Approval has been granted to turn the third floor of a Romford shopping centre into a new events and banqueting suite. 

Plans were submitted by Aklu Plaza, based in the former Debenhams in Market Place, requesting the change of use in January 2022.

A decision was initially expected from Havering Council by the end of March. 

The application sought permission to use the space to host a range of events, including birthdays, weddings and community events. 

While the potential to host up to 500 people is noted in the application, it added it is not expected to regularly reach full capacity. 

Approval has now been granted for the change of use, with conditions including restrictions on the hours the premises can be operating, and that a dispersal policy and nuisance management plan must be submitted to the council and police. 

Owner Aklu Miah said he is pleased to have received the approval, but added “it’s a bit too late”. 

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“I gave up, so I was a bit surprised,” he said. 

However, now that he has been given the green light, he added: “Hopefully, I should be able to get it going as soon as possible.” 

 View the application on Havering Council’s planning portal using the reference P0019.22.