DC61 URBAN DESIGN 263

DC62 ACCESS 264
DC63 DELIVERING SAFER PLACES 265
DC64 TELECOMMUNICATIONS 267
DC65 ADVERTISEMENTS 268
DC66 TALL BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES 270

Heritage

DC67 BUILDINGS OF HERITAGE INTEREST 273

DC68 CONSERVATION AREAS 274
DC69 OTHERS AREAS OF SPECIAL TOWNSCAPE OR 275
LANDSCAPE CHARACTER
DC70 ARCHAEOLOGY AND ANCIENT MONUMENTS 276
DC71 OTHER HISTORIC LANDSCAPES 277

Planning Obligations

DC72 PLANNING OBLIGATIONS 279

285
286
13 Glossary
Active Frontage A frontage which adds interest, life and vitality to the public
realm. It has frequent doors and windows with few blank
walls to ensure that the lively internal use of the building
can be seen from the street or space outside.

Affordable Housing Housing for people whose incomes are insufficient to allow
them to afford decent local housing on the open market.
Affordable housing comprises social housing and
intermediate housing.

Air Quality An area where an Action Plan is prepared to ensure that

Management Area emission levels for prescribed pollutants are not exceeded.
(AQMA)

Allotment An allotment comprises a number of plots, each usually

about 250 square metres in size, which can be rented for
growing fruit and vegetables. The land is generally owned
by the local council.

Ambient Noise Ongoing sounds in the environment like that from industry
and transport.

Annual Monitoring An annual report for the previous financial year, which
Report updates progress on producing the Local Development
Framework, and assesses the performance of Local
Development Framework policies.

Area Action Plan A Development Plan Document that establishes a planning

framework for areas of change or conservation.

Article 4 Direction A direction that can remove all or part of the permitted
development rights set out in the Town & Country Planning
General Development Order 1988 (as amended). An
Article 4 Direction requires the owner/occupier to obtain
planning permission before undertaking certain works to
their dwellinghouse, for which the permitted development
rights have been removed.

Best Practicable A solution that provides the most benefits or the least
Environmental damage to the environment and human health as a whole,
Solution (BPEO) at acceptable cost, in the long term as well as in the short
term.

Biodiversity The variety of all life forms (animals, plants and living
things), the genes they contain and the ecosystems they
form part of.

287
Blue Ribbon A spatial policy that covers London’s waterways, water
Network spaces and the land alongside them.

BREEAM An assessment tool that aims to review and improve the

standards environmental performance of a building.

Brownfield Land Land and premises that have previously been used or
developed and are not currently in full use. The land may
also may be vacant, derelict or contaminated.

Community A document produced by a local strategic partnership to

Strategy promote or improve the economic, social and
environmental wellbeing of the area under jurisdiction of a
local authority.

Comparison Goods Goods which people buy from the store offering the best
value for money rather than the one closest to them. They
comprise household appliances, furniture, clothing and
footwear.

Convenience Goods which are commonly purchased everyday. They

Goods comprise food, drink, tobacco and newspapers.

Core Strategy A Development Plan Document that sets out a long term
spatial vision and spatial objectives and Core Policies to
deliver the vision. Also includes detailed Development
Control Policies.

Creative Industries The creative industries sector includes those who work in a
creative industry and those who work in a creative
occupation. This may, for example, include people who
work in an art centre and artists.

Crossrail Crossrail is a proposed new rail link that will enable rail
travel from Romford across London.

Cultural Quarters An area containing a mass of cultural activities and related

uses such as theatres, art centres and affordable
workspace for creative industries.

DCLG (Department The government department responsible for planning, local

for Communities government, housing and regional development.
and Local
Government)

Design and access A statement that is submitted with a planning application

statement which demonstrates how the guidance set out in Circular
1/2006 has been met.

Development Policies that contain criteria against which planning

288
Control Policies applications are assessed. Development Control Policies
ensure that all development meets the vision and
objectives of the core strategy.

Development Plan Havering’s Development Plan comprises the London Plan

and all the Development Plan Documents contained within
the Local Development Framework.

EcoHomes A widely accepted benchmark for measuring the

environmental performance of new homes. Includes issues
such as energy use, air and water pollution and ecology.

Environmental An assessment to review the environmental effects of a

Impact project to determine whether the project should go ahead.
Assessment

Green Belt The fundamental aim of Green Belt policy is to prevent

urban sprawl by keeping land permanently open; the most
important attribute of Green Belts is their openness.

Green Chains / Areas of undeveloped open land that are linked to other
Greenways areas of open land by footpaths for walking, cycling or
wildlife corridors.

Habitable Room In a typical house, the habitable rooms are the living room,
dining room and bedrooms. Utility spaces such as the
bathroom, kitchen, landings, lobby and storage areas are
not normally considered to be habitable rooms, except a
kitchen over 13 sq.m. (140 [Link].) in area. A living room
over 19sq.m. ([Link].) in area and capable of sub­
division will be counted as 2 rooms for density purposes.

Havering Strategic A partnership which is focused and committed to improving

Partnership / Local the quality of life and governance in a particular locality.
Strategic The partnership consists of people representing public
Partnership services, local business, residents and community and
voluntary groups.

Inclusive design Seeks to create an environment which can be easily used

by as many people as possible without undue effort,
separation or special treatment. It enables everyone to
have the ability to participate equally in the development’s
mainstream activities.

Independent A hearing chaired by an Independent Inspector to assess

Examination the soundness of development plan documents.

Lifetime Homes Homes that are built to be accessible, adaptable and

convenient to reflect the changing needs of the population
from young children to older people.

289
Locally Listed A building or structure which, whilst not listed by the
Building Secretary of State, the Council feels to be an important
part of Havering’s heritage due to its architectural, historic
or archaeological significance.

Livability Refers to the environmental and social quality of an area

as perceived by residents, employees and visitors.

Local Development The LDF forms part of Havering’s Development Plan along
Framework (LDF) with the London Plan. The LDF comprises Development
Plan Documents, Supplementary Planning Documents, a
Statement of Community Involvement and Annual
Monitoring Report.

Local Development A collective term referred to in the Planning and

Documents Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, for Development Plan
Documents, Supplementary Planning Documents and the
Statement of Community Involvement.

Local Development Sets out the detail, time scales and arrangements for
Scheme producing all local development documents.

Local A statutory transport plan produced by each London

Implementation borough which sets out how they will implement the
Plans Mayor’s Transport Strategy in their area.

London Riverside An area extending across six square kilometres on the

north bank of the Thames from Barking Creek to the
eastern edge of Greater London. London Riverside has
been designated as a priority area for regeneration by The
Mayor of London and is at the heart of the Thames
Gateway Growth Area.

Major Development A major development is one of 10 dwellings or more or

1,000sqm and above

Managed Transfer A term applied to the transfer of employment land to other

uses. Boroughs identified for managed transfer have a
greater supply of vacant industrial sites relative to demand
and should generally take a more flexible approach to
transfer.

Mixed use Development containing a variety of activities and uses on

development single sites or across wider areas such as town centres.

National Planning Sets out the Governments national policies and principles
Guidance on planning which local planning policy must be consistent
with. These take the form of Planning Policy Guidance
Notes and Planning Policy Statements.

290
Opportunity Areas An area designated by the London Plan which has the
potential to accommodate large scale development to
provide substantial numbers of new employment and
housing.

Precautionary This principle is based on a ‘better safe than sorry attitude’

Principle in relation to the environment. It takes the view that where
there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, and
science has not yet determined whether a product or
process is safe or unsafe, policy should restrict or prohibit
its use until it is safe.

Proposals Map A map that shows the boundaries of all policy areas as set
out in Development Plan Documents.

Proximity Principle Seeks to minimise the negative impacts of waste by

dealing with waste as near as practical to its place of
production.

Public Open Space Public open space includes parks, playing fields, outdoor
sports facilities and allotments with public access. Where
they are over one hectare in size these are shown on the
Proposals Map.

Public Realm The space between and within buildings that are publicly
accessible.

Renewable Energy Renewable energy technologies include:

• Solar heating, using solar energy to heat water.
• Solar power, using light energy such as daylight to
generate electricity.
• Wind, using wind energy to generate electricity.
• Biomass heating, stoves or boilers running on wood
or other biomass
• Biomass Combined Heat and Power plant,
simultaneously generating electricity and heat, using
biomass as fuel.
• Ground sourced heat pumps, transferring and
‘concentrating’ heat from the ground to provide space
and hot water heating.
• Ground sourced, or borehole, cooling, using the
ground or groundwater for cooling of offices and
other non-domestic buildings.
Though not strictly a renewable form of energy the capture
of any form of energy from a process that would normally
result in that energy being wasted will be deemed as a
suitable technology.

