Havering residents resoundingly reject plans to build homes on Como Street car park.

Romford Councillor David Taylor slams building plans saying it will encourage ‘density creep’.

Havering residents have delivered a resounding rejection of plans to build up to 170 homes on Romford’s Como Street car park. A survey of nearly 500 residents saw just 44 say they agreed with the idea.

Following the agreement to sell the Como Street car park to Mercury Land Holdings, a property developer fully owned by Havering Council, plans have been revealed to place 170 homes on the site. A majority of the homes will be in new tower blocks, some as high at 12 storeys with retail underneath. 

Councillor David Taylor, who represents the area, said that the plans were not suitable and he accused the developer of encouraging ‘density creep’. 

“The Lower Mawneys area is characterised by Victorian terraces. Family homes with gardens. These plans whack a 12 storey block on the edge of the area and they are not at all suitable. 

During a presentation, the developer kept referencing the tall blocks on Angel Way. Lower Mawneys is not Angel Way and by building a new tower block there the developer is encouraging density creep. It won’t be long before other developers also try the same.

As well as being too tall, the plans propose retail, something we have enough of in Romford. I’d hate to see an empty car park replaced by empty shops. 

We need new homes in Havering, but this proposal is not the answer”. 

Residents took to social media to express their concerns, with a number of the complaints focusing on the lack of services in the area. Many referenced already long waits at GPs and full schools. 

During a presentation to residents, the developer referenced that they will be liable to pay a Community Infrastructure Levy to the council. It would then be up to the council to decide how to use that. 

“Once that money goes into the council pot, we won’t see it again”, Councillor Taylor said. “If the developer is intent on placing so many new homes on the site then the least they could do would be to replace some of the proposed retail with a new GP surgery. 

Other developers have done the same.

I hope the developers are listening. The people of Romford are speaking loud and clear, we’re saying “no” to a tower-block on this site.”

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