The Strategic Planning Committee of Havering Council is scheduled to meet on Thursday 11 December 2025, to discuss a number of planning applications and development presentations. The most significant item appears to be the proposed development of a new special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) school on Balgores Lane, which is expected to be referred to both the Secretary of State and the Mayor of London due to its scale and location. The committee will also revisit a previous presentation regarding the Havering Islamic Community Centre on South Street, Romford.

New SEND School on Balgores Lane

The committee is scheduled to discuss a planning application for a new SEND school on Balgores Lane. The proposed development, referenced as P1087.25, includes the construction of a part single-storey, part two-storey school building with associated access, parking, sports pitch, multi-use games area (MUGA), external play spaces, and landscaping.

The application is for a site known as Balgores Fields, which is currently used as playing fields by the nearby Squirrels Heath Infant School. The site is designated as 'General Amenity Grass' and 'Football Pitch' in the Local Plan.

The new school would cater for 300 pupils aged 4-19 years with complex learning needs, including social, emotional, and mental health (SEMH) difficulties and Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC). The report pack states that 218 staff members would be employed at the school.

The proposed building would include:

• 38 classrooms
• Specialist facilities such as a hydrotherapy pool, sports hall, and enterprise hub
• Outdoor play areas and sensory gardens

The report pack notes that the planning application is within the categories that must be referred to the Secretary of State, pursuant to Regulation 3 of the Town and Country Planning General Regulations 1992 and the Mayor of London under the Town and Country Planning (Mayor of London) Order 2008.

The report pack states that the key issues to be considered are:

• The principle of development in the context of the site's location within a designated playing field
• The loss of playing field land
• The design of the proposed development and its relationship to the character and appearance of the surrounding area
• The need for a SEND school
• The impact on the amenity of neighbouring properties
• The impact on parking and the highway
• Considerations relating to ecology and biodiversity, air quality and noise impact, floodlighting, environmental sustainability, and drainage.

The planning officer's recommendation is to grant planning permission, subject to conditions and a legal agreement. The legal agreement would cover matters such as:

• Highways contributions towards works, including creating a 20mph zone on Route 1 and additional electric vehicle charging provision
• A travel plan, with a bond of £10,000 to ensure compliance
• A contribution of £49,350 towards carbon reduction programmes
• A biodiversity offsetting scheme
• A formal Community Use Obligation (CUO) to secure community access to facilities outside of school hours, including the MUGA, sports pitch, sports hall, and hydrotherapy pool.

Sport England has raised a statutory objection to the application, stating that it does not accord with any of the exceptions to their Playing Fields Policy or paragraph 104 of the NPPF¹. The Greater London Authority (GLA) has also raised concerns, stating that the application does not fully comply with London Plan policies on land use, design and transport.

Havering Islamic Community Centre

The committee is scheduled to revisit a previous presentation regarding the proposed Havering Islamic Community Centre at 222-226 South Street, Romford, referenced as W0225.22.

The proposal involves the partial demolition of existing buildings and redevelopment of the site to erect a new community centre. The report pack notes that the applicant will present the proposals in more detail, addressing concerns raised by committee members at the previous meeting on 13 November 2025.

These concerns relate to:

• Transport and movement, including the number of attendees, times of day, and impact on the surrounding highway
• Building design, including the mosaic tiles, prominence of the portico, and parity of space for men and women

The site is located south of Romford Town Centre and is occupied by the locally listed Page Calnan building. The proposal involves retaining the facade of the existing building, with a Qubba (dome) and minaret added. The new building would be set over three floors and accommodate up to 1200 worshippers.

Other Items

The agenda for the meeting also includes:

• Chair's announcements from Councillor Reg Whitney, Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee
• Apologies for absence
• Disclosure of interests
• Approval of the minutes from the meeting held on 13 November 2025
• An 'application for decision', the details of which are not included in the report pack.