Regional Spatial Sets out a region’s polices in relation to the use and
Strategies development of land which policies in the Local

291
 Development Framework should be in general conformity
with. The London Plan is London’s Regional Spatial
Strategy.

Road Hierarchy Categorises roads depending on the function they perform.

Saved Policies Unitary Development Plan policies that have been saved
for a period of three years from September 2004. During
the three year period, the saved policies will progressively
be replaced by policies in local development documents.

Section 106 Legally binding agreements between a local planning

Agreements authority and land developers to secure planning
objectives for the area and for the community. Agreements
can be used for a variety of uses such as the requirement
for the developer to provide affordable housing or
undertake environmental improvements to a town centre.

Secure by design Designs and layouts which take into account public health,
crime prevention and community safety to produce
attractive and well managed environments that help
discourage crime and vandalism.

Sequential The sequential approach applies to main town centre uses

Approach as defined in national guidance. In order to ensure these
uses are provided in accessible locations, it requires that
they should, if possible, be accommodated in the centre,
failing that on the edge of the centre and, only in
exceptional circumstances, out of centre.

Sites of Special An area defined as being of particular conservation interest

Scientific Interest because of the wildlife it supports or the geographical
(SSSI) features that are found there. A SSSI is classified under
the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981) as amended.

Site Specific A document which sets out sites for specific uses and
Allocations. development such as housing, jobs and community
facilities which are necessary to deliver the Core Strategy
of the LDF.

Social exclusion / Social exclusion refers to people or areas that suffer from
inclusion a combination of related problems including
unemployment, poor skills, low incomes, poor housing,
high crime environments, bad health and family
breakdown. Social inclusion is about removing the barriers
and factors which lead to exclusion so people can
participate and access a full range of opportunities.

Social Includes health, education, childcare, facilities for older

infrastructure people and disabled people, as well as libraries,

292
 community halls, meeting rooms and places of worships.

Spatial Planning This considers not only the physical aspects of location
and land use but also takes into account economic, social
and environmental matters. These factors may include
access, movement, health, education, employment and
crime prevention and demands that the plans of other
organisations responsible for these areas are considered.

Stakeholders Any person, group, or organisation affected by or having

an interest in the development of planning policy.

Strategic The best located and highest quality employment land

Employment across London.
Locations

Strategic A method to assess and predict the effects that a proposal,

Environmental plan or programme is likely to have on the environment.
Assessment (SEA) SEA is a requirement of European Union Directive
2001/42/EC and has since been incorporated into English
law by virtue of the Strategic Environmental Assessment
Regulations 2004.

Statement of A document that sets out how a local planning authority

Community intend to involve communities and stakeholders in the
Involvement process of preparing local development documents and
development control decisions.

Submission This is the stage in preparing development plan

documents when they are submitted to the Secretary of
State for Independent Examination.

Supplementary A document which further expands on information

Planning contained in policies in Development Plan Documents. The
Documents (SPD’s) document may explain through text, illustrations and
practical examples, how policies can be taken forward.

Sustainability A tool for assessing policies to ensure that they reflect

Appraisal sustainable development objectives, including
environmental, social and economic factors. The Planning
and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, requires local
planning authorities to undertake a sustainability appraisal
of all local development documents.

Sustainable Development that aims to ensure a better quality of life for

Development everyone, now and in the future through the protection of
the environment, social progress, the prudent use of
natural resources and the maintenance of economic
growth.

293
Thames Chase One of England’s 12 Community Forests established in
1990/91. It aims to transform the landscape and nature
conservation value of much of Havering’s green belt within
easy reach of residents; through woodland creation,
conserving and enhancing other habitat types and
improving access.

Thames Gateway An area identified by National Government for growth on

either side of the River Thames extending from east
London through to North Kent and South Essex.

Town Centre Categorises town centres depending on their function and

Hierarchy the area they serve. Town centres may be defined as
International, Metropolitan, Major, District and Local.

Urban Renaissance The (re)creation of a practical, attractive, safe and efficient

urban area which offers a vibrant and desirable quality of
life.

Use Classes Order The Use Classes Order is a town planning tool which
categorises everything from shops, services, industrial
uses, hotels, dwellings, institutions and leisure uses into
several classes. The Use Class Order effectively controls
what buildings can be used as and what the use of
buildings can be changed to.

Waste hierarchy The waste hierarchy acts as a guide when determining the
most sustainable waste management options from the
ideal of prevention and reduction to the last resort of
disposal.

294
Annexes

295
296
Annex 1
Relationship of Core Strategy and
Development Control Policies DPD
to the Havering Unitary
Development Plan
The Government Office of London has extended the saved period for the following
UDP policies. This table shows how these policies will be replaced by the Local
Development Documents identified in Havering’s 2007 Local Development Scheme.

RAAP = Romford Town Centre Area Action Plan Development Plan Document
JWP = Joint Waste Plan Development Plan Document
MDPD = Specific Sites and Preferred Areas for Minerals Extraction Development
Plan Document
GTDPD = Gypsy/Traveller Sites Development Plan Document

Part 1 Policy Subject Name of Policy

STR1 Overall approach to future Expired
development of Havering
STR2 Protecting and improving the Expired
environment
STR3 Maintaining the character of Expired
established residential areas
STR4 Environmental improvements Expired
STR5 Land, air and water quality Expired
STR6 Special needs and disabilities Expired
STR7 Conservation Areas, Listed Expired
Buildings, trees and woodland
STR8 Nature conservation Expired
STR9 Thames Area of Special Expired
Character
STR10 Protection of Green Belt Expired
STR11 Recreation in Green Belt Expired
STR12 Agricultural land Expired
STR13 Agricultural activities Expired
STR14 Ingrebourne Valley and Expired
Dagenham Corridor
STR15 Development of Rainham Expired
Marsh
STR16 Romford and District Centres Expired
STR17 Employment Areas Expired
STR18 Hotels Expired
STR19 Romford shopping centre Core Policy CP4 - Town Centres
Romford Town Centre Area Action
Plan
STR20 Existing shopping centres Core Policy CP4 - Town Centres
STR21 Town Centre retailing Expired
STR22 Regional shopping centres and Expired

297
 food
STR23 Supply of housing Expired
STR24 Housing opportunities Expired
STR25 Trunk network Expired
STR26 Road hierarchy Expired
STR27 Public transport network Expired
STR28 Pedestrians and cyclists Expired
STR29 Traffic management measures Expired
STR30 Off street parking Expired
STR31 Freight use of Thames Expired
STR32 Leisure and entertainment in Expired
Romford and District Centres
Expired
STR33 Parks, playing fields and open Expired
spaces
STR34 Outdoor recreation in the Expired
Green Belt
STR35 Access to Countryside Expired
STR36 Supply and demand of Expired
aggregates
STR37 Mineral extraction Expired
STR38 Mineral extraction sites Expired
STR39 Restoration of mineral and Expired
waste sites
STR40 Waste disposal facilities Expired
STR41 Rainham landfill Expired
STR42 Waste management proposals Expired
STR43 Land and building requirements Expired
for education
STR44 Improvement and Applies until Romford Area Action
development of Romford Plan is adopted
Town Centre
STR45 Development opportunities Applies until Romford Area Action
in Romford Town Centre Plan is adopted

Part 2 Policy Subject Name of Policy

ENV1 Environmental Criteria for New Expired

Developments
ENV2 Environmental Improvement Expired
Schemes
ENV3 Conservation Areas DC68 - Conservation Areas
DC69 - Other Areas of Special
Townscape or Landscape
Character
ENV4 Listed Buildings Expired
ENV5 Trees and Woodland DC60 - Trees and Woodland
ENV6 High Buildings DC66 - Tall Buildings and
Structures
Romford Area Action Plan
ENV7 Nature Conservation DC58 - Biodiversity and
Geodiversity
DC59 - Biodiversity in new
developments
ENV8 Contaminated Sites Expired
ENV9 Damaged Land Expired
ENV10 Bad Neighbour" Uses Expired
ENV11 Street Furniture Expired

298
ENV12 Telecommunications Expired
ENV13 Vacant Land Expired
ENV14 Archaeology DC70 - Archaeology and Ancient
Monuments
ENV15 Ancient Monuments DC70- Archaeology and Ancient
Monuments
ENV16 Development Abutting the Expired
Green Belt
ENV17 Advertisement Consent DC65 - Advertisements

