Waltham Forest Council's planning committee has approved plans to turn two disused buildings into 30 flats of temporary accommodation.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service, via the Waltham Forest Echo, reported that the committee green-lit two separate schemes.
The two schemes
The first converts a former care home on Trumpington Road in Forest Gate into 14 flats: three studios, one one-bedroom flat and ten two-bedroom flats.
The second turns offices at Rowan House, Cecil Road, in Leytonstone, into 16 flats: two studios, two one-bedroom flats, eleven two-bedroom flats and one three-bedroom flat.
Both developments will include heat pumps, bin and bicycle storage, and play areas for children.
Planning committee chair Liz Briggs, a Green councillor, said: "People having homes where they can wash their clothes and cook, and their kids can play in a safe garden, is absolutely what we want."
Former council leader Grace Williams said the development would "meet a real need in the borough".
The pressure behind the plans
The schemes respond to a significant housing pressure in the borough. As of April, around 1,527 residents were living in expensive temporary accommodation such as hotels or bed-and-breakfasts.
The previous Labour administration had sought a £19 million loan from central government to cover a £17 million budget shortfall, driven partly by temporary accommodation costs and rising social care spending.
Objections
No formal objections were received to the Trumpington Road scheme. The Rowan House plans drew one objection, from a neighbour concerned about possible antisocial behaviour, noise and crime.
A planning officer's report responded that antisocial behaviour was "not an inevitable consequence of this form of accommodation". It pointed to a management plan including resident contact details and 24/7 CCTV monitoring, and added that "it is expected that households living in the accommodation will be families with children."
Both schemes were approved unanimously. No objectors or supporters attended the meeting.
