Leyton Town Centre is set to be given greater protection from overdevelopment after Waltham Forest Council’s cabinet approved a proposal to make it into a conservation area.

The authority received overwhelmingly positive public feedback to move ahead with the plans, which will grant the special status to an area around Leyton High Road.

The conservation area would encompass two grade II-listed buildings, Leyton Library and the former Leyton Town Hall, as well as the historic Coronation Gardens, built in the Victorian era.

Conservation area status gives local authorities greater powers to reject planning applications if they are not deemed suitable or in keeping with a particular area.

The council must now wait 28 days to allow people time to object but the Leyton and Leytonstone Historical Society greeted the move with open arms.

Member David Boote said: “It’s terrific news. We’re moving into an era where it’s important that we recognise the better bits of our townscape. The council is doing that here.

“It’s encouraging shop owners and others to improve things and keep the area looking good, which is a great thing to do.”

The conservation area covers 186 to 306 High Road, the library, the former Leyton Municipal Offices, 267 to 301 High Road, Coronation Gardens, Oliver Road and Buckingham Road.

The English Heritage gave its blessing to the proposals but advised the exclusion of Lyttelton Road due to too many out-of-character extensions and alterations to properties, and the council will not include it anymore.

The authority gave Leyton High Road a multi-million facelift prior to the Olympics, including repainting shops to boost business ahead of the Games.

And Mr Boote thinks this was key in improving the area to the point where a conservation area could be implemented.

He said: “Leytonstone was way above Leyton High Road but now Leyton’s really challenging Leytonstone again.

“The whole area of the High Road is completely transformed.”