The Mayor of London will not stand in the way of plans to redevelop an empty pub in Chadwell Heath.

A planning application by Oakwood Real Estate Ltd was sent to Barking and Dagenham Council in October 2022 to demolish the White Horse pub in High Road and build around 104 flats.

These were proposed to be made into two buildings of part-11, part-five and part-three storeys, and included public realm enhancements, cycle parking and refuse and recycling stores.

Out of these, 23 flats are said to be earmarked as 'affordable'. A new pub is also planned to be built.

The council decided to grant permission for the application subject to planning conditions last year.

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The application was sent forward to London mayor Sadiq Khan for review, who delegated planning powers to Jules Pipe CBE, deputy mayor for planning, regeneration and skills.

Mr Pipe wrote to the council on March 7, saying: "I am content to allow the local planning authority to determine the case itself, subject to any action that the Secretary of State may take, and do not therefore wish to direct refusal or to take over the application for my own determination."

The White Horse, which is reportedly around 400 years old, has sat empty since 2017.

Two fires - one in September 2020 and another in January 2021 -  severely damaged the pub.

Following the 2020 blaze, pub regular Jon Bevis said: “It’s devastating. It should be rebuilt and the history kept there.

“It’s frustrating because it was left derelict all that time. It’s part of Chadwell Heath’s history.”

The council sent 487 notifications to local addresses and received six objections to the planning application.

Romford Recorder: The pub was gutted by the September 2020 fireThe pub was gutted by the September 2020 fire (Image: Archant)The Barking and Dagenham Conservation Group had also written a letter about the loss of a heritage building in lieu of restoration, with three written representations sent to the mayor's office by the campaign group citing overdevelopment and controlled parking zones among other issues. 

However, the GLA's planning report said the council has sought to secure planning conditions to resolve these.

GLA officers, the report added, also engaged in joint discussions with the applicant, the council and Transport for London officers to address the matters.