We
are sorry to see that building work has begun on the site, which has
now been enclosed by hoardings. LRA Plans Group (LRAPG) has opposed
these developments root and branch. Planning permission was granted by
an unelected government inspector after the District Council hadn’t the
courage to do the right thing by refusing the plans.
2 July 2021
Much
to LRA’s displeasure, a Planning Inspector has allowed the two appeals
by Fairview Homes against the District Council’s failure to make
decisions on their proposals to develop Lucton’s Field and the Middle
Site on Borders Lane for housing.
We
think the key issue is the potential adverse effect of these
developments on the Epping Forest Special Area of Conservation (EFSAC),
and we think the Inspector’s decisions are wrong. We are considering
what further steps, if any, we can take.
There
is some work activity on the sites, which we're told is to do with
temporary relocation of a telecomms mast. The old building on the
Middle Site is now being demolished. The developers applied for prior
approval for removal of the old building, and this wasn’t objected to.
Therefore, what is being done is lawful.
11 June 2021
The
old building is now being demolished. The developers applied for prior
approval for removal of the old building and this wasn’t objected to.
Therefore what is being done is lawful and doesn’t predicate the
Inspector’s decision, which is still awaited.
21 May 2021
While
we await the Planning Inspector’s decisions on Fairview Homes’ appeals
against the non-determination of their proposals for Lucton’s Field and
the Middle Site (Borders Lane), we have been encouraged by a press report
on another of their developments in Garston (Hertfordshire), which had
been turned down by the local council. A Planning Inspector, in turning
down Fairview’s Homes appeal against the council’s decision, said “In
terms of the characteristics of context, identity, built form and homes
and buildings the proposal would fail to be a well-designed place” and
“this proposal would be poor design that harms the character and
appearance of the area”. View the full document here under 'Appeal Dismissed'.
These are comments which the LRA Plans Group (LRAPG) thinks apply equally to Fairview’s Borders Lane development proposals.
30 April 2021
LRA
Cllr Chris Pond, David Linnell and Michael Benbow attended the online
appeal hearing against the District Council’s failure to make a
decision on Fairview Homes proposals for developments on Lucton’s Field
(opposite the College) and on the Middle Site. LRA committee member
Michael Benbow spoke on behalf of a group of 217 residents.
The
Council argued that Fairview Homes were trying to put too many
dwellings on the site, and that the design was unsatisfactory. Much of
the discussion was on technical planning points. Chris gave cogent
arguments against any development on Lucton’s Field, and David spoke on
what we see as a fundamental legal flaw in the Council’s approach which
means that building shouldn’t be allowed on either of the two sites
until a complete and detailed Air Pollution Mitigation Strategy is put
in place. Michael stressed the
excessive density of the proposed development.
We now await the Planning Inspector’s decision, which may not appear for many weeks.
11 April 2021
The District
Council failed to take any decisions on Fairview Homes’ proposals for
developments on Lucton’s Field (opposite the College) and on the Middle
Site
and so they asked for the decisions to be made by a Planning Inspector.
A
hearing on both proposals starts online on Microsoft Teams on Tuesday
April
13th at 10am and will last for eight days (we haven’t yet seen the
timetable
for the hearing).
LRA will be in attendance and we'll keep you updated.
Thank
you to all the LRA members and local residents who sent in hundreds of
objections and demonstrated clear local feeling towards the proposals.
13 February 2021
There is a major change
for the two College Site planning applications off Borders Lane for the
Middle Site and Lucton's
Field.
The College sold the land to Fairview Homes and both sites
are in
the District Local Plan for building new homes. Fairview
Homes
have appealed because the District Council has not made a decision.
A Public Inquiry will start on April 13th and the decision
for
both planning applications will be taken by Mr Robins, a Government
appointed Planning Inspector.
Lots of new homes have been built
in Loughton in the last 30-40 years but our lovely town has reached
saturation for road traffic, congestion, air pollution, parking spaces,
Central Line capacity, school places, open spaces for exercise,
recreation facilities, police enforcement and it's hard to get a
doctor's appointment. The District Council has encouraged
over-development of both sites and proposed is an increased number of
flats - 25% and 30% more than is prescribed for each site in the
District Local Plan.
Proposed
details: Five of the eight blocks of flats are four and five
storeys high. This is a total of 402 flats and 19 houses but
the
District Council's Local Plan specifies 328 homes. This is a
total of 769 bedrooms but only 327 car parking spaces - less than half
a space per bedroom. A one bed flat will have 1-2 people and
1-2
cars but many flats are intended for families and would result in
800-1000 extra cars using our roads several times a day. They
would add to the congestion we already suffer for much of most days.
