London Borough of Havering
Based on Wikipedia: London Borough of Havering
In 1465, the English Crown granted a royal charter to a specific tract of land in the east, creating a "Liberty" that existed outside the ordinary jurisdiction of the shire courts. This was the Royal Liberty of Havering. For centuries, this status meant that the area was a sanctuary for those fleeing the law, a place where the King's writ ran differently than in London or Essex. Today, the name Havering survives not as a legal anomaly, but as the identifier for the easternmost borough of Greater London, a sprawling, suburban expanse where the ghosts of medieval royal palaces and the rhythms of modern commuter life collide. It is a place of stark contrasts: a borough where more than half the land is protected green belt, yet where the southern edge bleeds into one of the most intense riverfront redevelopment zones in Europe; a place with some of the lowest crime rates in the capital, yet defined by a history of housing crises that shaped its very boundaries.
To understand Havering is to understand the evolution of London itself. It is not a place that grew organically from a single village, but a patchwork stitched together by kings, railway tycoons, and post-war planners. The principal town, Romford, serves as the borough's beating heart, a major retail and nightlife hub that pulses with the energy of a population of 259,552. Yet, the borough is far more than just Romford. It encompasses the distinct communities of Hornchurch, Upminster, Collier Row, and Rainham, each with its own texture and history. The borough is the easternmost point of London, a geographical pivot where the city surrenders to the counties of Essex. To the south, across the River Thames, lies the borough of Bexley; to the north and east, it borders the Essex districts of Epping Forest, Brentwood, and the unitary authority of Thurrock. This liminal position has defined Havering's identity for over a millennium.
The Royal Echoes
The story of Havering begins long before the concept of a "London Borough" existed. Modern settlement in the area originated in Anglo-Saxon times, centered around Havering Palace. This was not merely a manor; it was a primary residence of the King. Historical records confirm the palace's existence as early as the reign of Edward the Confessor in the 11th century, a time when the area was a royal hunting ground and administrative center. The name "Havering" itself, appearing in documents from the 12th century, is steeped in legend. Historians have debated its origins since the Middle Ages, often linking it to a mystical tale involving Edward the Confessor and Saint John the Apostle.
The legend, as preserved in local lore and commemorated in stained glass from around 1407 in a Romford chapel, tells of the King losing a ring, which was then returned to him by the Apostle. This story of divine intervention and royal loss became the foundational myth of the area. When the area was formally constituted as a Liberty in 1465, it included the parishes of Havering-atte-Bower, Hornchurch, and Romford. For centuries, this Liberty operated with a unique autonomy, a "green" enclave of royal privilege that resisted the encroaching urbanization of the capital. The palace eventually fell into disrepair, but the legal and cultural footprint of the Liberty remained, influencing the area's development long after the monarchy had moved on. The local authority, the Havering London Borough Council, still operates from the former Romford Town Hall, a physical reminder of the area's long administrative history.
The Railway and the Garden Suburb
If the Royal Liberty defined Havering's past, the railway defined its future. The 20th century transformed this rural and semi-rural expanse into a vast suburban sprawl, driven by the expansion of London's transport networks. The development of the borough occurred in two distinct phases, each driven by the iron rails that cut through the countryside.
The first wave arrived in the late Victorian and Edwardian periods. As the railway lines from Liverpool Street and Fenchurch Street extended through Havering, they sparked the creation of "garden suburbs." These were not the dense, tenement-filled districts of inner London, but carefully planned communities for the middle class. Upminster, Emerson Park, and Gidea Park (also known as Romford Garden Suburb) emerged as idyllic retreats, offering residents a chance to live in houses with gardens while maintaining a commutable link to the city. This was the era of the suburban dream, where the landscape was designed to balance residential life with parklands and farmland.
The second wave, arriving in the 1930s, brought a different demographic and a different urgency. The electrification of the District Line, extended to Upminster with new stations at Elm Park and Upminster Bridge, opened the area to a new wave of working-class development. This expansion was not solely driven by the desire for a garden lifestyle but by the industrial boom nearby. The Ford Motor Company plant at Dagenham, just to the west, created a massive demand for housing for factory workers. The new Underground line became the artery for this new population, carrying thousands of daily commuters to the industrial heart of east London.