ENV18 Illuminated Advertisements DC65 - Advertisements

ENV19 Advertisement Hoardings DC65 - Advertisements

ENV20 Public Art DC25 - Public Art
ENV21 Emerson Park Area Expired
ENV22 Hall Lane, Upminster Area Expired
ENV23 Gidea Park Conservation DC68 - Conservation Areas
Area
ENV24 Thames Policy Area and Expired
Rainham Marsh
ENV25 River Thames Area of Special Expired
Character
ENV26 Havering Ridge Area of DC69 - Other Areas of Special
Special Character Townscape or Landscape
Character
ENV27 Common Land DC71 - Other Historic Landscapes
ENV28 Thames Chase Community DC20 - Access to Recreation and
Forest Leisure
GRB1 Green Belt Boundary Core Policy CP14 - Green Belt
GRB2 New Development Expired
GRB3 Institutional Uses Expired
GRB4 M25 (No Justification for Expired
Development)
GRB5 Infilling/"Rounding Off" Expired
GRB6 Unused/Underused Land Expired
GRB7 Agricultural Land Expired
GRB8 Wildlife Habitats, Landscape Expired
Quality and Historic Character
GRB9 New Agricultural Buildings Expired
GRB10 Redundant Agricultural Expired
Buildings
GRB11 Retail Use on Agricultural Units Expired
GRB12 Garden Centres Expired
GRB13 New Residential Units Expired
GRB14 Rebuilding or Extensions to DC45 - Appropriate Development in
Residential Property the Green Belt
GRB15 Residential Gardens/Curtilages Expired
GRB16 Existing Authorised DC45 - Appropriate Development in
Commercial and Industrial the Green Belt
Sites
GRB17 Cumulative Effect of Expired
Development
GRB18 Maintenance and Improvement Expired
Works
GRB19 Ingrebourne Valley Expired
GRB20 Land South of Scott & Albyns Expired
Farm
GRB21 St George's Hospital DC45 - Appropriate Development in
the Green Belt

299
GRB22 Dagenham Corridor Expired
GRB23 Land South of Dagenham Road Expired
GRB24 Willoughby Drive Expired
GRB25 Crow Lane Expired
EMP1 Rainham Employment Area DC9 - Strategic Industrial
Locations
EMP2 Rainham Marsh Expired
EMP3 Thames Policy Area Expired
EMP4 Coldharbour Lane
Commercial Area
EMP5 Main Employment Areas DC9 - Strategic Industrial
Locations
EMP6 Secondary Employment DC10 - Secondary Employment
Areas Areas (EMP6 applies for
Bridge Close until Romford
Area Action is adopted)
EMP7 New Road Employment Area SSA12 – Rainham West

EMP8 Small Businesses Expired

EMP9 Other Industrial/Commercial Expired
Premises
EMP10 Special Industries/Hazardous Expired
Installations
EMP11 District Centres DC12 - Offices
EMP12 Hotels Expired
EMP13 Hotel at Eastern Road, Expired
Romford
EMP14 Victoria Road Commercial EMP14 applies for that part of
Area Victoria Road Commercial Area
within the Romford Ring Road until
Romford Area Action Plan is
adopted.
SHP1 Expansion/Improvement of Core Policy CP4 - Town Centres
Retail Facilities
SHP2 Non-Retail Uses in DC16 - Core and fringe frontages in
Hornchurch and Upminster district and local centres
District Centres
SHP3 Non-Retail Uses in Collier DC16 - Core and fringe frontages in
Row, Elm Park, Harold Hill district and local centres
and Rainham District Centres

SHP4 Non-Retail Uses in Major DC16 - Core and fringe frontages in

Local Centres district and local centres
SHP5 Non-Retail Uses in Minor DC16 - Core and fringe frontages in
Local Centres district and local centres
SHP6 Improvements to Rainham Expired
District Centre
SHP7 Bryant Avenue Commercial Expired
Area
SHP8 Food Superstores Expired
SHP9 Retail Warehouses Expired
HSG1 Housing Priority Core Policy CP1 - Housing Supply
HSG2 Sites for Residential Expired
Development
HSG3 Retention of Housing DC1 - Loss of Housing
HSG4 Housing in Large Core Policy CP1 - Housing Supply
Commercial Schemes
HSG5 Range and Availability of Expired
Housing

300
HSG6 Specialised Housing Needs Expired
HSG7 Sub-division of Houses DC4 - Conversions to residential
and subdivision of
residential
HSG8 Conversion or DC4 - Conversions to residential
Redevelopment for and subdivision of
Communal Use residential
HSG9 Site for Travellers' Caravans Expired
TRN1 Road Hierarchy Expired
TRN2 Effect of Development on Expired
Public Transport and Roads
TRN3 Public Transport for New Expired
Developments
TRN4 Trunk Roads Expired
TRN5 A13 – Re-routing Expired
TRN6 Secondary and Local Expired
Distributor Roads
TRN7 Highway Improvements/Traffic Expired
Management
TRN8 Service Roads in Shopping Expired
Centres
TRN9 Rear Access Road 42-60 Expired
Station Lane, Hornchurch
TRN10 Environmental Areas Expired
TRN11 Public Transport Expired
TRN12 Bus Facilities Expired
TRN13 Interchange Facilities Expired
TRN14 Upminster to Romford Railway Expired
TRN15 Cycle Facilities Expired
TRN16 Pedestrian Facilities Expired
TRN17 Facilities for Transport Expired
Handicapped Groups
TRN18 Car Parking Expired
TRN19 Car Parking in Shopping Expired
Centres
TRN20 Appleton Way, Hornchurch, Expired
Car Park Extension
TRN21 "Park and Ride" Facilities for Expired
Romford Town Centre
TRN22 On Street/Off Street Parking Expired
TRN23 Parking at Railway Stations Expired
TRN24 Lorry Parking Expired
TRN25 Heavy Commercial Vehicles Expired
TRN26 Waterborne Traffic on the Expired
Thames
TRN27 Ferry Lane, Rainham Expired
TRN28 Bridge Road/Ferry Lane Link Expired
Road
LAR1 Existing Leisure & DC18 - Protection of public open
Recreation Facilities space recreation, sports
and leisure facilities
Expired
Expired
Expired
LAR2 Existing Arts, Cultural & DC17 - Protecting existing arts and
Entertainment Facilities entertainment facilities
LAR3 Dual Use of School Facilities Expired
LAR4 Langtons and Queen's Theatre Expired

301
LAR5 Existing Parks, Playing DC18 - Protection of public open
Fields and Open Spaces space, recreation, sports
and leisure facilities
DC20 - Access to recreation and
leisure
LAR6 Distribution of Public Open DC20 - Access to recreation and
Space leisure
DC21- Major developments and
developer contributions
LAR7 Allotments DC20 - Access to recreation and
leisure
LAR8 Extension of Hornchurch Expired
Country Park
LAR9 Green Chains DC22 - Countryside Recreation
LAR10 Informal Recreation in the Expired
Countryside
LAR11 Public Access in the Expired
Countryside
LAR12 Potential Footpath Expired
Improvement Areas
LAR13 Potential Bridleway Expired
Improvement Areas
LAR14 Open Air Recreation Facilities Expired
in the Green Belt
LAR15 Water Recreation and Sports Expired
LAR16 Equestrian Facilities and Expired
Horse-keeping
LAR17 Gerpins Lane Expired
MWD1 Environmental and Public DC42 - Minerals extraction
Safety Criteria
MWD2 Other Considerations for Expired
Mineral Workings Applications
MWD3 Other Considerations for Applies until Development Control
Landfill Applications Policies DPD adopted
MWD4 Mineral Extraction from Expired
Agricultural Land
MWD5 Deposit of Waste on Expired
Agricultural Land
MWD6 Traffic Implications Expired
MWD7 Over-concentration of Mineral Expired
Workings
MWD8 Safeguarding of Mineral CP13 - Minerals extraction
Deposits
MWD9 Planned After-use and DC42 - Minerals extraction
Aftercare
MWD10 Ancillary Buildings, Plant etc Expired
MWD11 Ready Mixed and Processing DC41 - Re-use and recycling of
Plant aggregates
DC43 - Ready mixed and
processing plant
MWD12 Import of Aggregate by Rail DC44 - Transport of aggregate by
or River rail or river
MWD13 Waste Recovery and Recycling Expired
MWD14 Waste Disposal in Thames Expired
Policy Area
MWD15 Mineral Extraction Sites Expired
MWD16 Waste Disposal Sites Expired
PSU1 Land and Buildings for Public Expired

