The Planning Committee of Barking and Dagenham Council met on Monday 07 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, citing concerns over noise, traffic, and highway safety. The committee also noted an update on the progress of the East London Joint Waste Plan (ELJWP).

Change of Use Application: 154 High Road, Chadwell Heath

The committee refused planning permission for a change of use of a forecourt from car sales to a hand car wash at 154 High Road, Chadwell Heath. The application, submitted by Richard Wood, also included the installation of a Perspex screen.

Reasons for Refusal:

The refusal was based on two primary grounds:

1. Noise and Disturbance: The committee determined that the proposed car wash, due to its proximity to residential units and operating hours, would generate an unacceptable level of noise and disturbance. It was felt that the proposed noise mitigation measures would be insufficient given the semi-open configuration of the forecourt, leading to an unduly harmful impact on residential amenity. This was considered to be in conflict with national planning policy, London Plan policies D13 and D14, and Barking and Dagenham Local Plan policies DMD1 and DMSI3.

2. Highway Safety and Parking Pressure: The committee concluded that the development failed to demonstrate that the additional vehicular movements would not negatively impact highway safety and surrounding parking. Concerns were raised about the lack of adequate control measures to prevent vehicles from queuing on the public highway, disrupting traffic flow, and increasing the risk of pedestrian and vehicular conflict. The addition of the car wash was seen as generating unacceptable levels of traffic and movement conflict within the site, conflicting with national planning policy, London Plan policy T4, and Barking and Dagenham Local Plan policy DMT1.

During the discussion, objectors, including ward councillors and residents from The Pinnacle residential block, raised significant concerns about noise pollution, health and safety risks due to traffic congestion, environmental issues related to water runoff and potential sewer stench, and anti-social behaviour. Mr Murtaza Siddiqui, a resident, highlighted the detrimental impact of previous car wash operations on residents' mental health and daily lives.

The applicant's representative, Don Limoni, argued that noise levels were independently assessed as acceptable and that a site management plan would prevent parking issues. He also proposed installing the Perspex screen and suggested a temporary one-year consent to demonstrate the effectiveness of mitigation measures. However, the committee expressed a lack of confidence in the proposed mitigation measures and noted an inaccuracy in the officer's report regarding the site's previous use as a petrol station, which was considered a material consideration.

Ultimately, by a majority vote of four to three, the committee decided to refuse the application.

East London Joint Waste Plan (ELJWP)

The committee received an update on the progress of the East London Joint Waste Plan (ELJWP) from Marilyn Smith, Principal Policy Manager. The ELJWP is a joint planning framework for waste management in East London, prepared by the London Boroughs of Barking and Dagenham, Havering, Newham, and Redbridge.

The plan aims to provide a strategic vision and objectives for sustainable waste management and ensure sufficient capacity. It was noted that the evidence base for the ELJWP demonstrates a significant surplus capacity for waste management, meaning no additional sites are proposed for allocation. The plan proposes safeguarding most existing waste sites but seeks to release three existing sites from safeguarding in Barking and Dagenham to support wider planning and regeneration objectives.

The report indicated that the Regulation 19 draft of the ELJWP was being prepared for publication for a six-week statutory public consultation, commencing in late May 2025. The committee noted this update.