CASH-STRAPPED Epping Forest College is looking to sell more of its land.

The college, in Borders Lane, Loughton, has asked the district council to remove covenants on two areas of land so it can sell them as part of its ongoing attempts to balance the books.

One area of land, a car park, would be sold to Essex University for a possible extension to the East 15 Acting school.

The other area is around Loughton Sports Hall, which the college has controversially already sold.

The current covenant on that land only allowed it to be used for educational purposes, and the college had wanted to relax the conditions to allow a care home to be built.

But councillors decided they might as well remove the covenant entirely to widen the scope of potential developers.

Loughton councillor Ken Angold-Stephens said: “On the question of the sports hall this is quite a difficult one. A planning application for a care home has been turned down and the applicant hasn't appealed. There's a problem of access to that area. The only access is through the grounds of Loughton Hall.

“On balance I think the best thing is to release the covenant completely and see who comes up with an application.”

Cabinet voted through the decision to remove the covenants and it will now go to full council.