302
 Services and Utilities
PSU2 Educational Land and Buildings Expired
PSU3 Post-16 College at Dury Falls Expired
PSU4 Stubbers Outdoor Pursuits Expired
Centre
PSU5 Health and Social Services DC5 - Specialist Accommodation
Residential Projects
PSU6 Occupational Centre for Expired
Physically Handicapped
PSU7 Short Term Accommodation for Expired
Handicapped Children &
Adolescents
PSU8 Area Social Services Office at Expired
Upper Bedfords Park School
PSU9 20-26 Park End Road, Romford Expired
PSU10 Expansion of Harold Wood Expired
Hospital
ROM1 Additional Retail Floorspace Applies until Romford Area Action
Plan adopted
ROM2 Retail Development Sites Expired
ROM3 Non-Retail Uses in Romford Applies until Romford Area Action
Town Centre Plan adopted
ROM4 Refurbishment of the Liberty Expired
Shopping Centre
ROM5 Pedestrianisation South Expired
Street/High Street
ROM6 Repaving/Planting/Landscaping Expired
in South Street/Western Road
ROM7 Repaving/Planting/Landscaping Expired
in the Market Place
ROM8 Office Development Applies until Romford Area Action
Plan adopted
ROM9 Eastern/Western Road Office Applies until Romford Area Action
Area Plan adopted
ROM10 Leisure Uses Applies until Romford Area Action
Plan adopted
ROM11 Sites for Town Centre Expired
Development
ROM12 Retention of Housing Applies until Romford Area Action
Plan adopted
ROM13 Restraint of Peak Hour Traffic Expired
Flows
ROM14 Increase of Public Off-street Expired
Parking
ROM15 Car Park Between Eastern and Expired
Western Road
ROM16 Improved Public Transport Expired
Facilities
ROM17 Licensed Taxi Facilities Expired
ROM18 Cycle Facilities Expired

303
 Annex 2
Selected list of strategies and
programmes at the national,
regional and local level which
have been taken into account in
preparing the Core Strategy

Government Strategies

1. The Government has a variety of national strategies which set out

Government policy in key areas. Some of these strategies are relevant to the
Core Strategy. They are too numerous to mention but key examples include:

• Sustainable Communities Plan

• Homes for All
• Sustainable Development Strategy-Securing the Future
• Waste Strategy
• Air Quality Strategy
• Strategy for Sport
• Supporting People Strategy
• Energy Strategy

2. These are either addressed directly in the Core Strategy or are translated into
the local strategies listed below.

Thames Gateway Strategies

3. The Sustainable Communities Plan identifies the Thames Gateway as one of

four national growth areas. The London Riverside Regeneration Area is at the
heart of the Thames Gateway growth area. Whilst a number of strategies
exist for the Thames Gateway growth area the four most important and the
ones to which the Core Strategy has had most regard are:

• Growth and regeneration in the Thames Gateway – Inter-regional

planning statement 2004
• The London Thames Gateway Development and Investment
Framework 2004
• London Riverside Urban Strategy 2003
• Draft London Thames Gateway Development Corporation
Regeneration Strategy 2006

304
 Regional and local strategies and evidence base

4. These are just some of the local strategies and evidence base
documents that the Core Strategy has had regard to:

• Capital Homes: London Housing Strategy 2005-16,

• Barker Review of Housing Supply
• Havering Fit for Purpose Housing Strategy 2004-2007
• GLA Housing capacity study 2006/7-2016/17
• Havering Housing Needs Survey Update 2006
• East London Affordable Housing Investment Framework 2004/05.
• Havering Five Year Supporting People Strategy, 2005-2010
• Havering Employment Land Study 2006
• Draft East London Industrial Land Survey 2006
• London Office Policy Review, 2004
• Industrial and Warehousing Demand in London 2004
• Hotel Demand Study 2006
• London Economic Development Strategy 2005
• Romford Urban Strategy 2006
• Hornchurch Urban Strategy 2006
• Havering Retail and Leisure study 2006
• Upminster, Collier Row and Elm Park, Town Centre Framework,
Groundwork 2003
• Havering Draft Open Space Strategy 2006
• Havering Open Space and Sports Assessment 2005
• Thames Chase Plan 2000
• Havering Crime and Disorder Strategy-2005-2008
• Greening the Gateway 2005
• Creativity London’s Core Business 2002
• Spending Time: London’s Leisure Economy 2003
• NHS Local Improvement Finance Trust Programme
• Health Inequalities in Havering 2003
• Havering School Organisation Plan 2003-2008
• London Transport Strategy 2001
• Havering’s Local Implementation Plan 2006
• London Riverside Integrated Transport Strategy 2003
• Havering Cycling Strategy 2006
• Havering Walking Strategy 2006
• East London Joint Waste Plan, Building the Evidence Base,
Identifying Issues and Options, Final Report, 2006
• National and regional guidelines for Aggregates Provision 2001-2016
• Quarry Products Association Assessment of Remaining Unsterilised
Sand and Gravel Resources in Greater London 2004
• London Aggregates Monitoring Report 2000-2004
• The Mayor's Biodiversity Strategy 2002
• Havering’s Phase 1 Biodiversity Action Plan 2003
• The Mayor's Air Quality Strategy 2002
• Sounder City: the Mayor's Ambient Noise Strategy 2004
• Thames Gateway Strategic Flood Risk Assessment 2006
• Environment Agency Water resources strategy 2001-2026

305
• London Emissions Inventory 2003
• Green light to clean power: the Mayor's Energy Strategy March 2004
• Urban Task Force Report 1999
• By Design, Urban Design in the Planning System Towards Better
Practice 2000
• Better Places to Live 2001
• Safer Places the Planning System and Crime Prevention 2004
• Havering Community Safety Strategy 2002-2005
• Romford Heritage Strategy 2000
• Hornchurch Heritage Strategy 2000
• Conservation Areas in Havering 1990
• English Heritage National register of parks and gardens 2003
• DCMS List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest

306
Annex 3
Housing Trajectory

Havering Housing Trajectory 1993/04-2019/20

Introduction

1.1 The main purpose of a housing trajectory is to support the forward planning
process by providing a progress report comparing past progress on housing
supply to future rates of supply as anticipated by the Council against strategic
housing targets.

1.2 Havering’s current UDP was adopted in March 1993 and this Core Strategy is
focused on planning the future of Havering up to 2020. Therefore in line with
Regulation 48 of The Town and Country Planning (Local Development)
(England) Regulations 2004, this housing trajectory covers the period 1993/94
to 2019/20.

Housing provision targets

1.3 The regional planning body for London is responsible for, in partnership with
the London Local Planning Authorities, preparing a housing capacity study.
This study forms the basis of the housing targets set by the regional planning
body. Housing Capacity Studies were published in 1994, 2000 and 2005 and
formed the basis for the housing provision targets set out in RPG3 ‘Strategic
Planning Guidance for London Planning Authorities’ 1996, the London Plan
2004, and Early Alterations to the London Plan 2006.

Housing provision targets 1993-2020

Regional Source Period Overall target Annual target

Planning Body
London RPG3 - 1992-2006 5550 dwellings 370/annum
Planning 1996
Advisory
Committee

Greater London London 1997-2016 6400 dwellings 350/annum

Authority Plan 2004
Greater London Early 2007-2016 5350 dwellings 535/annum
Authority alterations
to the
London
Plan 2006

307
1.4 Therefore from 1993/4-1996/7 the strategic housing target was 370/annum,
and from 1997/8-2006/7 350/annum. From 2007/8-2016 it will be 535/annum.
There is no target for 2017 onwards. A figure of 535/annum has been used for
this period.

1.5 This housing trajectory will compare actual and forecast completions against
these targets to determine previous and future performance against the
respective targets.

Actual completions

1.6 Actual completions, are the number of net new houses built in the respective
financial year. The Council maintains a accurate record of these with regard to
Council and NHBC Building Certificates from 1993-2006. This shows on
average 347 net new dwellings per annum where built in this period. On
average 10 units per year less than the targets which applied in this period,
resulting in an overall shortfall over 13 years of 137 units.

Forecast completions

1.7 To forecast completions over the remaining period the Council has had regard
to the data provided for the London Housing Capacity Study 2004. This
calculated housing capacity as follows:

Known housing capacity from sites over 0.5h with planning permission
+
Estimated housing yield from sites over 0.5 hectares without planning permission
+
Housing from other agreed sources (additional capacity)
+
Projected housing yields from all sites below 0.5 hectares
+
Non self-contained household spaces
+
Long term vacants returning to permanent use
=
Total housing capacity

Large sites over 0.5 hectares

1.8 The 2004 Housing Capacity Study sets out the methodology for calculating
capacity of large sites over 0.5 hectares:

• All large sites with potential for housing are individually identified, with no
large site windfall allowance.
• Default value potential housing yields on large sites are based on
generalised assumptions selected automatically by a computerised system
according to characteristics of sites and their locations.

