Havering Council has refused retrospective planning permission for a 10-person house in multiple occupation (HMO) above a former Romford pub, as part of a wider crackdown on large shared-housing conversions across the borough.
The application concerned the first floor of the former Triangle pub and restaurant at 290 North Street, Romford. Planning officers turned it down even though the accommodation is currently operating under an active HMO licence running until September 2026. A fresh application was resubmitted immediately after the refusal.
Wave of applications
On Princes Road, a 7-person HMO scheme was refused on 31 July 2026; a revised application for a 6-person HMO has since been submitted to address the council’s objections, with a decision expected by 3 December 2026.
In Collier Row, council enforcement officers issued a formal order compelling an unauthorised HMO on Thameshill Avenue to cease operations, after finding a family dwellinghouse had been converted without planning approval. On Olive Street, planning officers have formally recommended the refusal of a proposed six-person HMO conversion, citing inadequate residential facilities, negative impacts on local living conditions, and overdevelopment.
Article 4 pressure
Reform UK leaders in Havering are pressing for borough-wide Article 4 Directions that would remove automatic permitted development rights and require every HMO conversion to go through full planning scrutiny. Residents have raised concerns about parking pressure, overdevelopment and the erosion of neighbourhood character.
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