Housing plan moves ahead

Written by Edmund Tobin and published in Epping Forest Guardian on Sat 9th Dec 2006

WALTHAM Abbey could soon have a new housing estate after outline planning permission was given for 119 homes off Sewardstone Road.

The scheme drawn up by Silver Property Development with 80 per cent rented housing would be on the site of White Lodge. It was voted through by the district council's area planning committee, which overturned a planning officer's recommendation to reject the application.

The council's head of housing services, Alan Hall, told last Wednesday's meeting that the district has a target to build 655 affordable' homes a year, and that so far only 19 have been built.

The application proposes a mix of semi-detached two and three-storey houses and flats - 52 flats and 67 houses and maisonettes. A shop is also planned as part of the scheme.

But a spokesman for residents of nearby Albion Terrace criticised the site as being unsuitable for the number of houses.

She said: "We would like the land to be developed but don't think 119 properties on that piece of land is appropriate. The idea of building new houses is welcome to us, but not 119. I don't think it's sustainable."

Councillor Pat Brooks said: "We're never going to find an ideal site, but I think this is much less than ideal because of the transport difficulties. I've sat there in the evening and traffic has been unbelievable."

But councillor Jeanne Lea said: "I actually think the site is a very nice site. There's an awful lot of traffic, but as it is now there's a lot of traffic everywhere."

Among the objections were letters from Waltham Abbey Town Council, the Conservators of Epping Forest, the Friends of Epping Forest, the London Borough of Waltham Forest and the Campaign to Protect Rural Essex.

Councillors voted to grant permission by a majority of six to four. Because the site is a green belt, the scheme will now go to the council's development control committee for approval.

Speaking after the meeting Raoul Veevers, partner at the developer's agent Montagu Evans, said: "Obviously we're extremely pleased with the decision."