Developer Landhaven Ltd has applied for planning permission to build an extension, reports Nick Clark, Local Democracy Reporter

774-778 Barking Road, Plaistow (credit Google)

A property developer wants planning permission to build an extension to a prominent building in Plaistow.

Landhaven Ltd already has approval to convert offices at 774-778 Barking Road into flats. It has now applied to refurbish and extend the building, and divide the ground floor into two shops.

Proposals say the extensions have been “thoughtfully designed” and “sympathetic to the character of the area”.

The building is a locally-listed former bank. It stands opposite The World Cup Sculpture of Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst, Martin Peters and Ray Wilson at the junction of Barking Road and Green Street.

Landhaven Ltd has applied for planning permission to build an extension behind the building in Boundary Road, and above the Post Office branch next door in Barking Road.

It also wants to divide the ground floor – which is currently vacant, and was last occupied by an estate agent – in two, and build a new entrance.

The developer says it wants to provide a total of 14 homes.

A design statement submitted with the application says the development would “provide much needed new homes”.

The statement added it would also “sensitively rehabilitate and enhance the existing building, which is locally listed, ensuring that its character and contribution to the streetscape are preserved and improved”.

Designs show that Landhaven Ltd had previously also considered building a large mansard roof on top of the former bank.

However it says that in pre-application discussions, Newham Council planning officers said they would likely oppose this.

It says officers advised the company the “much bulkier, more visually prominent double-storey mansard” would “detract from the character and appearance of the locally listed building, proportionally appearing top-heavy and incongruous”.

The design statement says Landhaven then chose not to press ahead with the roof extension in its formal planning application.

Landhaven Ltd already has approval to convert offices on the second and third floors into six flats, after the council signed off on the plans in January.

The new application became available to view and comment on at the council’s planning website on Tuesday, 16th June, using reference number 26/00876/FUL

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