Plans have been submitted to convert the offices above a former Leytonstone bank into a flat.
The proposals, put forward by applicant Max Townsend, would turn the first and second floors of what was a Santander branch on Leytonstone High Road into a self-contained two-bedroom, three-person flat.
The branch closed in summer 2021 as part of a nationwide sweep of closures affecting 111 sites. The ground floor, which would be kept as a shopfront, has since been occupied by a nail and beauty salon.
A planning statement submitted to Waltham Forest Council's planning department describes the scheme as a "high-quality flat" that "makes efficient use of a highly accessible, sustainable town centre site" while adding to the borough's housing supply.
The conversion makes "efficient use of vacant upper-floor accommodation", the statement says, while "retaining the active commercial use at ground and basement levels".
The proposal would "deliver a high-quality residential unit that meets modern living standards and contributes to the provision of new housing within a sustainable town centre location", Townsend's agent wrote.
The applicants also point to a run of planning applications approved in 2024 and 2025 as evidence of the "evolving nature of town centre premises" in response to "changing market demands". In 2024, separate plans were approved to turn a different vacant bank into a restaurant, with proposals approved the following year for a shop to become a bakery.
The council receives several applications each quarter to turn empty shops or offices into flats, amid a borough-wide housing shortage. Developers are often guided by the Local Plan, which sets out the zones the council has earmarked for homes or shops.
A decision on the proposals is due by 17th September.
