A planning application has been submitted for 15 new homes in Eastern Avenue East, contained within a part four-, part five-storey building.
The homes would consist of two one-bed, four two-bed and nine three-bed flats, each with their own private terrace or balcony.
Amongst the proposals is storage space for 30 bicycles and six parking spaces, including one disabled space.
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A planning statement prepared by RPS Consulting Services on behalf of applicant Apex Development Trading reveals that two applications have previously been approved for a residential development on the site.
Once a petrol station, the buildings at 6 Eastern Avenue East have since been demolished after a proposal for 14 flats was granted on appeal in 2005.
A second application for nine flats was approved in 2017, but the planning statement does not make it clear why neither of these applications came to anything.
In 2018, a new application was submitted for 21 flats, but this was disposed of in 2022 after an agreement could not be reached with Havering Council over affordable housing.
For the current proposal, some concerns were raised by residents over the size of the building at the pre-application stage in January, according to the planning statement.
The number of parking spaces in the plans was also brought up, as residents worried that six spaces would be “inadequate” and lead to “spillover in surrounding streets”.
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However, three respondents at pre-application stage were “pleased” with the development in principle, given that the plot is vacant.
In the planning statement, RPS Consulting Services said that this resulted in the “opportunity to deliver a development to the site which will not only enhance the site and area in general but also provide much needed housing for the borough”.
It added that the design approach would be “attractive and sensitive” to minimise “overlooking and bulkiness”.
Havering Council’s planning team is expected to make a decision on the plans by July 23.
