Plans to redevelop a site on Wanstead High Street have sparked debate over amenity space, as Redbridge Council's Planning Committee considered an application for the demolition of existing retail units and the construction of new flats.
The proposal, application 0787/25, involves demolishing single-storey flat roof retail units at 1A and 3A High Street, Wanstead, and redeveloping the site to provide a ground floor retail unit with three self-contained flats on the upper floors. The development also includes associated cycle storage and waste/refuse storage.
While the development aims to provide much-needed housing in the area, concerns have been raised regarding the lack of private amenity space for the future residents of the flats. According to planning documents, none of the three flats have provision for private amenity space, which is contrary to Policy D6 of the London Plan and Policy LP29 of the Council's Local Plan.
Despite the lack of private amenity space, planning officers have recommended that permission be granted, citing the need for housing and the high quality of the proposed flats. The planning officer's report notes that the three flats would all be 1-bed 2-person in size and would exceed their minimum space requirements. Two of the flats would be single storey and 61 square metres in size, while the one at the rear would be two storey, also 61 square metres in size.
The development site has a Public Transport Accessibility Level (PTAL) rating of 5, which is classified as 'very good'. The planning officer's report stated that none of the three flats would have off-street parking and this is compliant with Policy T6.1 of the London Plan, which sets out that all areas with a PTAL rating of 5-6 should be car-free.
The planning officer's report also addresses concerns about the impact on the existing retail environment, stating that the requirements for use class percentages under Policy LP10 of the Councils Local Plan are out of date and were superseded by the introduction of Class E and the freedom to move between the various sub classes of Class E i.e. E(a), E(b), E(c) etc. Policy LP10 of the Councils Local Plan does not prevent or restrict the merging of smaller Class E commercial units into larger units and this is considered to be acceptable. There would be a modest but acceptable loss of 9.65 square metres of commercial space to enable the creation of the residential core, staircase, and cycle/refuse store. This again is acceptable on balance, having a negligible impact on the district centre, and would comply with Policies LP9 and LP10 of the Councils Local Plan.
The application is for new housing which is located within the 6.2km Zone of Influence of Epping Forest SAC. As such the Natural England guidance applies and screening and appropriate assessment is required. The agreed approach is to ensure that there is no detrimental impact on the integrity of the Epping Forest SAC through Strategic Access Management and Monitoring (SAMM) towards Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANGS). This is secured as part of a unilateral undertaking which has been submitted with the application. For application 0787/25, this is secured as part of a unilateral undertaking which has been submitted with the application.
The Planning Committee was scheduled to review the minutes from the meeting held on 23 June 2025, and also scheduled to consider other planning applications, including developments in Ilford and Chadwell Heath.
View the full reports pack from the meeting or the agenda on the council website.