Simultaneously, to the north of the borough, a different kind of development was taking shape. The chronic housing shortages and early slum clearance programmes in central London necessitated the construction of large housing estates. Harold Hill and Collier Row were built to accommodate families displaced from the slums of the capital. These estates represented a shift in planning philosophy, prioritizing density and social housing over the manicured gardens of the earlier suburbs. The result was a borough where the architectural and social fabric is a complex layering of different eras, from the royal palaces of the 11th century to the garden suburbs of the 1920s and the post-war estates of the 1950s.
The Green Belt and the Concrete Edge
One of the most defining characteristics of Havering is its relationship with the land. Unlike many other London boroughs where urbanization is continuous and dense, Havering is a place of "indistinct boundaries." The most built-up areas—Hornchurch, Emerson Park, Gidea Park, Harold Wood, Romford, and Upminster—form a large area of continuous urban sprawl. Yet, this sprawl is punctuated by vast swathes of protected open space.
More than half of the borough, approximately 23 square miles (60 km2), is designated as Metropolitan Green Belt. This policy, enacted by predecessor local authorities and maintained by the current council, has acted as a brake on urban development. It has prevented the borough from becoming a seamless extension of the city, preserving pockets of farmland, parkland, and exurbs like Havering-atte-Bower, North Ockendon, Noak Hill, and Wennington. These areas, with their green buffers, stand in stark contrast to the dense residential districts.
This protection has had profound implications for the borough's demographics and housing market. The planning policy has limited the supply of new housing in the northern and western parts of the borough, leading to a housing stock that is predominantly private and older. Six of the 30 electoral wards in Havering—Hylands, Mawneys, Pettits, Hacton, and the two wards forming Upminster—have fewer than 2% social housing. This low percentage of council housing is a rarity in Greater London, contributing to the borough's reputation as a place of relative affluence and stability.
However, the narrative of the Green Belt is not one of total stasis. The southern part of Havering, adjacent to the Thames, tells a different story. This area falls within the London Riverside section of the Thames Gateway redevelopment area. Here, the restrictions of the Green Belt are lifted, and the borough is poised for a dramatic transformation. Large-scale house building and the creation of entirely new residential communities are planned, alongside new open spaces. This southern edge represents the future of Havering, a zone where the riverfront is being reimagined as a hub for new life, commerce, and industry. It is a place where the quiet rural past is being actively overwritten by the demands of a growing capital.
A Place of Numbers and People
The statistics of Havering paint a picture of a unique corner of London. With a population of 259,552, it has a lower population density than most other London boroughs, a direct result of its protected green spaces. The borough covers 43 square miles (111.4 km2), a vast area that feels more like a county than a part of a metropolis. This spaciousness is reflected in the economic and social indicators. Havering boasts a below-average unemployment rate for Greater London at 4.5% and one of the lowest crime rates in the capital. It is a place where safety and stability are not just slogans but measurable realities.
The demographic makeup of the borough is equally distinctive. According to the 2011 census, Havering has a significantly higher proportion of residents in white ethnic groups compared to other outer London boroughs, at 87.7%. The Black African population is the most significant minority ethnic group, comprising 3.2% of the total. The Upminster ward, in particular, stands out as the third least ethnically diverse in Greater London, with a Simpson's diversity index of 1.10. This homogeneity has shaped the cultural and political landscape of the borough, influencing everything from local elections to community initiatives.
Despite the low diversity in some areas, the borough is home to over 7,000 businesses. Romford serves as the main commercial hub, with a small district of office development clustered around the railway station. The retail landscape is dominated by interconnected shopping arcades such as the Liberty Shopping Centre, the Mercury Mall, and the Brewery. Romford Market, located to the north of the town center, is the largest market in the borough, a vibrant weekly gathering that has served the community for generations.
Industry, too, has a complex history here. Light industry has been in decline, with major employers like the Star Brewery now closed. However, new industrial development has been encouraged in the south, particularly in the Thames Gateway area. The opening of the Centre for Engineering and Manufacturing Excellence signals a shift towards high-tech and advanced manufacturing. Rainham Steel, headquartered on the boundary of Elm Park, remains a significant industrial presence. This mix of declining traditional industry and emerging high-tech sectors reflects the broader economic transitions taking place across London.
