Epping South Masterplan: Background
Epping Forest District Council has been consulting on the hugely important masterplan for the area south of Epping and north of the M25, where they are planning a minimum of 450 new homes as well as a number of new community facilities including a school. This is the next stage of the planning process after the land was allocated for development in the adopted Local Plan.
July 2026: brief for councillors submitted ahead of the planning committee
We briefed councillors ahead of the planning committee which was considering the first part of the Epping South development, asking them to reduce the number of car parking spaces in the development, currently planned at 22 for 10 properties, and asking for the mitigation and road improvements for all of the Epping South development to have been secured before this proposal is approved, in order to avoid a piecemeal approach to the whole development. Brief notes below:
EPF/0181/26 – CONSTRUCTION OF 10 NO. NEW DWELLINGS TOGETHER WITH DEDICATED ACCESS FROM IVY CHIMNEYS ROAD, A NOISE ATTENUATION BUND AND FENCING AND ASSOCIATED DEVELOPMENT – GREEN ACRES, IVY CHIMNEYS, EPPING, CM16 4EL
We hope that you will be able to consider the issues below at the meeting on 22 July 2026.
We do not object in principle to the development which is part of the Epping South Masterplan area which is designated for development in the adopted Local Plan.
However, the site is within 1km of the Epping Forest SAC and we are concerned about the impact on the Forest of the development of the whole Masterplan area.
We are concerned that planning applications for the large Epping South development are being made piecemeal, and before:
all necessary funding of the mitigation required to cover the damage that the entire Masterplan development will do to the Forest SAC has been secured; and
the wider improvements required to the local road network and other sustainable travel measures to reduce vehicle trips in and near the Forest have been assessed as practicable and all necessary funding secured.
A general question we have is how will the Council ensure compliance with the overarching requirements detailed in the Epping South Masterplan when separate s106 agreements are being negotiated with individual developers?
Vehicle exhaust emissions and tyre and brake particles damage the Forest Special Area of Conservation, and vehicle trips should ideally be minimised to reduce this. Given the location of the site within walking distance of Epping High Road and the Underground Station, the car parking provision of 22 spaces for 10 properties appears excessive and we can see no justification why EFDC’s pre-application advice to reduce numbers does not appear to have been acted upon. The Local Plan Policy T1 on Sustainable Transport is clear that the sustainability of the location is a factor in such considerations and we believe that the number of spaces should be reduced for this development and similar consideration be given to minimising parking when applications for the larger developments on the site are submitted.
August 2024: brief for councillors submitted
On 22nd August 2024, Epping Forest Heritage Trust submitted a brief note ahead of a discussion we understand would take place on 2nd September at their Cabinet meeting. You can view our brief note here.
We have submitted our final responses to the South Epping Master Plan. You can view our full responses here.
Key points from our responses are that: to properly protect the Forest, and increase the wellbeing of future residents, the development should minimise the provision of car parking spaces, optimise walking and cycling routes to the town centre, station and Forest, and ensure there is lovely green space provided within the development itself for people to enjoy.
Let us know your view
More detailed plans will come back in due course for specific planning approval, so please do let us know your views at: policy@efht.org.uk
Planning volunteers needed
To continue and expand our work responding to planning proposals around the Forest we really need more volunteer support as one of our volunteers has now stepped back to focus on their job search and another has stepped back due to family commitments. If you can help please do get in contact.