308
 • Alternative potential housing yields on large sites are estimated by varying
input assumptions including default values.
• Large sites are allocated different degrees of probability of being
developed for housing rather than being either included in or excluded
from the estimated housing capacity.
• Different total housing capacity outputs are generated according to
variations in input assumptions and infrastructure scenarios.

1.9 The study calculated 3429 units would be completed on large sites between
2007/08 and 2016/17. 2963 (86%) of these between 2007/08 and 2011/12.
However the GLA reduced this to 3200 to ensure only the mid point of the
London Plan Density Matrix was used in calculating the capacity of qualifying
sites. The Council agreed that an additional 500 units may come forward in
Romford Town Centre. These are units on small sites (below 0.5 hectares)
which represent capacity over and over the small site allowance. Therefore
the capacity was increased to 3700 units. However this was reduced to 3500
units as it was considered the 3700 made an unrealistic assumption about the
amount of employment land which could be released.

1.10 The methodology employed for the Housing Capacity Study (HCS) means
that there is no windfall element to the overall capacity figure. However
neither does the study include a definitive list of housing sites which the
Council can be 100% certain will come forward during the life of the Core
Strategy. This is because the study assesses the probability of capacity being
delivered across all qualifying sites. Therefore whilst the capacity is
meaningful when aggregated, it is not possible to say with any certainty that
capacity on all individual sites will come forward. At the same time the Council
is able to identify those existing sites with planning permission which it is
certain will come forward between 2007/08 and 2011/12, and those sites
without planning permission it expects to come forward between 2007/08
and 2019/20. These two sources of supply are detailed in paragraphs 1.13
and 1.14.

• Existing sites with planning permission forecast to be completed 2007/08

and 2011/12 = 1592
• Sites without planning permission it expects to come forward between
2007/08 and 2019/20 = 5300

1.11 The Council therefore anticipates that 6892 new homes will be built on large
sites over 0.5 hectares between 2007/8 and 2019/20. This compares with the
HCS which calculated 3500, albeit for the shorter period 2007/08-2016/17.
This increase is due to an additional source of supply which was not included
within the Housing Capacity Study.

• London Riverside (excluding Rainham Village) – 3500 units

1.12 Excluding this area gives a total of 3392 units, which compares to the 3500
forecast by the HCS for the same period. The shortfall of 108 units will be met
by those identified sites included in the HCS without permission which cannot
be identified individually at the site level with any certainty at this point in time.

309
Large sites over 0.5 hectares with planning permission

1.13 The bulk of capacity on large sites with planning permission is forecast to
come forward between 2007-2012. The following are the principle sites (over
50 units) with planning permission which have not yet been delivered but are
expected to be built out between 2007-2012.

• (P0849.00) North side of Market Place = 91

• (P1635.04) Oldchurch Hospital = 703
• (P0704.01) Harold Wood Hospital = 480
• (P1478.03) Gobions School = 162
• (P1478.03) Ahearns-Crow Lane = 96
• (P2106.05) 10-14 Western Road = 60

Total 1592

Large sites over 0.5 hectares without planning permission

1.14 There are a number of planning applications expected on large sites with
significant housing capacity within this period. These include:

London Riverside = 4000

• Rainham West
• Beam Park
• Rainham Central
• Rainham Land Between Railway and Broadway

A significant proportion of this capacity is predicated on the provision of East

London Transit and/or Beam Reach Station. It is therefore not forecast to be
delivered until 2013/14 onwards.

Romford Town Centre = 700

• Bridge Close
• Como Street Car Park
• 25- 55 North Street
• Angel Way (Secrets)
• Angel Way (Decathlon)

These are either sites currently the subject of planning applications, or sites
included in the Romford Area Action Plan Preferred Options Report.

Others = 600

• Roneo Corner
• Romford Ice Rink
• Lambs Lane
• Spring Gardens

310
 • North Street (remaining)
• The Whitworth Centre

Lambs Lane, Spring Gardens and North Street are Secondary Employment
Areas that the Core Strategy proposes to de-designate.

Roneo Corner and Romford Ice Rink are both Council owned sites. The
Whitworth Centre is also Council owned and depends on a Green Belt
boundary alteration proposed within Core Strategy.

Total 5300

Small sites

1.15 The small sites component (sites under 0.5 Ha) is based on net housing
completions including new-build developments and gains from conversions for
the last five years of reliable data (1998-2002) which is assumed to continue
at a constant rate over the capacity study period. This rate for Havering was
calculated at 124 units per year. This was then subject to a level of uplift
based on policy changes since the end of 2002. In Havering’s case the main
factors were new guidance on density and residential car parking and a more
permissive approach to housing within town centres (excluding Romford Town
Centre for which a separate addition was made). These factors all contributed
to deriving a level of potential increase in small site capacity of 33%, giving a
revised total of 165. This was then reduced to 160 to take account of a
reduced amount of employment land being reduced. From 2016/17 onwards a
10% reduction applies, reducing the annual small site allowance to 146.

Vacancies

1.16 An allowance of 250 units from 2007/08 – 2016/17 has been made for
vacancies (25 per annum), it has been assumed that this will continue to
2019/20.

Table 1 shows on a year by year basis the housing targets which apply for the period
1993/04-2019/20. It then compares this to actual completions (1993/04-2005/06) and
anticipated completions (2006/07-2019/20). It separately identifies those sources of
capacity not included within the Housing Capacity Study, (London Riverside
excluding Rainham Village). The shaded area shows the supply which was identified
through the Housing Capacity Study and comprises the 5350 supply target from
2007/08-2016/17. Chart 1 graphically represents this data and shows the trend (log)
lines for the housing target and completions. Chart 2 shows the cumulative impact of
the actual and forecast completions when compared to the housing provision target.

311
Conclusion

1.17 This housing trajectory demonstrates that from 1993/4-2005/06, Havering was
within 3% of meeting the housing targets that applied in this period.
Significantly completions data for 2004/05 and 2005/06 shows that supply is
increasing in line with the increased housing target which will apply from
2007/08 - 2016/17. 711 units were completed in 2005/06. From 2006/7­
2011/12 it shows that the target will have been surpassed by a net surplus of
1040 dwellings. By 2017 this increases to 1925 and by 2020, 2708 net new
homes. If the additional sources of supply not included in the London Housing
Capacity Study 2004 are excluded, the 535 new homes per year figure will be
surpassed due to the size of the pipeline of unimplemented permission and
sites the Council is aware of and planning for, which are expected to come
forward between 2007/8-2016/17.

312
 Table 1 - Housing provision target and actual and forecast completions 1993/94 – 2019/20
Year ACTUAL/FORECAST COMPLETIONS
Housing London Riverside Annual difference Cumulative Difference
provision (excluding between target and between target and
target Large Small Vacant Rainham Village) Total completions completions
1993/94 370 505 135 135
1994/95 370 382 12 147
1995/96 370 227 -143 4
1996/97 370 298 -72 -68
1997/98 350 136 -214 -282
1998/99 350 242 -108 -390
1999/00 350 256 -94 -484
2000/01 350 310 -40 -524
2001/02 350 314 -36 -560
2002/03 350 264 -86 -646
2003/04 350 393 43 -603
2004/05 350 468 118 -485
2005/06 350 711 361 -124
2006/07 350 307 92 399 49 -75
2007/08 535 573 160 25 758 223 148
2008/09 535 573 160 25 758 223 371
2009/10 535 573 160 25 758 223 594
2010/11 535 573 160 25 758 223 817
2011/12 535 573 160 25 758 223 1040
2012/13 535 127 160 25 312 -223 817
2013/14 535 127 160 25 500 812 277 1094
2014/15 535 127 160 25 500 812 277 1371
2015/16 535 127 160 25 500 812 277 1648
2016/17 535 127 160 25 500 812 277 1925
2017/18 535 127 144 25 500 796 261 2186
2018/19 535 127 144 25 500 796 261 2447
2019/20 535 127 144 25 500 3 796 261 2708
 Chart 1 - Housing Trajectory 1993/94 – 2019/20

1000
Target 535/annum to 2016/17
800

600 Target 370/annum to 1996/7 and 350/annum to 2006/7

Net Housing

400

200

-200

-400
1993/94
1994/95
1995/96
1996/97
1997/98
1998/99
1999/00
2000/01
2001/02
2002/03
2003/04
2004/05
2005/06
2006/07
2007/08
2008/09
2009/10
2010/11
2011/12
2012/13
2013/14
2014/15
2015/16
2016/17
2017/18
2018/19
2019/20
Year

Target Actual Annual difference Log. (Actual) Log. (Annual difference)

 Net Housing

-1000
-500
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
1993/94

1994/95

1995/96

1996/97

1997/98

1998/99

1999/00

2000/01

2001/02

2002/03

2003/04

2004/05

2005/06

2006/07
Year
2007/08

315
Cumulative Difference 2008/09

2009/10

2010/11

2011/12

2012/13

2013/14

2014/15

2015/16

2016/17

2017/18

2018/19

2019/20
Chart 2 - Cumulative difference between housing provision target and forecast and actual completions 1993/94 – 2019/20
Annex 4
Properties included within District,
Major Local and Minor Local
Centres.
CENTRE PROPERTIES/LAND INCLUDED
MAJOR DISTRICT CENTRES

HORNCHURCH
Retail Core High Street, 70-162 (evens), 63-187 (odds);
comprising: North Street, 4-14 (evens), 1-23 (odds);
Station Lane 42-2 (evens).

