B2B Educators applied for the change of use of unit 2a of Romford Shopping Hall from commercial use to learning and non-residential use in March this year.
Despite sharing an address, the site of the application is not owned by Romford Shopping Hall.
The application was refused by Havering Council in April but B2B director Dr Attique Ur Rehman Shafq has applied again for retrospective permission to change the use of the venue and start offering courses.
He told the Recorder that B2B has taken the lease and has moved into the property although operations have not yet begun.
B2B Educators has taken the lease on the unit (Image: B2B Educators) He said: “This time, I personally sought pre-application advice via the planning portal and have submitted this new application with all the relevant information and documentation in line with their (the council’s) guidance.
“We are hopeful this will lead to a positive outcome.”
According to the application form, the site was previously granted permission to be used as a medical clinic in 2010 and since then the use class has not been altered.
In April, Havering Council claimed Dr Attique’s proposal could result in noise disturbances which would affect neighbouring properties.
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B2B Educators had been located in Clements Road, Ilford for the past two years and does not intend to keep the former location open after the move to Romford is complete.
Dr Attique added: “As previously shared, B2B Educators offer vocational short courses and professional training programmes, all of which are self-funded.
“We strongly believe our services will benefit the local community by providing accessible skills development opportunities at a very affordable cost.
“Additionally, other nearby businesses are likely to benefit from the increased footfall, given that we are located in a commercial area surrounded by cafés, a children’s play centre, and other establishments.”
Havering was recently revealed as the London borough with the lowest percentage of people with level four qualifications or higher.
In response to this data, Dr Attique said: “I was quite surprised to learn that only 23.6pc have achieved this level.
“While this figure is disappointing on one hand, on the other it highlights the real potential for our plan to establish a professional and vocational education centre.
“It gives us further encouragement that we can contribute meaningfully to skills development within the local community.”
A decision on the retrospective application is expected to be made by October 1.
