Newham Council planning officers claim Le Mediterraneen’s extension would breach policy but the owner disputes this, reports Nick Clark, Local Democracy Reporter

Le Mediterraneen in Barking Road (credit Google)

A shop owner in East Ham is appealing against a “flawed” Newham Council decision to reject permission for an extension to his business.

The council refused to grant planning permission for a rear extension to Le Mediterraneen, 118 Barking Road, in October this year. But now the owner, Ismail Patel, is asking the government’s Planning Inspectorate to overturn the decision.

His appeal says the decision was “unjustified” as the building would cause “no harm to the residential amenity of any neighbouring properties”.

Patel applied for permission for the rear shop extension in June. However, planning officers said it would be contrary to the council’s planning policy, which restricts commercial development outside of designated town centres.

In their assesment of his application, they said this policy “seeks to ensure the vibrancy and vitality of designated town and local centres”.

The planning officers refused the application in October and Patel then appealed to the Planning Inspectorate on Friday, 7th November.

In an appeal statement his planning agent argued the decision was “unfounded, unreasonable, and based on a flawed application of planning policy”.

The statement argued that the extension would be acceptable in all other aspects. It said the refusal for the “minor extension” amounted to a “disproportionate and rigid application of policy”.

The Planning Inspectorate is likely to make a decision in early 2026 after reviewing written representations from Patel and the council.

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