Blot on the landscape (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

Blot on the landscape

4:50pm Tuesday 3rd January 2006 in Search By Paul Wellstead

THEYDON Bois Parish Council has attacked the district council over its failure to rein in developers at Blunts Farm.

And the parish council is now urging Epping Forest District Council and other authorities to intervene to reduce the "nuisance" created by the development that has led to "considerable concern" among villagers.

Blunts Farm Estates, through its agent Swan Golf Designs Ltd, obtained planning permission to build an 18-hole golf course with associated landscaping in April 2000, and has seen two further applications granted by the district council to develop the site.

In a statement, the parish council said: "What we've seen in the last few years constitutes nothing less than landfill. This situation has been created by the fact that the district council failed to attach appropriate planning conditions when it granted planning permission."

Epping Forest Council's planning and economic development portfolio holder Robert Glozier conceded that the district council had been naive when granting planning permission in 1999.

He said: "Had we known about this form of construction, I seriously doubt the council would have granted permission.

"The developer must be aware of the public concern his activities are causing and we appeal to him to talk to us about alternative methods of completing the construction of this golf course."

Environment Agency spokesman Dan Taylor said the agency had received letters from anxious residents and was taking the concerns "seriously".

We attempted to contact Blunts Farm Estates directors Phil Newman and Simon Stedman, who run Parsonage Golf, and their agent, Swan Golf Design Ltd principal Howard Swan regarding photographs obtained by the Guardian depicting huge pits dug into the site.

All have been unavailable for comment.

UK Golf and Leisure director George Dilloway did not wish to comment other than to state that all works had been "cleared" by the district council.

A spokesman for Theydon Bois Action Group said: "The residents of Theydon Bois have lost all faith in the people they elected to sort out this mess.

"A once green meadow is now a pit and no one in authority is prepared to put their neck on the line and sort it out."

Epping Forest Council will review the development at January's district development committee.