Fringe Area North Street, 16-22 (evens);

comprising: Billet Lane, 1-31 (odds);
High Street, 5-29, 35-61 and 189-199 (odds), 44-64 and
172-212 (evens);
Station Lane, 36-62 (evens), 1-41 (odds).

Remaining As shown on the Proposals Map.

land/properties
within the District
Centre boundary:

UPMINSTER
Retail Core Station Road, 1-65 (odds), 2-70 (evens);
comprising: St Mary's Lane, 119-133 and 141-149 (odds);
Corbets Tey Road, 1-63 (odds) and 16 Bell Corner.

Fringe Area St Mary's Lane, 151-209 (odds), 160-218 (evens);

comprising: Corbets Tey Road, 28-52 (evens) and 69-127 (odds).

Remaining As shown on the Proposals Map.

land/properties
within the District
Centre boundary:

316
CENTRE PROPERTIES/LAND INCLUDED
MINOR DISTRICT CENTRES

COLLIER ROW
Retail Core Collier Row Road, 2-62 (evens), 1-43 (odds);
comprising: Chase Cross Road, 2-14 (evens);
Collier Row Lane 316-322 (evens);
Clockhouse Lane, 1-23 (odds).

Fringe Area Chase Cross Road, 1-11 (odds);

comprising: Collier Row Lane, 303-313 (odds).

Remaining land/properties within the District Centre

boundary as shown on the Proposals Map.
ELM PARK
Retail Core Station Parade, 1-27 (all nos.);
comprising: Tadworth Parade, 1-20 (all nos.);
Broadway Parade, 7-42 (all nos.);
Elm Parade, 1-26 (all nos.);
Elm Park Avenue, 186-202 (evens).

Fringe Area Broadway Parade, 1-6 (all nos.).

comprising:

Remaining As shown on the Proposals Map.

land/properties
within the District
Centre boundary:

HAROLD HILL
Retail Core Farnham Road, 2-16 and 42-48 (evens), 1-19 and 65­
comprising: 73 (odds);
Hilldene Avenue, 94-120 and 170-198 (evens);
Chippenham Road, 65 and 83 (odds).

Fringe Area Chippenham Road, 59-63 and 85-89 (odds);

comprising: The Arcade 1-11 and 13-23 (odds), 2-12 and 14-24
(evens).

Remaining As shown on the Proposals Map.

land/properties
within the District
Centre boundary:

317
CENTRE PROPERTIES/LAND INCLUDED
RAINHAM
Retail Core Upminster Road South, 9-53 (odds), 2-26 (evens).
comprising:

Fringe Area Broadway, 12-28 (evens);

comprising: Upminster Road South, 1-7 (odds).

Remaining As shown on the Proposals Map.

land/properties
within the District
Centre boundary:

318
REF LOCATION PROPERTIES/LAND INCLUDED
MAJOR LOCAL CENTRES
1 Petersfield Avenue, Petersfield Avenue, 90-132 (evens).
Harold Hill

2 Station Road, Station Road, 1-29 (odds), 33-49 (odds) and

Harold Wood King Harold PH.

3 Main Road, Gidea Core Area comprises: Main Road, 168-210

Park (evens), 77-89 (odds);
Balgores Lane, 1-9 (odds).

Fringe Area comprises: Main Road, 212-248

(evens), 73-75 (odds), 91-101 (odds) and
Unicorn Hotel PH.

4 Ardleigh Green Ardleigh Green Road, 187-207 (odds), 88-122

Road, (evens) and land to rear of 122 and Spencers
Squirrels Heath Arms PH;
Squirrels Heath Lane, 177-179 (odds).

5 Balgores Lane, Balgores Lane, 97-105 (odds), 81-85 (odds), 142­

Gidea Park 168 (evens);
Station Road, 2-8 (evens).

6 Avon Road, Avon Road, 119-151 (odds).

Cranham

7 Rush Green Road, Rush Green Road, 162-180 (evens), 197-205

Rush Green (odds);
Dagenham Road, 68-80 (evens), 82-96 (evens)

8 Front Lane, Core Area comprises: Front Lane, 69-81 (odds),

Cranham 85-103 (odds) and
The Plough PH;
Willow Parade, Front Lane 1-12 (all nos.);
Broadway, Front Lane, 1, 2;
Moor Lane, 2-12 (evens).

Fringe Area comprises: Front Lane, 38-46

(evens).

9 Station Lane, Station Lane, 171-213 (odds);

Hornchurch Station Lane, 142-144 (evens):
Suttons Lane, 1-25 (odds).

319
REF LOCATION PROPERTIES/LAND INCLUDED

10 Cherry Tree Corner, Rainham Road, 70-90 (evens), 109-115 (odds)

South Hornchurch and Cherry Tree PH;
South End Road, 2-12 (evens);
Cherry Tree Lane, 205-211 (odds).

11 Crown Parade, Upminster Road South, 193, 215-223 (odds),

Upminster Road 188-200 (evens);
South, Crown Parade, 1-8 (all numbers)
Rainham

320
MINOR LOCAL CENTRES
12 Whitchurch Road, Whitchurch Road, 145-167 (odds).
Harold Hill

13 Boxmoor Road, Boxmoor Road, 15-27 (odds) and 37.

Collier Row

14 Highfield Link, Highfield Link, 1-7 (odds).

Collier Row

15 Chase Cross Road, Chase Cross Road, 257-263 (odds).

Collier Row

16 Grange Road, Grange Road, 1-7 (odds).

Harold Hill

17 Harold Park The Parade, Colchester Road, 1-8 (all nos.);

Colchester Road, 15-21 (odds);
Tudor Court, Harold Court Road, 1-5 (all nos.);
Harold Court Road.

18 Chase Cross Road, Chase Cross Road, 87-93 (odds).

Collier Row

19 Gobions Avenue, Gobions Avenue, 25, 27, 33, 39, 43, 45, 47, 53,
Rise Park 55.

20 Briar Road, Briar Road, 9-21 (odds).

Harold Hill

21 Camborne Avenue, Camborne Avenue, 1-15 (odds).

Harold Hill

22 Collier Row Road, Collier Row Road, 164-178 (evens).

Collier Row

23 Collier Row Road, Collier Row Road, 98-120 (evens).

Collier Row

24 Moray Way, Moray Way, 2-16 (evens).

Rise Park

25 Tennyson Road, Tennyson Road, 39-45 (odds).

Harold Hill

26 Masefield Crescent, Masefield Crescent, 61-67 (odds), 66-72 (evens).

Harold Hill

321
27 Oak Road, Oak Road, 1-17 (odds).
Harold Hill

28 Fitzilian Avenue, Fitzilian Avenue, 2-8 (evens), 5-7 (odds).

Harold Wood

29 White Hart Lane, White Hart Lane, 37-59 (odds).

Collier Row

30 Collier Row Lane, Collier Row Lane, 134-142 (evens).

Collier Row

31 Collier Row Lane, Collier Row Lane, 162-174 (evens)

Collier Row

32 Pettits Lane North, Rise Park Parade, Pettits Lane North, 169-179
Rise Park (odds), 211-223 (odds).

33 Upper Brentwood Upper Brentwood Road, 622-630 (evens).

Road,
Gidea Park

34 Collier Row Lane, Collier Row Lane, 52-62 (evens), 37-55 (odds).
Collier Row

35 Belgrave Avenue, Belgrave Road, 117-127 (odds).

Harold Wood

36 Mawney Road Mawney Road, 170-178 (evens);

North, Denbar Parade, 1-6 (all nos.);
Collier Row Marlborough Road, 6-8 (evens).

