Developers have been forced to change their proposals for a major development at the site of the former Homebase store in Davidson Way after a “large sewerage pipe” was found underneath the store.
This was revealed in a Havering Council report, set to be presented to the council’s strategic planning committee at a meeting next Thursday (January 22).
The report states that the proposals have had to be “significantly revised” due to the pipe, which runs diagonally through the site.
This mainly involves changes to the layout, with a proposed public park now set to be “significantly larger” and framed by two housing blocks.
The report said: “This pipe cannot be built over, and redirecting it would be prohibitively expensive and would severely impact the overall viability of the scheme, and therefore the layout has been amended to avoid it entirely.”
However, the report notes that the changes have brought a “number of positive amendments to the proposal”, while maintaining a similar number of new homes.
The scheme, currently at pre-application stage, proposes the demolition of the former Homebase store and the construction of 584 homes, new shops, a park and a primary school.
The initial plans are for the tallest building to be 16 storeys high, and for the other buildings to be staggered in height – down to the six-storey school.
It was previously discussed by the strategic planning committee in September 2025, and could still change ahead of the submission of a planning application expected “later in the year”.
Homebase Romford shut for good in January 2025 after the DIY and garden centre chain entered administration in November 2024.
After the administrators were appointed, The Range owner CDS Superstores bought up to 70 stores, with a further 10 bought by Sainsbury’s and another five by B&Q.
However, administrators Teneo could not find buyers for 13 stores – including the Romford branch in Davidson Way – leaving the store to close permanently.
