The meeting agreed to grant permission for all three planning applications that were discussed by the committee. This included permission to build 45 new homes in Chingford, subject to a Section 106 agreement with the developer, and permission to build two new homes on Lea Bridge Road.

22 Highams Court, 1 Friars Close, Chingford, London, E4 6UU (220739)

This application requested permission to build 45 new homes in place of the existing buildings at 22 Highams Court. The application was for outline planning permission, meaning that most of the details about the appearance and layout of the development are still to be decided.

The new homes will all be affordable housing and will be a mix of 1, 2, and 3 bedroom homes in four blocks between 3 and 5 storeys tall. The existing buildings at this location are currently used by Waltham Forest Council for temporary accommodation. Temporary accommodation is housing provided by councils to people who would otherwise be homeless.

The site is in Flood Zone 1, meaning that the risk of flooding from rivers or the sea is very low, but surface water flooding is a higher risk and the site lies within an area that Waltham Forest Council classifies as being at high risk of surface water flooding. The development will therefore be required to include sustainable drainage, and the planning permission requires that:

No infiltration of surface water drainage into the ground is permitted other than with the express written consent of the Local Planning Authority, which may be given subject to the completion of a legal agreement. Reason: To ensure that the development does not increase the risk of flooding on the site or elsewhere, in accordance with Policy LP12 of the Local Plan 2019 and the National Planning Policy Framework.

The development generated a significant amount of discussion at the meeting and 2 written representations from local residents and a local Councillor, all of whom objected to the application. Local residents objected to the application due to concerns about a loss of privacy and a loss of daylight and sunlight to their homes, as well as the size and scale of the development. The residents were represented at the meeting by Mr Kareem.

Councillor Emma Best, and a written statement from Councillor Catherine Saumarez, both representing the ward in which the development is located, also objected to the application. In her statement to the committee, Councillor Saumarez explained that:

We strongly object to the loss of light to a number of surrounding properties in Friars Close in particular... the loss of light to these properties is completely unacceptable and will have a huge negative impact on the lives of the residents who live there.

The application was presented to the committee by planning officer Kurt Henry. When questioned by Councillor Salek, Mr Henry confirmed that:

All of the units that are proposed would benefit from at least two hours of sunlight within their principal living spaces.

The committee eventually decided to grant planning permission for the application, subject to a Section 106 agreement with the applicant. Section 106 agreements are legal agreements between developers and local authorities used to mitigate the impact of new developments on the local area.

In this case, the Section 106 agreement will need to cover the following:

• A contribution towards the monitoring and implementation of the agreement itself.
• Affordable housing provision. The agreement will be required to guarantee that all 45 of the homes will be affordable, and will need to specify what kind of affordable housing they will be, for example Social Rent, London Affordable Rent, or Shared Ownership.
• The agreement will need to include measures to improve the local area for pedestrians and cyclists, and restrict car parking for residents of the development, making the development car free . These measures are intended to improve air quality in the area, and reduce congestion on surrounding roads. The developer will be required to contribute £70,000 for walking and cycling improvements in the local area.
• The agreement will need to include measures to mitigate the impact of the development on Epping Forest Special Area of Conservation (SAC). The developer will be required to pay a total of £71,440 towards mitigating the impact of the development on Epping Forest SAC. These mitigation measures are likely to involve the creation or improvement of Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace, or SANG.
• The agreement will need to include measures to ensure that the development will not result in an increase in carbon emissions. This will include a variety of energy efficiency measures for the new homes, and a payment of £28,524 by the developer into a Carbon Offset Fund .
• The agreement will also need to guarantee that the architect who designed the development is retained in an oversight role during the construction of the homes.

543 Lea Bridge Road, Leyton, London, E10 7EB (240671)

This application sought permission to demolish the existing single storey building at 543 Lea Bridge Road and erect a part two, part three storey building to provide 2 self contained flats. The committee decided to grant planning permission for this application. No objections to the application were received.

586 Lea Bridge Road, Leyton, London, E10 7DN (240672)

This application requested permission to demolish the existing single storey building at 586 Lea Bridge Road and erect a part two, part three storey building to provide 2 self contained flats. The committee decided to grant planning permission for this application. No objections to the application were received.