37 Mawney Road Mawney Road, 121-123 (odds), 126-128 (evens).

South,
Romford

38 Hare Hall Lane, Hare Hall Lane, 4-9 (all nos.)

Gidea Park

39 Balgores Square, Balgores Square, 1-4 (all nos.).

Gidea Park

40 Station Road, Station Road, 84-94 (evens).

Gidea Park

41 Carlton Road, Carlton Road, 2-16 (evens).

Romford

42 Drill Corner, Heath Park Road, 143-155 (odds), 160-168

Squirrels Heath (evens);

322
 Balgores Lane, 236-238 (evens);
Brentwood Road, 364-392 (evens), 395-405
(odds);
The Drill PH.

43 Essex Gardens, Essex Gardens, 2-8 (evens).

Emerson Park

44 London Road West, London Road, 257-277 (odds).

Romford

45 London Road East, London Road, 53-65 (odds), 30-60 (evens).

Romford

46 Brentwood Road, Brentwood Road, 284-290 (evens), 317-319

Romford (odds).

47 Brentwood Road, Brentwood Road, 46-92 (evens);

Romford Albert Road, 89-93 (odds);
Park Lane, 1-9 (odds).

48 Hillview Avenue, Hillview Avenue, 136-144 (evens).

Heath Park

49 Butts Green Road, Butts Green Road, 43-79 (odds).

Emerson Park

50 Lyndhurst Drive, Lyndhurst Drive, 202-210 (evens).

Hornchurch

51 Park Lane, Park Lane, 65-93 (odds), 134-140 (evens).

Romford

52 Butts Green Road, Butts Green Road, 1-9, 23 (odds);

Emerson Park Berther Road, 2 (evens).

53 North Street, North Street, 88-112, 118-124, 128-142 (evens);

Hornchurch Billet Lane, 153-163 (odds);
The Chequers PH

54 Rush Green Road, Rush Green Road, 138-146 (evens).

Romford

55 Roneo Corner, Hornchurch Road, 307-323 (odds);

Romford Roneo Corner, 2-32 (evens);

56 Hornchurch Road, Hornchurch Road, 134-194 (evens), 202-228

Hornchurch (evens), 121-137 (odds).

57 Wingletye Lane, Wingletye Lane, 65a-81 (odds).

323
 Emerson Park

58 Upminster Road Upminster Road, 25-33 (odds).

Upminster

59 Upminster Bridge, Upminster Road, 97-107 (odds), 122-164A

Upminster (evens).

Entrance to Upminster Bridge (District Line)

Station also included.

60 St Mary's Lane, St Mary's Lane, 302-314 (evens).

Upminster

61 Lichfield Terrace Lichfield Terrace, 41-46 (all nos.).

St Mary's Lane,
Cranham

62 Abbs Cross Lane, Abbs Cross Lane, 115-119 (odds).

Hornchurch

63 Abbs Cross Lane, Abbs Cross Lane, 224-228 (evens).

Hornchurch

64 Bevan Way, Hacton Parade, Bevan Way/Central Drive, 1-8

Hornchurch (all nos.).

65 Gaynes Park Road, Gaynes Park Road, 49-57 (odds).

Upminster

66 Northolt Way, Blenheim Court 1-7 (all nos.).

South Hornchurch

67 Mungo Park Road, Mungo Park Road, 105-131 (odds).

South Hornchurch

68 Elmer Gardens, Elmer Gardens, 2-8 (evens).

South Hornchurch

69 South End Road, South End Road, 166-174 (evens).

South Hornchurch

70 Ongar Way, Writtle Walk, Ongar Way, 1-5 (all nos.).

South Hornchurch

71 Rainham Road, Rainham Road, 145-149 (odds).

South Hornchurch

72 Cherry Tree Lane, Cherry Tree Lane, 179-185 (odds).

South Hornchurch

324
73 Roman Close, Roman Close, 145-153 (odds).
South Hornchurch

74 Southview Parade, Southview Parade, 1-6 (all nos.).

New Road,
Rainham

75 Upminster Road Upminster Road South, 107-119 (odds), 76-84

South, (evens).
Rainham

76 Wennington Road, Wennington Road, 113-139A (odds).

Rainham

77 Wennington Road, Wennington Road, 194-200 (evens)

Rainham No. 205B

325
Annex 5
Car, Motor-cycle and Disabled Parking Standards.
CAR PARKING STANDARDS ARE MAXIMA

The figures in brackets refer to the notes provided at the end of this schedule.

Type of Use Parking requirement Further information

development (1) clas Romford District Local Rest of
s (2) Town Centres centres Borough
Centre (3) (4) (5) (6)
2
Food stores upto A1 1/75m m2 m 2

500 m2 (7)
30
Food supermarket A1 1/40-30 m2 m2 m2
upto 2500 rfa/c4000 50-35
m2 gfa (7) 1/30
1/18
Non-Food store m2 1/50-35 1/30 m2
upto 2500 rfa/c4000 m2
m2 gfa (7)
Food superstore 1/75-50
A1 1/38-25 m2 1/25-18 1/15 m2
over 2500 rfa/c4000 m2
m2 gfa (7)
Non-food A1 1/60-40 m2 1/50-30 1/30 m2
warehouse over m2
2500 rfa/c4000 m2
gfa (7)
Garden centre A1 1/65-45 m2 1/45-30 1/25 m2
m2
Town A1 1/75-50 m2 1/50-35 1/30 m2 This standard applies to all non-food stores
centre/shopping m2 below 2500 m2.
mall (7)
Financial and A2 1/75-50 m2 1/50-35 1/30 m2 Headquarter style buildings of financial
professional m2 institutions will be treated as B1.
services No additional parking should be provided in
Romford or where parking already exists other
than for operational requirements.
Restaurants, cafes A3-5 1/50 m2 m2 Within the Core and Fringe Retail areas of
and drinking Romford Town Centre no additional parking
establishments. provision should be made.
Hot Food 1/10 Generally provided "on-street" parking is not
Takeaways considered likely to result in a serious road safety
hazard
or a significant increase in traffic congestion and
the amenity of neighbouring residents is not
Significantly affected, a relaxation in standards
may be considered.
Takeaway food stores with no facilities for
consumption on the premises will be considered
as food shops and the appropriate standard
should be used.
B1 1/100 m2 In determining appropriate parking for B2 and B8
Offices (a) employment uses applicants should have regard
Research and (b) to B1 standards although a degree of flexibility
development may be required to reflect different trip generating
Light industry (c) characteristics.
In applying this standard regard will be had to
standards in adjoining areas in Essex.
Provision will be calculated and made for each
individual unit within a development rather than
the aggregate floorspace of the total scheme.
Storage and B8 1 lorry space per 200 m2 (minimum 1 lorry Any associated office accommodation should be
distribution space), to 1 lorry space minimum plus 1 treated as offices for parking purposes.
lorry space per 500 m2.
In applying this standard regard will be had to
standards in adjoining areas in Essex.
Hotel C1 Operational 1 space per bedroom (staff Outside Romford Town Centre lower provision
Boarding house requirement and guests) may be acceptable where there is good public
Guest house s transport.
Hospitals/Residenti C2 To be assessed on an individual basis using
al Schools and a transport assessment.
Colleges
Nursing home C2 1 space per 4 resident bedspaces This standard covers residents and staff
Sheltered housing C3 1 space per resident warden plus 1 space
per 4 units (where 1 bed) and 1 space per 2
units (where 2 bed) (minimum 2 spaces)
plus 1 per 20 non resident staff
Dwelling houses C3 See density matrix in DC2 Disabled parking guidance provided at the end of
this table.
Hostels SG 1 space per 2 resident spaces The level of parking provision required will
depend on the type of hostel proposed owing to
the wide variation in parking demand generated
by different types of hostels.
HMOs SG 1 space per 2 habitable rooms
Day nurseries and D1 1 space for each member of staff Dropping off area will also need to be provided
creches
Surgeries, health D1 1 per practitioner plus 1 per 2 additional In the case of primary health care facilities only,
centres and clinics staff plus 2 per consulting room the benefits of providing a convenient local
surgery will be taken into account. Provided the
site is well served by public transport, "on street"
parking is not considered likely to
result in a serious road safety hazard or a
significant increase in traffic congestion and the
 amenity of neighbouring residents is not
significantly affected, a relaxation in standards
may be considered.
Colleges of further D1 1 space per 2 staff plus 1 space per 15
education students
Primary and D1 1 space per teaching staff Safe and convenient dropping off/collection areas
secondary schools should be provided for parents cars and
coaches/school buses
Church halls, D1 1 space per 4 m2
village halls and
community centres
Assembly and D2 1 space per six seats The variety and scale of leisure developments
leisure including means that larger developments may be assessed
cinema, theatre on an individual basis.
(sui generis), For outdoor recreation the assessment would be
bingo, ice rinks based on the total number of players (including
etc. substitutes, referee etc) able to play at any one
time and, if appropriate, an allowance for paying
spectators.
Where Clubhouse facilities are provided,
additional parking provision at licensed premises
standard will be required.
Stadia D2 1 space per 15 seats
(1) All floorspace is gross floor area except for retail where retail floor
area (rfa) is also used.
(2) The use classes referred to at those defined by the Town and
Country Planning Act 1990, as amended by the Use Classes
(Amendment) Order 2005, and General Permitted Development
(Amendment) Order 2005.
(3) * Romford PTAL Zone
(4) * Hornchurch, Upminster, Elm Park, Harold Wood, Elm Park, Rainham
PTAL Zones, Collier Row and Harold Hill District Centres as defined on
the proposals map
(5) * Local centres as defined on the proposals map
(6) All areas of the borough outside the PTAL Zones, Collier Row and
Harold Hill District Centres and Local Centres
(7) The Council would prefer that the majority of spaces generated by
shopping developments with Romford Town Centre should be provided
at the developer's expense in public car parks by means of negotiated
commuted payment.
(8) For an application for a change of use it will only be necessary to
provide additional spaces to meet the difference in requirement between
the proposed use and existing use. However where the proposed use
will remove parking spaces for an existing development which will
remain, replacement provision will have to be made.
(9) For mixed used development, the gross floorspace given over to
each use should be used to calculate the overall total maximum parking
figure.
(10) All large developments should provide for appropriate taxi ranks
and coach/bus parking/standards. Consideration of these should form
part of the developments’ transport assessment.
(11) A standard car parking space should measure 4.8m x 2.4m and each
space should be capable of use independently of any other space.
Access lanes should be at least 6m wide. Disabled parking bays should
measure 4.8m x 3.6m. Parking for nursing homes and sheltered housing
should be 2.6 metres wide.