The
District Council must now submit evidence to the Public Inquiry
including what their recommendation would have been had the
applications not been appealed. This evidence will be considered by the
Inspector along with any further views from local residents. It's now
vital that as many residents as possible submit their views directly to
the Inspector,so please send a 5-6 bullet point email to leanne.palmer@planninginspectorate.gov.ukby
February 19th midnight:
Use
an email subject of 'College Middle & Field Sites - Public
Inquiry
Ref APP/J1535/W/20/3258787 & APP/J1535/W/20/3263876'.
The second and third
paragraphs above lists most planning issues so all that's needed is to
put them in your own words.
Include your name and
address.
If
you raised objections to the District Council last year, you can use
the same objections this time.
12 October 2020
Thank you to all the residents who
objected to this proposal. There were 485 objections made, which is
a strong response.
What
happens next will be dependent on how the District Council addresses
concerns with the impact on the Epping Forest Special Area of
Conservation (SAC). For further updates read
our Loughton News emails.
If you also want to object
to the Lucton's
Field proposal, that
is a different development so you will need to make an
additional objection.
15 February
2020 Epping
Forest College Middle Site, Borders Lane (map)
Application
Number EPF/2905/19 Fairview
Homes wish to build three blocks of flats:
139 Flats - the draft Local
Plan says 111
3 buildings - 3 to 5 storeys
250 Bedrooms in total
125 ground level parking
spaces - under a roof with grass on top
A One Bedroom Flat = 1-2
people and 1-2 cars?
Half a car park space per
bedroom
If
permission is granted on this site, it may set a precedent for
development on Lucton's Field opposite the College and future building
densities around our town.
Objections are needed from
300-400 households in order to influence the District Council planning
committee of 15 Cllrs - 12 of them representing other towns.
This
is the committee which granted permission for Landmark House. Although
the District Council's first consultation's expiry date has passed, if
you email soon your views will be considered. You can see how our
Town Council objectedhere,
how LRA objected here
and more background info here.
To object, please e-mail: appcomment@eppingforestdc.gov.uk
with your views expressed in 5 or 6 Bullet Points. Residents
should use their own words, send only one e-mail per household, include
their names and address. It helps if the email subject states
"EPF/2905/19: Objection". and and please copy your comments to us at applications@loughtonresidents.co.uk
[Picture
source: Fairview Homes and Formation Architects]
18 January 2020
Epping Forest College Middle Site,
Borders Lane Fairview Homes is proposing
to provide 139 residential units in 3 buildings ranging from 3 to 5
storeys. The LRA Plans Group (LRAPG) wrote to residents near the site
to let them know what is proposed and to invite them to comment to the
District and Town Councils, and LRAPG. Among the concerns raised are
the effect on neighbouring residents, the inadequate level of
car-parking proposed, and the potential harm to the trees onsite and to
the Epping Forest Special Area of Conservation.
LRAPG and the Town Council have put in objections to the proposal and
many residents have also objected.
(Application Number EPF/2905/19, comments closed)
We await proposals for
buildings on Lucton’s Field (opposite the College).
Indeed, we were horrified by the
removal by the Conservative majority at the District Council of the
protective covenants on these sites, which we fought long and hard in
2015.
Developing the proposed sites would adversely affect
air quality in the Epping Forest Special Area of Conservation (SAC) by
pollution from residents' cars, and would adversely add to the
recreational pressure on the SAC.
Luctons Field is an area of
valuable open grassland that has never been developed. It was a green
meadow till 1950, then a playing field. It contributes greatly to
Loughton's biodiversity.
The quality of life in St Mary's and
Alderton Wards would be impaired because there is insufficient
infrastructure for such a development:
There are no school places.
GP surgeries are already
oversubscribed.
It would make the local
parking problems and the crowding on the Central Line worse.
Trains are already
overcrowded at Debden in the peak hours.
Acting
as an Association, LRA opposes all over-intensive development proposals
in Loughton. However, LRA councillors have to act separately from the
Association in relation to planning proposals because they have to take
planning decisions solely on the basis of the evidence presented at
planning committee meetings. However, when these proposals become a
formal planning application to the District Council, your councillors
will ask searching questions, and the LRA Plans Group will ask
residents for their views.
10 September 2021