EPPING: Public to have say on town centre redevelopment (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

So, you have four options...

Epping residents are not being given a proper say here; the whole thing stinks of a ‘tick box’ exercise.

Resident’s views range from a community centre, new gym to more shops. Yet, residents are only being given four Conservative Council approved options.

It has already been put in the public domain that only the most profitable option will be approved, regardless of what the residents of Epping want or say. That is not right. And we all know what that means: thousands of ‘units’!

The Conservative-control
led District and County Councils should be implementing full and transparent democracy; and letting the public decide the future of *their* town.

It is true; this development will be massive and have a major impact on every Epping residents’ lives.

Three weeks to consult Epping residents isn't long when the council has waited nearly two years to bring a set of proposals forward. Nor does there appear to be any opportunity for genuine public debate.

This is such an important site - and the opportunities it affords cannot be squandered. For what it's worth my preference would be for a leisure-led development - perhaps allowing Epping Sports Centre to have bigger premises than their current cramped accommodation alongside other uses. A cinema's also been suggested - sounds like a great idea too.

I think the last thing we need, however, is a single retail use (e.g. a supermarket). We're already well-served with supermarkets in the town and don't really need another. And, at a time when other shops on the High Street are visibly struggling, another large retailer is probably the last thing they need.

On come on people, wake up. The whole thing is a sham.
There has been no public consultation, so how did they come to the consultation that Epping residents want or need these 4 options? It’s a set-up. What happened to the part where you ask the residents what they want, and then come back with a referendum on the most popular answers?

What is being openly said, here in Theydon Bois anyway, is that essex county council (who get the final say on what happens) have already decided that the site will become a housing estate. And to that end have had architects draw up plans for the new housing estate.

If the people of Epping don’t start waking up and asking some questions now, the council will get away with their plan to build some 2,000 homes on the site!

Simon P. Hughes wrote:
So, you have four options...

Epping residents are not being given a proper say here; the whole thing stinks of a ‘tick box’ exercise.

Resident’s views range from a community centre, new gym to more shops. Yet, residents are only being given four Conservative Council approved options.

It has already been put in the public domain that only the most profitable option will be approved, regardless of what the residents of Epping want or say. That is not right. And we all know what that means: thousands of ‘units’!

The Conservative-control

led District and County Councils should be implementing full and transparent democracy; and letting the public decide the future of *their* town.

It is true; this development will be massive and have a major impact on every Epping residents’ lives.

It’s fascinating how I can read an article so entirely different to Mr. Hughes. As is standard with almost any form of public consultation, a selection of workable options are presented for consideration, but this consultation goes much further to open the debate to other suggestions. As the representation from Epping Society quite rightly states, this is potentially a very large development for our town and one which has been thought about and discussed for years, both by interested residents and by the series of stakeholder meetings which have taken place involving not just the “Conservative-cont
rolled District & County Councils” as you incorrectly state, but actually involving St. John’s Church, Epping Society, Epping Town Council, Epping Library and many others. These groups have been actively engaged from the very start, when we all sat in the Conference Room of Epping Hall back in 2008 creating a wish-list for Epping. We knew this was our one opportunity to make a significant difference to the service available to local residents and many hours have been spent talking through thousands of options, giving local residents the best possible result. There are many publicly owned buildings in a large area of land running behind the High Street and down into St. John’s Road – perhaps it makes sense for the three tiers of local government to look at how these services may be able to operate in a much more cost effective way for local people by consolidating into one space, freeing up the potential to have more retail, leisure or residential property. Many meetings have taken place, from discussions over the kind of developers who may be most suited to drawing up options, sympathetic to the buildings involved and the fact that Epping remains a rural, historic market town. Effectively, all that has happened to date is we have moved from someone saying “maybe we have an opportunity to do something great here” to someone saying, “let’s ask the public what they think”. The options are there to help residents consider what is possible and how much land could potentially be in play. The rest is yet to be decided, but let’s remember is precisely for projects like this that every resident has the right to vote to elect local Councillors. By doing so they entrust them to make certain decisions on their behalf. When a decision is deemed to have a meaningful impact on the community, it is right that a wider consultation should be carried out and I hope that many residents take part in shaping the future of the town, but it is wrong to criticise the many organisations who have worked hard to get this project off of the ground, rather than allowing the buildings to be sold and developed by the highest bidder, as is so often the case.

sharding wrote:
Three weeks to consult Epping residents isn't long when the council has waited nearly two years to bring a set of proposals forward. Nor does there appear to be any opportunity for genuine public debate.

This is such an important site - and the opportunities it affords cannot be squandered. For what it's worth my preference would be for a leisure-led development - perhaps allowing Epping Sports Centre to have bigger premises than their current cramped accommodation alongside other uses. A cinema's also been suggested - sounds like a great idea too.

I think the last thing we need, however, is a single retail use (e.g. a supermarket). We're already well-served with supermarkets in the town and don't really need another. And, at a time when other shops on the High Street are visibly struggling, another large retailer is probably the last thing they need.

I tend to agree with sharding - 3 weeks for such an important site does seem rather a short period of time. I understand the start of the consultation has been delayed by two weeks today.

