Flats vs Houses: Are We Building the Right Homes for Havering?

Havering residents are all too familiar with the words housing crisis, but when it comes to the types of homes being built, many feel the reality on the ground does not match the rhetoric. What residents want most is family-sized houses that provide space, stability and community. Instead, much of what is being delivered in the borough continues to be flats often in town centre developments that many locals describe as crammed in and out of character with the surrounding area.

We are repeatedly told that more housing is needed across London and in Havering in particular, with ever-higher targets set by planners at both local and citywide level. Yet the pattern of development is clear and the numbers tell their own story. Havering’s own monitoring shows that in the year to March 2024 the borough delivered 577 net additional homes, far below the council’s own Local Plan target of 1,801 homes for that period.

Most of these new homes have come through larger developments that are heavily weighted towards flats rather than traditional houses. This feeds a growing sense among many residents that development is focused on vertical, higher-density schemes rather than on the family homes Havering’s population growth demands.

This issue is heightened by recent funding announcements. Havering Council has been awarded nearly £24 million to help deliver new homes for local people, including family-sized properties. While this investment has been welcomed by many, critics point out that much of the pace and pattern of development still leans towards flats rather than the houses local families have been calling for.

Across the borough, residents have repeatedly voiced their concerns about what they see as ugly-looking blocks of flats being squeezed into town centre locations and other neighbourhoods without sufficient consideration for design, infrastructure or community impact. Many argue that what Havering truly needs are more family homes with gardens, space and neighbourhood cohesion, rather than more apartment blocks.

The debate comes amid ongoing pressure from regional housing targets set by the Mayor of London and reflected in the London Plan, which asks Havering to deliver hundreds of new homes each year. But while the numbers are high, the type of housing being built remains a major point of contention.

Councillors and planning officials acknowledge the challenge of balancing overall housing delivery with the need for different types of homes, but for many residents the message is clear: more homes are needed, yes but they should be homes that fit Havering’s character and meet the needs of local families, not just more flats.

As the borough grows and evolves, the conversation about what we’re building matters just as much as how many homes we build. For many in Havering, that means a renewed emphasis on family housing and a planning system that truly reflects the needs of the community.

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