The Planning Committee of Barking and Dagenham Council met on Monday 7 April 2025. The committee refused a planning application for a change of use from car sales to a hand car wash at 154 High Road, Chadwell Heath, Romford, citing concerns over noise, disturbance, and traffic impact. The committee also noted a report providing an update on the progress of the East London Joint Waste Plan (ELJWP).

154 High Road, Chadwell Heath, Romford, RM6 6NT

The committee refused planning permission for a change of use of the forecourt at 154 High Road, Chadwell Heath, Romford, from car sales to a hand car wash. The application, which included the installation of a Perspex screen, was recommended for approval by officers, subject to conditions. However, the committee voted by a majority of four to three to refuse the application.

The primary reasons for refusal were:

• Noise and Disturbance: The committee determined that the proposed development would generate an unacceptable level of noise and disturbance to nearby residential occupiers due to its proximity and operating hours. It was felt that the proposed noise mitigation measures would be insufficient given the semi-open configuration and layout of the forecourt, leading to an unduly harmful impact on residential amenity. This was considered to be in conflict with national, London Plan, and Local Plan policies regarding residential amenity and unneighbourly development.
• Highway Safety and Parking Pressure: The committee concluded that the development failed to demonstrate that the additional vehicular movements generated would not have a detrimental impact on highway safety and surrounding parking pressure. Concerns were raised about inadequate control measures to prevent vehicles from queuing on the public highway, disrupting traffic flow, and creating risks to pedestrians and motorists. This was deemed to be in conflict with national, London Plan, and Local Plan policies concerning transport impacts.

During the discussion, objectors, including Whalebone ward councillors and a resident of The Pinnacle, raised concerns about the applicant's previous disregard for planning policy and enforcement action, the disruptive noise levels experienced during previous illegal operation, and the impact on traffic congestion and safety, particularly given the proximity of a nursery and junior school.

The applicant, Mr Don Limoni, argued that the proposed car wash had been approved retrospectively in 2023 and that mitigation measures had been implemented. He also stated that the noise levels were acceptable according to an independent study and that the Perspex screen would contain water. He proposed a site management plan involving a dedicated staff member to manage queues and offered to accept a temporary planning consent for one year, along with a 9 am start time, to demonstrate the effectiveness of the mitigation measures.

Members also discussed an inaccuracy in the officer report regarding the last time the site was used as a petrol station, noting that this use had ceased in the 1990s, significantly earlier than suggested. Officers advised that while this was a material consideration, it might not be fundamental to the scheme's acceptability given the proposal was similar to a previously approved one.

The committee considered imposing a temporary planning consent, which the applicant was willing to accept. However, ultimately, the concerns regarding the effectiveness and enforceability of mitigation measures, coupled with the new information about the site's history, led to the refusal.

Regulation 19 - East London Joint Waste Plan

The committee received a report providing an update on the progress of the East London Joint Waste Plan (ELJWP). This plan, jointly prepared by the East London Boroughs of Barking and Dagenham, Havering, Newham, and Redbridge, sets out the strategic vision and objectives for sustainable waste management in the region.

The report highlighted that the evidence base for the ELJWP demonstrates a significant surplus capacity for waste management. Consequently, the plan does not propose allocating additional sites for waste management capacity. Instead, it focuses on safeguarding most existing sites while allowing for additional development in exceptional circumstances. Notably, the ELJWP seeks to release three existing waste sites from safeguarding, as identified in the Local Plan 2037, to facilitate wider planning and regeneration objectives.

A report was scheduled to be presented to Cabinet on 15 April 2025 to seek agreement for the draft ELJWP to be published for a six-week statutory public consultation period, commencing in late May 2025. The committee noted this report.