The Triangle Romford bids for part use as 10-person HMO

The first floor of the building at 290 North Street is in use as a HMO and is licensed to operate until September 2026.

However, planning permission for the HMO use has not been officially approved, and a retrospective planning application has been submitted to Havering Council by Mahbub Alum.

The property contains nine bedrooms, each with an en-suite bathroom, and is designed to house up to 10 people.

According to a planning statement prepared by Tugby & Tugby Surveyors Ltd, the application seeks to "regularise an existing use" rather than introduce a new one.

The property currently holds a valid HMO licence issued by Havering Council and it is considered a "significant material consideration" in the planning process.

A venue named The Triangle had a premises license application to supply alcohol, play live and recorded music, and provide late night refreshments refused earlier this month for the property at 290 North Street.

At a Havering Council meeting on June 5, objections against the license application were explored including concerns about late night noise and anti-social behaviour.

The Triangle replaced Neyzen Restaurant, which itself was stripped of its premises licence in March after Home Office immigration officers found illegal working at the site and a shed which raised "suspicion of modern-day slavery".

Before Neyzen Restaurant, the premises was in use as a pub called The Parkside, which closed around 2021.

The retrospective planning application states that the nearest known HMO is in Hainault Road, and there is "no evidence of overconcentration" under the council’s 10 per cent HMO concentration threshold.

The statement also notes that the former pub is not listed as an asset of community value, meaning the change does not result in the loss of protected community space.

No noise complaints have been reported, and soundproofing has been installed to meet building regulations.