Plans to turn a private Hornchurch home into temporary housing for young and vulnerable parents and their babies has been refused.

The application, submitted by Oluwakemi Ogundipe, asked for permission to reimagine the Shelley Avenue property as a temporary solution for families, giving them somewhere to stay for around 12 weeks.

It would have provided them with access to teams experienced in social work, psychotherapy, psychiatry and other services.

In the accompanying documents, the application said it would “help young parents and their children who are in vulnerable situations and need family life assistance in a secure environment whilst in temporary accommodation”.

However, Havering Council officers have refused the application.

One reason given was because the submission failed to demonstrate the proposal would meet an identified need within the borough, at the cost of losing a family home.

Additionally, officers said the application did not demonstrate that the site is appropriate for the request or that it would not have a detrimental effect on the local area.

The applicant’s agent, Aarkz Design, was approached for comment.

View the application using the reference P0518.22.