9:48am Thursday 26th January 2006
By Paul Wellstead
EPPING Forest District Council is to "take a stand" in a bid to bring to an end the dumping "fiasco" at the Blunts Farm golf course development in Theydon Bois.
The district development control committee backed planning officers' recommendations to issue an enforcement notice on the Coopersale Lane site.
In a 20-page report the officers recommended that dumping should be stopped and either the golf course completed as per the original design or the land restored to pre-development levels.
The report stated that since planning permission was granted in April 2002 the land had been raised by up to five metres, and estimated that almost double the agreed 169,000 cubic metres of material had been taken on to the site.
More than 40 people attended the meeting at the Civic Offices and heard representations from concerned councillors supporting the enforcement action.
Councillor Stephen Metcalfe, who expressed concern that action had not been taken earlier, said: "We need to put the residents first and show them we're here to take a stand. I must urge the committee to put a stop to the action to the benefit of the residents and of the district."
Mr Metcalfe's words were met with applause from the gallery.
Council leader John Knapman said: "We need to apologise to the residents for the entire fiasco and need to take the firmest possible action."
However Cllr Knapman warned councillors that by taking action against Blunts Farm the district council could face a compensation bill of £1.6m.
And he delivered a stern warning to planning officers saying: "It would stick in my throat if we end up paying for this so I put it to the officers that you'd better be right."
Theydon Bois Action Group spokesman Jacqueline Dodman later told the Guardian the group welcomed the council's decision saying: "Our concerns now centre on an outstanding application for an extension to the course at Blunts Farm which ostensibly remodels the entire course.
"Although this application is restricted in that no materials should be imported on site they have got round the district council before and we have to ensure this does not happen again."
Blunts Farm owner Phil Newman told the Guardian he had yet to decide whether to contest the enforcement decision.
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