PLANNING CONSULTANTS · HAVERING
Planning consultants in Havering
We prepare and coordinate the planning case and specialist reports for sites in Havering covering Romford, Hornchurch, Upminster, Gidea Park, Harold Wood and Rainham. This page sets out what London Borough of Havering asks for when you apply, with links to the council's own documents.
THE COUNCIL'S DOCUMENTS
What Havering
judges you against.
Validation list. Planning Application Checklists 004 (all applications except householder) and 001 (householder) (Checklist 004 in use from 12 September 2022 (content updated for BNG from 2 April 2024); checklist itself is undated). An application missing a required document can be made invalid, which delays the decision.
Development plan. Havering Local Plan 2016-2031 (adopted, 2021).
National policy. The National Planning Policy Framework and, for every London council, the London Plan 2021 sit alongside the local plan.
LOCAL PLANNING POINTS
Things that shape applications in Havering.
Checked against the council's published policy and guidance. Each point links to its source.
- Single-storey rear extensions are normally up to 3m deep on terraced houses and 4m on semi-detached and detached houses, with anything deeper kept within a 45-degree line from that point on the boundary (Residential Extensions and Alterations SPD, 2011). The guidance is old, so how much weight it now carries should be checked case by case. Source
- Dormers must never extend above the ridge and should be set well back from the eaves, and a hip-to-gable change will not be accepted where hipped roofs are characteristic of the house or street. Source
- Two Article 4 directions in force since 13 July 2016 mean converting to an HMO needs planning permission: one covers any dwelling in Brooklands, Romford Town, Heaton and Gooshays, the other covers flats, terraced and semi-detached houses in the rest of the borough. Source
- Havering has 11 conservation areas; Gidea Park, Havering-atte-Bower and Cranham have Article 4 directions. Source
- From 18 March 2026 to 17 March 2031, additional HMO licensing covers every ward and selective licensing covers seven wards, including Harold Wood, Squirrels Heath and Rainham and Wennington. Source
- Article 4 direction: Houses in multiple occupation (four wards). Changing any house or flat into a small house in multiple occupation (C3 to C4) needs planning permission, in Brooklands, Romford Town, Heaton and Gooshays wards (2015 ward boundaries, unchanged after 2022). Source
- Article 4 direction: Houses in multiple occupation (rest of borough). Changing a flat, terraced house or semi-detached house into a small house in multiple occupation (C3 to C4) needs planning permission, across the rest of the borough outside Brooklands, Romford Town, Gooshays and Heaton wards. Source
- 2 further Article 4 directions apply to particular areas or conservation areas. Council list
REPORTS HAVERING ASKS FOR
Havering's validation list, report by report.
Which of these your application needs depends on the project and the site. In Havering, extra reports are triggered most often by a conservation area, tall buildings, archaeological priority areas, a listed building, large sites, air quality management areas. Enter the address in our application checker to see the list for your site.
| Report | Level | When it is needed | Policy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accessibility Statement | Required | Required for all residential development.Applies to: one new home, 2 to 9 homes, major schemes, changes of use | London Plan D7; Havering Local Plan 7 |
| Affordable Housing Statement | Required | Required for major residential schemes (10+ homes or site over 0.5 ha).Applies to: major schemes | London Plan H5; Havering Local Plan 4 |
| Basement Impact Assessment | Required | Required for any new or extended basement, including householder schemes.Applies to: basements | London Plan D10 |
| Biodiversity Net Gain Statement | Required | Required for major schemes and, from 2 April 2024, minor schemes where the statutory biodiversity gain condition applies.Applies to: one new home, 2 to 9 homes, major schemes, commercial, changes of use, basements | TCPA 1990 Sch. 7A |
| Construction Logistics Plan | Required | Required for all major schemes.Applies to: major schemes | London Plan T7 |
| Design and Access Statement | Required | Required for all major development.Applies to: major schemes | DMPO 2015 Art. 9; London Plan D4; Havering Local Plan para 11.1.6 |
| Employment and Skills Plan | Required | Required for all major schemes.Applies to: major schemes | London Plan E11; Havering Local Plan 22 |
| Energy Statement | Required | Required for all major schemes.Applies to: major schemes | Havering Local Plan 36; London Plan SI2 |
| Health Impact Assessment | Required | Required for all major schemes.Applies to: major schemes | London Plan GG3; Havering Local Plan 12 |
| Landscaping Strategy | Required | Required for all major schemes except changes of use.Applies to: major schemes | London Plan G5, G6; Havering Local Plan 27 |
