DISTRICT: District council cabinet endorses Draft Local Plan
The councillor heading the Draft Local Plan has promised all public views will be listened to as it emerged that further potential development sites could be proposed before the final Draft Local Plan document is put out for public consultation.
Epping Forest District Council's planning portfolio holder John Philip told last night's cabinet meeting that he "fully expected" land owners to suggest additional sites, all of which would be fully assessed before pre-submission part of the Local Plan process, but not before the consultation period starts on October 31.
The document currently details almost 100 sites considered suitable for housing, as the council has to identify locations for some 8,450 homes across the Epping Forest district.
The proposals would result in the loss of less than one per cent of the district's green belt, said Mr Philip who added: "I realise not every site will be welcomed by everyone in the district."
More details are to be released on the infrastructure required as part of any housing needs for the district, the meeting was told.
North Weald councillor Anne Grigg raised the concerns of North Weald Bassett Parish Council which considered the number of homes proposed for the parish - North Weald, Thornwood Common and Hastingwood - as "alarmingly high".
She also sought amendments to the document so that it refers to North Weald Bassett, the whole parish, rather than North Weald as the 'village' with separate sections covering Thornwood and Hastingwood.
Mr Philip said he believed the wording should remain as it is as it mirrored how the parish was described in supporting documents and evidence.
A spokesman for developer Crest Nicholson voiced "huge disappointment" that the Pick Hill Nursery site in Waltham Abbey is not included as a potential housing site in the current document.
Ben Thomas, speaking for the company, claimed the site had been inaccurately assessed and called for it to be "fairly assessed" in the next stage of the Local Plan process.
He said the site was more sustainable than other sites and added that it had been previously assessed as "suitable and available".
Chigwell councillor John Knapman said the document contradicts itself between the Plan's visions and the potential sites for housing.
He said Chigwell is considered suitable for small scale development yet the open green space at Limes Farm is earmarked for some 210 homes, with Manor Road already a major traffic problem.
He said: "We just seem to have lost our way between the visions and some of the sites chosen."
Epping councillor Jon Whitehouse singled out the Coopersale playing fields (considered suitable for 19 homes) as one of the "peculiar" sites included in the document.
He said: "There are some really peculiar sites allocated in this Plan. The only playing field in Coopersale is stated for potential development."
He added: "As it stands it is not the balanced Plan we were expecting. It will have to change out of all recognition if it is to be acceptable."
Mr Whitehouse said the development sites were concentrated along a corridor down the M11 focusing on North Weald, Epping, Theydon Bois and Loughton.
Mr Philip responded by saying the sites were spread over the whole district.
Referring to the forthcoming public consultation, Mr Philip stressed: "If there are good reasons other than 'I don't like it' then we will listen."
The draft document , endorsed by the cabinet last night, will be discussed by the full council on October 18 with the consultation to run from October 31 to December 12.
Mr Philip added: "This is a consultation and we will listen to what is said, and if there are good reasons then changes will be made."
What do you think?
Email your views on the potential sites to everythingeppingforest@gmail.com. Please note that they may be included in a future article.
Comments can also be posted on the Everything Epping Forest Facebook page and group and on its Twitter page @eefnews
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