I can’t say that I am too surprised that Conservative Party member and former Epping Mayor, Ben Murphy doesn’t agree with my comment.

I do find Mr. Murphy’s comment rather unfortunate. He says: “it is wrong to criticise the many organisations who have worked hard to get this project off of the ground, rather than allowing the buildings to be sold and developed by the highest bidder, as is so often the case.”

However, selling the buildings to the highest bidder is just what Conservative-control
led Essex County want to do!

Simon P. Hughes wrote:
I can’t say that I am too surprised that Conservative Party member and former Epping Mayor, Ben Murphy doesn’t agree with my comment.

I do find Mr. Murphy’s comment rather unfortunate. He says: “it is wrong to criticise the many organisations who have worked hard to get this project off of the ground, rather than allowing the buildings to be sold and developed by the highest bidder, as is so often the case.”

However, selling the buildings to the highest bidder is just what Conservative-control

led Essex County want to do!

Where do you have it in writing from Essex County Council that they are only prepared to sell the land they currently own for residential development, Simon?

I appreciate you keep standing as a candidate for the Lib Dems locally so are trying to draw a party divide here, but you have to understand that some issues aren't party political, unless you are somehow trying to politicise our church, our schools, and other stakeholders who have brought this project to the point of public consultation. May I also remind you that Lib Dem Councillors were also present in the initial meetings and throughout! Are you trying to say that Epping & Theydon Bois's only County Councillor, Lib Dem Janet Whitehouse has not influenced the County Council as part of this process at all? If so, I wonder what is the point in having a Lib Dem County Councillor??

This project really does go much further than party politics. As stated above, we have a real opportunity to do something unique for our town and I hope that this consultation does involve huge numbers of residents in the weeks ahead.

Katie Rolt wrote:
On come on people, wake up. The whole thing is a sham.
There has been no public consultation, so how did they come to the consultation that Epping residents want or need these 4 options? It’s a set-up. What happened to the part where you ask the residents what they want, and then come back with a referendum on the most popular answers?

What is being openly said, here in Theydon Bois anyway, is that essex county council (who get the final say on what happens) have already decided that the site will become a housing estate. And to that end have had architects draw up plans for the new housing estate.

If the people of Epping don’t start waking up and asking some questions now, the council will get away with their plan to build some 2,000 homes on the site!

Katie, I’ve been hearing exactly the same, although a higher figure of 3,000. It seems to be an open secret. That probably explains the very short ‘consultation’ period.

It does not appear the council(s) have received an objective report but rather one which gives them the answer they wanted to start with.

Reference is made in the article to the move of the school; the experience of council planning in that case hardly fills one with confidence they might get this proposal right.

Before we get the usual contributions seeking more housing in Epping, please check on capacity on the tube, buses, roads, schools and doctors surgeries. These are bursting already. When did you last try to drive through the St John's mini-roundabouts at busy times, at weekends etc - the High Street is backed up frequently.

This proves likely to be a momentous development proposal which might make or destroy the town. Unfortunately the past developments have led to poor architecture, damage to existing businesses and more crowding. Indeed, the council offices cost the main council group its control and several councillors lost their seats.

This is a huge site that will have a lasting impact not only on the High Street but the infrastructure and very essence of Epping as an historic market town – so it needs to be got right. I agree the consultation period is far too short – it needs to be a least a month for the people of Epping to get involved and have their say. I sincerely hope that it isn’t already a ‘done deal’ and that the preferred option of the government bodies isn’t the one we will get – otherwise what is the point of democracy and it would be a total waste of time and money having a ‘placating’ public consultation……..

Does the 7 acre site include St Johns Church and the old cottages in front of it? If it does – are they planning on knocking these down? – I sincerely hope not. ANY development should take into account the historic value of Epping and ‘develop not destroy’. The front of any such development should be in keeping with an historic market town – we do not want another monstrosity like EFDC offices tagged onto the other end of the High Street! Also if there is a retail option then the loading entrances for it need to be ‘hidden’ for want of a better word.
The infrastructure in Epping such as schools and Drs. surgeries cannot support such a high density of housing as anyone who tries to get an appointment at the current surgeries will realise – to that end I think that the old ‘Centrepoint’ building could / should be used as a Drs surgery – perhaps when the land is sold off for development for housing that cost to the developers should be factored in.
My preferred option is leisure and housing. And I agree with Mr Geddes of the Epping Society that a swimming pool would be a superb option – this would benefit all of Epping and could be used by the schools in Epping as well. At the moment you have to go to Loughton or Harlow for swimming and not many parents want their children going this far on their own. A swimming pool is also of great use to older or infirm people who cannot use the sports centre as high impact activities are not suitable for them.
We do need housing in Epping and this site would (to my mind) not have a detrimental impact on the Green Belt (which should be preserved) as it is basically Brown Field having already having buildings on it. It would go a vast way to meeting targets for housing without obliterating green sites – hopefully it should meet targets and halt the destruction of Eppings Green Belt.
I don’t think we really need another large retail outlet as this would be extremely detrimental to the small shops in Epping and could create a ‘ghost town’ putting the smaller retail outlets out of business – as has happened elsewhere in the country.
This site calls for a much bigger debate with the people of Epping over a longer timescale – EFDC – please take note……….