| Fire Statement (London Plan) | Required | All major schemes need a London Plan fire statement, separate from the Gateway One form.Applies to: major schemes | London Plan D12 |
| Planning Statement | Required | Required for all major schemes, including changes of use over 1,000 sqm.Applies to: major schemes | NPPF; London Plan; Havering Local Plan |
| Safer Places Statement | Required | Required for all major schemes.Applies to: major schemes | NPPF; Havering Local Plan 26 |
| SuDS Strategy | Required | Required for all major schemes.Applies to: major schemes | London Plan SI13; Havering Local Plan 32 |
| Urban Greening Factor | Required | Required for all major schemes except general industrial and warehousing (B2/B8).Applies to: major schemes | London Plan G5 |
| Waste Management Plan | Required | Required for all major schemes.Applies to: major schemes | London Plan SI7; Havering Local Plan 35 |
| Affordable Workspace Statement | Where relevant | Needed for industrial, major commercial or mixed-use schemes.Applies to: commercial, major schemes | Havering Local Plan 21 |
| Air Quality Assessment | Where relevant | Required for all major schemes and any development likely to significantly affect air quality.Applies to: major schemes, commercial, changes of use, 2 to 9 homes | London Plan SI1; Havering Local Plan 33 |
| Tree Survey / Arboricultural Method Statement | Where relevant | Needed where trees or hedges on or next to the site could be affected (BS5837).Applies to: all applications | London Plan G7; Havering Local Plan 27, 29, 30 |
| Circular Economy Statement | Where relevant | Required for strategic (Mayor-referable) applications.Applies to: major schemes | London Plan SI7 |
| Land Contamination Assessment | Where relevant | Needed where contamination is known or suspected, a vulnerable use is proposed, or the site is in a groundwater-vulnerable area.Applies to: one new home, 2 to 9 homes, major schemes, commercial, changes of use, basements | NPPF; Havering Local Plan 34 |
| Daylight/Sunlight Assessment | Where relevant | Required for major new development (including conversion to homes) and wherever neighbours' daylight, sunlight or gardens could be harmed; BRE BR209 applies.Applies to: all applications | London Plan D6, D9; Havering Local Plan 7 |
| Design and Access Statement (conservation areas) | Where relevant | In a conservation area, needed for new dwellings or proposals adding over 100 sqm of floorspace (householder schemes included).Applies to: house extensions, one new home, 2 to 9 homes, commercial, changes of use, basements | DMPO 2015 Art. 9; London Plan D4 |
| Draft Heads of Terms (planning obligations) | Where relevant | Needed where the scale of development calls for a S106 agreement.Applies to: major schemes, 2 to 9 homes, commercial | London Plan; Havering Local Plan |
| Biodiversity (Ecological) Survey and Report | Where relevant | Required for major schemes (other than change of use) and wherever designated sites, protected species, habitats or watercourses could be affected, e.g. demolition of a building with bat potential.Applies to: all applications | Havering Local Plan 30; London Plan G6 |
| Employment Land Statement | Where relevant | Needed where employment land would be lost.Applies to: changes of use, major schemes, commercial, 2 to 9 homes, one new home | Havering Local Plan 19, 20 |
| Viability Appraisal | Where relevant | Needed where a major residential or mixed-use scheme offers below-policy affordable housing or departs from policy on viability grounds.Applies to: major schemes | London Plan H5; Havering Local Plan 4, 5 |
| Fire Statement (Gateway One) | Where relevant | Needed for relevant buildings with 2+ homes (or educational accommodation) that are 18 m+ or 7+ storeys.Applies to: 2 to 9 homes, major schemes, one new home, changes of use | DMPO 2015 Art. 9A |
| Flood Risk Assessment | Where relevant | Needed in Flood Zones 2 and 3 (including defended areas), on sites of 1 ha+ in Zone 1, and in identified drainage or flood risk areas.Applies to: all applications | NPPF; London Plan SI12; Havering Local Plan 32 |
| Food & Beverage Management Plan | Where relevant | Needed for restaurants, pubs and microbreweries.Applies to: changes of use, commercial | London Plan HC6; Havering Local Plan 14 |
| Foul Sewerage and Utilities Assessment | Where relevant | Needed for major schemes connecting to or altering utility infrastructure.Applies to: major schemes | London Plan SI5, SI6 |
| Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment | Where relevant | Needed for groundworks in an Archaeological Priority Area; for householders, new basements in an APA or groundworks in a Tier 1 APA (evaluation may also be expected).Applies to: all applications | NPPF; Havering Local Plan 28 |
| Heritage Statement | Where relevant | Needed for works affecting a listed building, scheduled monument, registered park, conservation area or APA, or next to a listed building, and for major schemes within 50 m of a conservation area.Applies to: all applications | NPPF; London Plan HC1; Havering Local Plan 28 |
