The Planning Committee of Barking and Dagenham Council met on Tuesday, 10 March 2026, to discuss two planning applications. The committee unanimously approved a retrospective application for Titan Waste Solutions to operate a waste management and storage facility on Box Lane, Barking, for a temporary period of three years. The committee also unanimously approved an application for a change of use at 142 Longbridge Road, Barking, to a multi-purpose community facility and place of worship.

Change of Use of Dwelling to Community Facility and Place of Worship at 142 Longbridge Road, Barking

The committee granted planning permission for the change of use of a six-bedroom dwelling at 142 Longbridge Road, Barking to a multi-purpose community facility and place of worship. The proposal includes internal reconfigurations, cycle parking, and refuse storage. The application was supported by a detailed needs assessment, demonstrating a demand for such facilities in the area, particularly for Muslim groups and to address overcrowding at existing places of worship.

Arguments in favour of the application highlighted the demonstrated need for the facility, its inclusive and accessible design, and its potential to serve the wider community. Concerns raised by objectors included potential parking and traffic impacts, noise and disturbance, and the loss of a residential dwelling.

The committee approved the application subject to the completion of a Section 106 legal agreement, which will include a £70,000 financial contribution towards a controlled parking zone (CPZ) review and the implementation of a travel plan. Additional conditions were agreed, including the retention of a spiral staircase for fire safety purposes and the closure of a swimming pool in the rear garden.

Retrospective Application for Waste Management Facility at Titan Waste Solutions, Box Lane, Barking

The committee granted retrospective planning permission for a temporary period of three years for Titan Waste Solutions to operate a waste management and storage facility at Titan Waste Solutions, Barking Logistics Centre, Box Lane, Barking. The application sought to regularise the change of use of Shed A for waste processing and Shed B for waste storage, which had been operating without full planning permission.

The decision was made subject to numerous conditions aimed at mitigating potential impacts on neighbouring amenity, including restrictions on operating hours, noise levels, dust emissions, and the use of doors and docking bays. A condition was also imposed requiring the submission of a revised Delivery and Servicing Plan and a Car Parking Management Plan. The temporary nature of the permission, reduced from the applicant's requested ten years to three, was intended to avoid prejudicing future redevelopment aspirations for the site, which is designated as Strategic Industrial Land and part of the Castle Green Site Allocation.

Arguments in favour of the application, as presented by the applicant, emphasised the site's existing employment of 60 people, its contribution to the circular economy through waste recycling, and the fact that the proposed use is an acceptable industrial activity within a designated Strategic Industrial Location. Objectors, including local councillors and residents from the nearby Scrattons Farm Estate, raised significant concerns about noise, dust, flies, and odours, citing years of complaints and a lack of confidence in the applicant's adherence to regulations.

The committee noted that while the site is designated as Strategic Industrial Land, the temporary permission aims to balance the continued economic use of the site with the need for future redevelopment and to address concerns raised by residents. The conditions imposed are intended to provide enforceable controls over the site's operations.