The Political Landscape
The political structure of Havering is a reflection of its complex history. The borough was created in 1965 under the London Government Act 1963, a legislative act that reorganized the administrative map of London. It was formed by combining the former Municipal Borough of Romford and the Hornchurch Urban District, transferring the area from Essex to Greater London. Romford had been a local board district since 1851, converted to an urban district in 1894, and eventually incorporated as a municipal borough in 1937. Hornchurch had followed a similar path, becoming an urban district in 1926 and expanding in 1934 to include parishes like Cranham, Great Warley, Rainham, Upminster, and Wennington.
Today, the local authority is the Havering London Borough Council, based at Havering Town Hall in Romford. The council elects 55 councillors from 20 wards. The political landscape of the borough has evolved significantly over the decades. Until 2010, the borough was split between three parliamentary constituencies: Hornchurch, Romford, and Upminster, each entirely contained within the borough. The 2010 general election saw a boundary change, creating the new Hornchurch and Upminster constituency and incorporating Rainham into the cross-borough Dagenham and Rainham constituency.
For elections to the London Assembly, the borough forms part of the Havering and Redbridge constituency. The borough's political history is also marked by its role in the Greater London Council (GLC). Until the GLC's abolition in 1986, the borough formed the Havering electoral division, electing three members. In 1973, this was divided into single-member divisions for Hornchurch, Romford, and Upminster. These political shifts mirror the demographic and social changes in the borough, reflecting a community that is constantly renegotiating its place within the larger London metropolis.
The Cost of Affordability
One of the most striking findings about Havering is its housing affordability. A 2017 study revealed that when comparing low-end rent to low-end earnings, private rented housing in Havering is the most affordable of any London borough. This is a remarkable statistic for a place within the capital, where housing costs are often prohibitive. The affordability is likely a result of the borough's unique combination of factors: the large amount of protected green land limiting supply, the lower population density, and the prevalence of older, private housing stock.
However, this affordability comes with its own set of challenges. The low percentage of social housing means that the most vulnerable residents may struggle to find support within the borough. The lack of diversity in some wards can also lead to social isolation and a lack of cultural exchange. The borough's identity as a "garden suburb" for the middle class has created a community that is relatively homogeneous and stable, but perhaps less dynamic than other parts of London.
The tension between the protected green belt and the need for new housing is a central theme in Havering's future. The plans for the Thames Gateway offer a potential solution, providing space for new communities without encroaching on the protected lands of the north. But the success of these plans will depend on the ability of the local authority to balance development with the preservation of the borough's unique character.
The Human Element
At its core, Havering is a place of people. The 259,552 inhabitants who call this borough home are part of a story that stretches back over a thousand years. They are the descendants of the King's subjects, the railway commuters, the factory workers, and the families fleeing the slums of central London. They live in a landscape that is both ancient and modern, where the ruins of a royal palace sit in the shadow of a shopping center, and where the silence of the Green Belt is broken by the rumble of the District Line.
The borough's low crime rate and high employment figures are not just statistics; they are the result of a community that has found a way to thrive in a changing world. The affordability of the private rental market is a lifeline for many, allowing people to live in London without being priced out. But the lack of diversity and the limited social housing are reminders that this prosperity is not shared equally.
As Havering looks to the future, it faces the challenge of accommodating growth while preserving the character that makes it unique. The Thames Gateway redevelopment offers a vision of a new, vibrant community on the riverfront, but the success of this vision will depend on the ability of the borough to integrate new residents with the existing population. The story of Havering is still being written, a narrative of adaptation and resilience in the face of change.
The legacy of the Royal Liberty is still visible in the borough's name and its sense of independence. The railways that once brought the middle class to the garden suburbs now bring thousands of workers to the city every day. The green belt that once protected the King's hunting grounds now protects the borough from urban sprawl. And the people of Havering, with their diverse backgrounds and shared history, continue to shape the future of this remarkable corner of London.
In the end, Havering is a testament to the complexity of London itself. It is a place where the past and the present coexist, where the rural and the urban blur, and where the struggles and triumphs of a community are played out on a landscape that is as unique as the people who live there. It is a borough that defies simple categorization, a place that is both a part of London and distinct from it, a place that continues to evolve and adapt in the face of an ever-changing world.