Planning and building regulation drawings in Collier Row (RM5)
Collier Row spread out from Romford during the 1920s and 1930s, laid out on former farmland as a planned suburb rather than a village with a long history. The result is rows of interwar semi-detached houses, mixed with postwar and more modern infill, on regular plots with front and rear gardens. The district's roads include Collier Row Road, Lodge Lane, White Hart Lane, Clockhouse Lane, Mawney Road, Lawns Way, Mashiters Hill, Carter Drive, Ravenswood Close, Hunter's Grove, Silvermere Avenue and Victoria Avenue.
- MCIAT chartered technologists
- London Borough of Havering granted 83% of 1019 householder applications
- Drawings in about 7 days
Those matched pairs and generous gardens explain the usual projects: rear extensions, side extensions and hip-to-gable loft conversions. A hip-to-gable swaps the sloping side of a hipped roof for a vertical gable, which can give enough headroom for a proper bedroom and bathroom without moving. It changes the roofline of one half of a matched pair, though, so the way it reads against the house next door matters where an application is needed.
The council also cares about the gap between pairs, because it stops the road closing up into a terrace. That shapes how wide a two-storey side extension can be, and can mean setting it back from the front and down from the main ridge. Plots are regular but finite, so a single-storey rear extension has a depth beyond which it needs a householder application. We know of no conservation area or area-specific Article 4 direction in Collier Row, so Havering's usual householder rules apply, and matching the original brick, render, tile-hanging and roof tiles keeps additions from looking bolted on.
Planning in Collier Row: what to know before you apply
Havering applies the national permitted development limits and its householder design guidance in Collier Row, with no area direction narrowing them. A modest rear extension and some loft conversions can proceed without an application if they stay inside the limits. A side extension of more than one storey is never permitted development, so it always needs a householder application, and deeper rear schemes and larger roof changes that breach the limits do too. Case officers read these against the suburban rhythm: the spacing between pairs, the roof forms and the neighbour's amenity, including overshadowing and the shared party wall. Flats have no householder permitted development rights. Roof enlargements still need the right measurements and materials, and we confirm those against the current limits before preparing the drawings.
Applications are decided by London Borough of Havering — its planning pages.
Does your Collier Row project need planning permission?
Collier Row (RM5) in numbers
What London Borough of Havering has decided, and what RM5 is built of — the two facts that shape every job here.
Householder planning decisions — London Borough of Havering
Collier Row (RM5) applications are decided by London Borough of Havering; these are its published householder figures for the last four quarters.
| Householder applications decided2025 Q2 to 2026 Q1 | 1,019 |
|---|---|
| Granted | 844 |
| Refused | 175 |
| Grantedof 1019 decisions · England 90% | 83% |
| Decided within 8 weeksof 586, excluding prior approvals | 97% |
Source: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (PS2 district planning application statistics). Open Government Licence v3.0 Extracted 2026-09-22.
Permitted development prior approvals — London Borough of Havering
How the larger-home-extension route has fared with London Borough of Havering, which decides RM5 notifications.
| Larger home extension prior approvals — not required2024 Q2 to 2026 Q1 | 340 |
|---|---|
| Prior approval granted | 42 |
| Prior approval refused | 65 |
| Grantedof 107 determined | 39% |
Source: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (PS1 district planning application statistics). Open Government Licence v3.0 Extracted 2026-09-22.
Planning appeals — London Borough of Havering
Refusals in RM5 can be appealed to the Planning Inspectorate; this is London Borough of Havering's householder appeal record.
| Householder appeals determined2021–2026 | 317 |
|---|---|
| Allowed | 140 |
| Allowedof 317 · England 36% | 44% |
Source: Planning Inspectorate appeals casework. Open Government Licence v3.0 Extracted 2026-09-22.
Conservation areas and Article 4 directions — London Borough of Havering
Register counts for London Borough of Havering. A count describes what the council has published, never a rank against another council.
| Conservation areas in the register6 dated, 1968–2010 | 11 |
|---|
Source: MHCLG Planning Data Platform. Open Government Licence v3.0 Extracted 2026-09-22.
What RM5 is built of
Residential building form across Collier Row (RM5), from 275 classified buildings — the fact that decides party walls, side returns and loft headroom before any policy does.
| Attached on more than one side | 33% |
|---|---|
| Attached on one side | 59% |
| Detached | 7% |
| Median building footprint | 61 m² |
| Addresses per buildingAbove about 2 means flats and maisonettes dominate | 1.08 |
| Buildings classified | 275 |
Source: Ordnance Survey National Geographic Database (derived statistics). Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right 2026. Extracted 2026-09-22.
- Day 0Measured survey of your Collier Row property — or your existing plans if you have them.
- About 7 daysDrawings issued for your approval. Free redraws until you are happy.
- SubmissionWe validate against London Borough of Havering’s checklist and submit on your behalf.
- Council: 8-week targetHouseholder applications carry an 8-week statutory target. London Borough of Havering decided 97% of 586 recent householder applications inside it.
Source: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (PS2 district planning application statistics). Open Government Licence v3.0 Extracted 2026-09-22.
Streets and neighbourhoods in RM5
Nearby postcode districts
Collier Row (RM5) — FAQs
Can I do a hip-to-gable loft without planning permission in Collier Row?+
How wide can a side extension be on a Collier Row semi?+
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