School Plan Rejected

GREEN Belt land should not be compromised at the expense of a new Epping secondary school, town councillors ruled on Tuesday.

Planning committee members objected to an outline planning application to demolish St John's School, off Tower Road, to make way for a new secondary and housing, some of which would encroach on nearby green spaces.

Chris Whitbread (Conservative) said: "I think the community would benefit from a new school but not at the cost of the Green Belt."

He added that although the blueprint showed fewer affordable homes, it should contain none whatsoever to avoid new dwellings being built on the Green Belt.

Olive Dunseath (Liberal Democrat) questioned the impact of traffic access to and from the area.

Councillors agreed to object on the grounds that the scheme constituted Green Belt development. The application will go before district councillors in due course.