| Lighting Assessment | Where relevant | Needed where external lighting or publicly accessible areas are proposed.Applies to: major schemes, commercial, changes of use, 2 to 9 homes | London Plan D8, G6; Havering Local Plan 34 |
| Microclimate Assessment | Where relevant | Needed for major schemes where building scale could affect sensitive neighbouring amenity.Applies to: major schemes | London Plan D9 |
| Noise (and Vibration) Impact Assessment | Where relevant | Needed where adjoining occupiers could be disturbed or noise-sensitive development is proposed; must be prepared by a qualified acoustician.Applies to: all applications | London Plan D13; Havering Local Plan 7, 34 |
| Parking Design and Management Plan | Where relevant | Needed where the development provides parking spaces.Applies to: one new home, 2 to 9 homes, major schemes, commercial, changes of use | London Plan T6; Havering Local Plan 24 |
| Statement of Community Involvement | Where relevant | Required for all major schemes and for sensitive or high public interest sites.Applies to: major schemes | Havering SCI (2021) |
| Structural Survey | Where relevant | Needed for any basement and for substantial works to retained structures or substantial demolition of listed or conservation-area buildings, certified by a chartered engineer.Applies to: basements, house extensions, major schemes, 2 to 9 homes, one new home, changes of use, commercial | London Plan D10 |
| Sustainable Design and Construction Statement | Where relevant | Required for all major schemes; householders need one only for extensive retrofit works aimed at better environmental performance.Applies to: major schemes, house extensions | Mayor's SD&C SPG; Havering Local Plan 34 |
| Town Centre Impact Assessment and Sequential Test | Where relevant | Needed for edge- or out-of-centre town centre uses of 200 sqm+ not in line with the Local Plan.Applies to: commercial, changes of use, major schemes | NPPF; London Plan SD7; Havering Local Plan 13 |
| Transport Assessment or Statement | Where relevant | Needed where development meets the national (DfT Appendix B) thresholds.Applies to: major schemes, commercial, changes of use, 2 to 9 homes | London Plan T4; Havering Local Plan 23 |
| Travel Plan | Where relevant | Needed for strategic development or schemes with significant transport effects.Applies to: major schemes, commercial | London Plan T4; Havering Local Plan 23 |
| Ventilation/Extraction Statement | Where relevant | Needed where food is prepared or served or substantial external extraction is proposed.Applies to: changes of use, commercial, major schemes | Havering Local Plan 14, 34 |
OUR SERVICES IN HAVERING
Every report, one coordinated team.
All 54 services are available for sites in Havering. Prices are starting estimates; we confirm the fee in writing before appointment.
Planning & strategy
Heritage & townscape
Water & ground
Environment & amenity
Ecology & landscape
Energy & sustainability
Transport & viability
Structure, basements & ground
- Structural feasibility notes
- Structural planning statements
- Basement impact assessments
- Basement construction method statements
- Ground movement assessments
- Groundwater & hydrology screening
- Geotechnical desk studies
- Ground investigation reports
- Slope stability assessments
- Retaining wall assessments
- Demolition & construction method statements
- Construction management plans
- Structural reuse & retrofit appraisals
- Structural condition discharge statements
Neighbouring councils
YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
Planning in Havering: FAQs
Still have a question?
Tell us about the site and we will confirm what Havering will need and what it should cost.
Make an enquiryWhich reports does Havering require for a house extension?
Havering's list adds reports mainly when the site has constraints, such as a conservation area, tall buildings, archaeological priority areas, a listed building, large sites, air quality management areas. Drawings and the forms are always needed. Our application checker lists the reports for your address.
How up to date is Havering's validation list?
The list we use is "Planning Application Checklists 004 (all applications except householder) and 001 (householder)", dated Checklist 004 in use from 12 September 2022 (content updated for BNG from 2 April 2024); checklist itself is undated. Councils revise their lists, so we confirm the current version before you commission reports.
Do you cover every part of Havering?
Yes. We work across the whole of Havering, including the postcode districts RM1, RM2, RM3, RM4, RM5, RM7, RM11, RM12, RM13, RM14 and areas such as Romford, Hornchurch, Upminster, Gidea Park, Harold Wood and Rainham.
Where are you based?
Our office is at Unit D New Wave House, 4 Humber Road, London NW2 6DW, and we work on sites across all 32 London boroughs, the City of London and OPDC.
YOUR NEXT STEP
Planning an application in Havering?
Tell us about the site and what you want to build. We will tell you which reports Havering is likely to need and what they should cost.
Call 020 8004 4464 or email info@greencodeconsultants.com.