The town hall has been given permission through a compulsory purchase order to acquire four hectares of land in Bridge Close, where it aims to see new homes, a primary school, a health centre and a community centre built.
A compulsory purchase order (CPO) allows public authorities to acquire land or property without the owner’s consent, for the purpose of new developments or infrastructure projects.
The exact amount of money Havering will need to spend to buy the land has not been made publicly available and was not openly discussed at a cabinet meeting held last week.
Ahead of the meeting, Councillor Graham Williamson, cabinet member for development and regeneration, said the scheme was a “key part of our vision to transform Romford into a thriving, modern town centre”.
“Making this CPO is an important step to ensure we can deliver much-needed homes, improved public spaces, and better connections for our community,” he added.
Seventy per cent of the land has been bought but the council says it “may struggle” to acquire the remaining 30pc.
Among the sites Havering plans to forcibly purchase are the Havering Islamic Community Centre (HICC) in Waterloo Road and Romford Ambulance Station.
It is negotiating for 19 parcels of land – including eight businesses and five houses – and plans to use the CPO if it is unsuccessful.
Though CPOs are very useful for councils, they can be controversial with residents and homeowners.
Critics of CPOs say that the compensation offered by authorities to homeowners can fall short of market value, meaning residents cannot afford to stay in the area and must relocate.
Additionally, forcefully closing businesses can lead to a loss of livelihoods for their proprietors.
The scheme was unanimously approved by councillors.
