An independent estate agency in east London has applied to add another storey and two flats above its existing office.

Paul Beresford, chief executive of the Beresfords Group, has submitted a planning application to develop a pair of flats above its Upminster office.

If the plans get the go-ahead, the existing building will also be redeveloped, while the new flats will have access to a roof garden with on-site cycle storage and sustainable energy from air source heat pumps and PV panels

Beresford is keen to press ahead with the development, given that there is, according to him, “strong demand” for accommodation within Upminster, which he described as “a key commuter town with excellent rail links to the city”.

The location was subject to a previous application submitted nine years ago, which requested consent to alter the first floor of the building from offices to residential, plus a first and second-floor extension for new flats.

The application was rejected by Havering Council, which at the time described the proposed project as “visually intrusive”.

A decision is expected in early May.