A care home on the edge of the green belt could be demolished to make way for seven family homes.

Developer Tiffani Properties has submitted plans to build five three-bedroom houses and two three-bedroom bungalows in place of the care home and barn in North Road, Havering-atte-Bower.

The plans have undergone several changes since they were first discussed with a council officer at the pre-application stage in November 2021.

These include reducing the number of homes to be constructed from nine to seven, as well as the number of parking spaces proposed. 

In documents filed as part of the submission, the applicant acknowledges new buildings are generally deemed inappropriate for the green belt. 

However, it goes on to state that, due to its plans to replace a hard standing area with a landscaped space, and for the homes facing the road to “reflect the neighbouring properties”, it believes it constitutes an exception. 

The 3,455sq m size of the land involved also means the proposal must provide at least 35 per cent affordable housing, despite only involving the construction of seven homes. 

Due to the inability to build more homes on the site because of its location on the Green Belt, however, the applicant believes a financial payment is more appropriate, with a viability assessment to be submitted. 

A total of 10 parking spaces and cycle storage for each home are also included. 

Tiffani Properties’ agent, Dovetail Architects, was contacted for comment. 

View the application on Havering Council’s planning portal using the reference P1727.22. 

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