An independent estate agency has applied to add another storey and two flats above its Upminster office.
Submitted by Paul Beresford, chief executive of the Beresfords Group, the application says both flats will have access to a roof garden with on-site cycle storage and sustainable energy from air source heat pumps and PV panels.
There will, however, be no car parking spaces made available.
If approved, the existing building will also be redeveloped; the plans say it is of “poor quality and in need of improvement”.
Mr Beresford said the space has been “underutilised for years”, and “there is a good opportunity to create four apartments in a very central position within the town”.
He added there is a “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 in 2013, which asked for permission to change the first floor from offices to residential, plus a first and second-floor extension for new flats.
This was rejected for reasons including Havering Council's belief it would be "visually intrusive".
A decision is expected by May 4. View the application using J0005.22
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