Background
This is in relation to the planning application EPF/2120/25. The proposal involves housing-led mixed-use development comprising:
- Up to 400 new homes
- 200 extra care homes
- Community uses which are likely to include a mobility hub, early years provision and an element of retail provision;
- Significant public open space/natural greenspace, including provision of a country park of approximately 8.88ha;
- Main vehicular access via Stewards Green Road;
- Retention of existing public rights of way through the site and provision of additional routes;
- Provision of site attenuation and all other associated infrastructure.
The site of this development, yet again, falls outside of the EFDC Local Plan and risk increased footfall and pollution in the Forest. You can find out more about our on-going involvement in relation to this development.
Site Location Plan, Source: EFDC Planning Applications Public Register
November 2025
The planning officer decided that an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was not necessary for this development. Now that this has been decided, we expect a planning application for this development soon.
October 2025
In October 2025, we responded to the Request for Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Screening Opinion for this application. We expressed our strong contend that an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is necessary and strong objection in principle to this speculative proposal:
- The development will have a significant effect on the environment and will affect a protected site, the Epping Forest Special Areas of Conservation (SAC), and, as the proposed development meets the thresholds in the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017, an EIA is therefore required. Natural England and the Corporation of London should be consulted.
- The cumulative environmental impact of this application alongside similar speculative requests for an EIA screening opinion for proposed large scale developments at sites not designated for development in the adopted Local Plan (Upshire (EPF/1968/25), Theydon Bois (EPF/2137/25)) and the North Weald Park site (EPF/1039/25) should be assessed in accordance with National Planning Policy Guidance
- Epping Forest District does not have a Housing Land Supply or Housing Delivery deficit and this, and other speculative proposals, should be therefore rejected.
- Re. the development proposal, the site is Green Belt and not in an area classified for residential or development in the adopted Epping Forest District Local Plan. It is some 1.5km away from the Epping Forest SAC-SSSI and within the 6.2km Recreational Zone of Influence and some 1km from The Lower Forest SSSI.
- The application represents a major development which is inappropriate in, and would be harmful to, the Green Belt, in particular to its openness
- The proposed development does not qualify under any of the exceptions to Green Belt development as detailed in the NPPF nor do Very Special Circumstances exist.
- We believe that the proposed large-scale “windfall” development would damage the Forest SAC-SSSI through increased vehicle traffic and consequent air pollution and through increased visitor footfall and that existing mitigation measures will not be adequate to counter the additional damage that would be caused by such a large development. Their impact, particularly on the Epping Forest SAC, will not have been covered in the Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) which accompanied the Local Plan submission.