Motor-cycle Parking

Depending on the nature of the development, motorcycle parking

spaces should be provided for staff and visitors. As a guideline, 1
motorcycle parking space should be provided per 20 car parking
spaces, subject to all developments with more than 10 car spaces
having a minimum of 1 space. A minimum area of 2m x 1m should be
provided, and, as with pedal cycle parking, every effort should be made
to provide spaces in a secure, and attractive position. They should be
located closer to the building they serve than car parking spaces, and
should be provided with adequate protection from the weather.

Disabled parking

The following standards are taken from Traffic Advisory Leaflet 05/95:

330
 Car Park Used Car Park Size
For 5-200 Bays Over 200 Bays
Employees and Individual bays for 6 bays plus 2% of
visitors to each disabled total capacity
business employee plus 2 bays
premises or 5% of total capacity
whichever is greater
Shopping, 3 bays or 6% of total 4 bays plus 4% of
recreation and capacity whichever is total capacity
leisure and greater
other public
uses

Where no off street parking is proposed applicants must demonstrate

where disabled drivers can park in order to easily use the development.
All disabled spaces should be sized in accordance with BS 8300 2001. In
off-street public car parks, spaces for Blue Badge holders should be
provided as close as possible, preferably within 50 metres of the
facilities served by the car park with level or ramped (preferred gradient
5 per cent) access, and under cover if possible, and on firm and level
ground. They should be clearly marked with the British Standard
“disabled” symbol and clearly signposted from the car park entrance.
Access to the buildings should not be hampered by the presence of
kerbs or steps. In open parking areas, designated parking spaces
should be located on firm and level ground. The surface of designated
parking spaces should be even and stable, with any variation of surface
profile not exceeding ± 5mm (e.g. between paving, surface features or
different surfaces). In multi-storey car parks the spaces should be on
the level or levels at which there is pedestrian access or, if this is not
possible, near to a lift usable by wheelchair users.
Where the provision of designated parking spaces close to the building
is not possible, a setting-down point for disabled passengers should be
provided on firm and level ground, close to the principal entrance to the
building. The surface of the pavement or footpath alongside a setting-
down point should be level with the carriageway at this point. Tactile
indication of this type of setting-down point is necessary to enable
people with impaired vision to determine whether they are on the
pavement or the carriageway.
For residential development, the design of parking bays should be in
accordance with Lifetime Homes standards. Parking bays associated
with Wheelchair Housing should be designed in accordance with the
Wheelchair Housing Design Guide. Any proposal to create car-free
developments should demonstrate where Blue Badge Holders can park
in order to easily use the development.

Please see Traffic Advice Leaflet 5/95, Parking for Disabled People for
further advice.

331
Annex 6
Cycle Parking Standards

Land Use Category Cycle Parking Standard

* Minimum 2 spaces
A1 Shops Food retail Out of town 1/350m2*
Town centre/Local
shopping centre
1/125m2*
Non-food retail Out of town 1/500m2*
Town centre/Local
shopping centre
1/300m2*
Garden centre 1/300m2*
A2 Financial and Offices, business and 1/125m2*
professional professional
services
A3 Food and drink Pubs, wine bars 1/100m2*
Fast food takeaway 1/50m2*
Restaurants, cafes 1/20 staff for staff + 1/20
seats for visitors
B1a Business Business offices 1/250m2*
B1b Light industry 1/250m2*
B1c R&D 1/250m2*
B2 General
1/500m2*
industrial
B8 Storage and Warehouses
1/500m2*
distribution
C1 Hotels Hotels 1/10 staff
Sui generis hostels 1/4 beds
C2 Residential Hospitals 1/5 staff + 1/10 staff for
institutions visitors
Student 1/2 students
accommodation
Children's homes, 1/3 staff
nursing homes,
elderly people's
homes
C3 Dwelling house Flats 1/unit
Dwelling houses 1/1 or 2 bed dwelling,
2/3+ bed dwelling
Sheltered
1/450m2
accommodation

332
D1 Non-residential Primary schools 1/10 staff or students
institutions
Secondary schools 1/10 staff or students
Universities, colleges 1/8 staff or students
Libraries 1/10 staff + 1/10 staff for
visitors
Doctor, dentist, health 1/50 staff + 1/5 staff for
centres, clinics visitors
D2 Assembly and Theatres, cinema 1/20 staff for staff + 1/50
leisure seats for visitors
Leisure, sports 1/10 staff + 1/20 peak
centres, period visitors
swimming pools

333
 INTERPRETING AND TRANSLATION ASSISTANCE
If you would like to receive a summary or copy of this document in your own language please ­
tick the appropriate box, fill in your name and address, and return to the address given below. ­
This information can also be provided on Tape □ Braille □ Large Print □
Nëse dëshironi ta pranoni një përmbledhje apo Haddii aad jeclaan lahayd inaad xog kooban
kopje të këtij dokumenti në gjuhën tuaj, ju lusim ama koobi dukumeentigaan ah ku hesho
shenoni katrorin përkatës, plotësoni emrin dhe luuqaddaada, fadlan sax sanduuqa ku haboon,
adresën tuaj dhe ktheni formën në adresën e ku qor magacaaga iyo cinwaankaaga, kuna soo
dhënë më poshtë. celi cinwaanka hoos ku qoran.

ALBANIAN • SOMALI •
Bu belgenin bir özetini veya bir kopyasını kendi
dilinizde edinmek isterseniz lütfen ilgili kutuyu
如果您希望獲取該文件的摘要或者全文的母語
işaretleyiniz, adınızı ve adresinizi yazıp aşağıda
譯本，請在對應的方框中打勾，填寫您的姓名
和地址，然後寄至以下地址。 verilen adrese gönderiniz.

CHINESE • TURKISH •
Pour obtenir un résumé ou une copie de ce
document dans votre langue, veuillez cocher la
case correspondante, indiquer votre nom ainsi
que vos coordonnées, et renvoyer le tout à
lʼadresse indiquée ci-dessous.

RENCH • URDU •

Name _______________________________ Return to:

ddress _____________________________ Peter Hall

Development and Transportation Planning
____________________________________ London Borough of Havering
9th Floor, Mercury House
____________________________________ Mercury Gardens
Romford RM1 3SL
Telephone No ________________________
•

Translated by London Borough of Waltham Forest Interpreting and Translation Service ­

 Core Strategy and
Development Control Policies
Development Plan Document
Adopted 2008

Published by London Borough of Havering Design and Print 05/09 Job No 8310