IN Brief:
- Blocks 9 and 10 form the first phase of a wider Romford masterplan planned for up to 1,380 homes.
- The approved package combines 107 affordable homes with a community space, landscaped public realm, and revised building forms.
- Planning refinements tied to updated regulations and buildability are now pushing the scheme toward a late-2028 completion target.
Havering Council and Wates Residential have secured planning approval for Blocks 9 and 10 at the Waterloo and Queen Street site in Romford, clearing the first phase of a wider estate regeneration scheme on the edge of the town centre.
The consent covers a Section 73 application and Reserved Matters approval for the two blocks. Together they are set to deliver 107 affordable homes, a new community space for local residents, and landscaped public spaces around a sensitive gateway location beside St Andrew’s Church. The partners are now targeting completion of the first phase by late 2028.
The more consequential detail sits inside the approved design changes. Planning officers backed a series of refinements linked to updated building regulations and technical delivery requirements, including reduced building heights, simplified massing, revised core arrangements, and improved separation distances. Plot 9 is now capped at six storeys, while Plot 10 will run at a consistent four storeys, with the amended layout also improving daylight, sunlight, outlook, privacy, and the quality of the churchyard edge and surrounding public realm.
That first phase also carries weight beyond its unit count. Planning papers state that the borough cannot currently demonstrate a five-year housing land supply, and officers gave significant weight to the fact that Plots 9 and 10 will deliver 100% affordable housing within this phase. The revised scheme does not increase the overall housing quantum already approved under the masterplan, but it is intended to improve buildability and bring forward the consented affordable provision without delay.
The wider Waterloo and Queen Street regeneration forms part of Havering’s 12-estates joint venture with Wates Residential. Across the full estate, the programme is planned to deliver up to 1,380 new homes, along with green spaces, biodiversity improvements, and commercial workspace. Havering has said the broader development will provide 173% more affordable housing for local people, while also supporting local jobs, apprenticeship training weeks, qualifications, and work experience placements during delivery.
Community consultation also fed directly into the final design, particularly around building height, balconies, landscaping, and overall appearance. On dense urban regeneration sites, those issues rarely stay cosmetic for long. In this case, they have been drawn into the consented scheme at the point of approval, rather than left to surface later during delivery.
