Redbridge Council is insisting on building a controversial shipping container café on a protected church green despite more than 150 residents objecting.

The café at Christchurch Green in Wanstead will be owned and run by the council through Vision, a charity it uses to operate the borough’s parks, leisure facilities and libraries.

Vision plans to sell "sustainably sourced drinks and treats" from the timber-clad container and to run outdoor events in the park once it’s in place.

However, among concerns raised about the project were the "ugly" design, a lack of public consultation, noisy evening drinkers and unfair competition with existing high street cafés.

But despite at least 160 written objections, planning committee chairman Cllr Jyotsana Islam and head of planning Brett Leahy approved the plans in August last year.

Under the council’s constitution there should be a public planning meeting if there are more than three people raising "unresolved material planning objections" or if the proposal is by or on behalf of a member of the council.

Conservative planning committee member Michael Duffell said: "It’s council-owned land and a council-owned development, anything like that should automatically come to the committee."

But in his written decision, Mr Leahy argued applications only need to go to a full planning committee if they raise "complex policy issues" or affect the whole borough.

The plans were revisited by officers earlier this month when a couple of changes were approved. This included correcting a "scaling error" that means it will be 2.69 metres high, 89cm more than originally panned. The container will now have dark green timber cladding, have a plant-lined "green roof".

Scott Wilding, a Liberal Democrat candidate and Wanstead resident, said he has lodged a complaint with the Local Government Ombudsman about the way residents were "ignored" and the decision was made "behind closed doors".

He added: "It’s not just the scheme, it’s the design that’s in a conservation area, it’s effectively a shipping container clad in resin.

"Also, this is taxpayer backed and there are 14 other places where people can buy similar products on the high street, so what’s the business case?"

A Redbridge Council spokesperson said: "While some objections were received, in line with planning regulations, any objections received must raise material planning considerations in order to be considered by a planning committee.

"The council’s statutory function as a Local Planning Authority is separate to and independent of the council’s role as the local authority responsible for the borough’s parks and green spaces.

"This separation between the two functions ensures that there is no conflict of interest. 

"Vision Redbridge Culture Limited, which is contracted to manage the council’s parks and open spaces and which is an independent legal entity, submitted the planning application for a kiosk on Christchurch Green."

On their website, Vision said: "Whilst we know that there have been some concerns raised through the planning process, there are also many local people looking forward to the café and we want to assure residents that we want to hold onto and improve the village and family feel of Christchurch Green."

The Local Government Ombudsman has said it cannot confirm whether an investigation is under way.