EB131 Epping Forest epping forest district District Council planning our future local plan PLANNING OUR FUTURE Community Choices /ƐƐƵĞƐΘKƉƟŽŶƐĨŽƌƚŚĞ>ŽĐĂů Plan ŽŶƐƵůƚĂƟŽŶŽĐƵŵĞŶƚ July 2012 EPPING FOREST DISTRICT COUNCIL EB131 If you would like a copy of this document in any other format, for example in large print or another language, please contact Epping Forest District Council on 01992 564517 or email [email protected] You can also view this document online, and make comments, at http://www.eppingforestdc.gov.uk/planningourfuture ii EB131 Foreword There has been a lot of change in the “planning world” over the last couple of years. Much of the previous guidance, and most of the higher level plans have been abolished, with a requirement that district councils now take responsibility for planning for their own areas. Local Plans have been in place for the area covered by Epping Forest District since the 1980s, and have performed well in protecting the Green Belt and directing necessary development to the right places. We now find ourselves in a position where the land available for development within our existing towns and villages is running out, yet national planning policy requires that we make necessary provision for new houses and jobs. We therefore need to adopt a new Local Plan for the district which makes such provision. If we do not make some planned provision for new growth we will be in a much weaker position to protect the rest of the Green Belt. As part of this process we will also be looking at the infrastructure that is already planned, and what should be provided to support new development. It is important to stress that this document is not a policy document. It does not replace the existing Local Plan at this stage. We are presenting what we think are all of the current planning issues and potential options, and seeking your views on these. This is your opportunity to get involved and help shape the future of Epping Forest District – this really is all about “Community Choices”. We realise that holding a significant consultation period during this summer, whilst so many other events are being held, is not ideal. We are therefore allowing a longer consultation period, from 6 weeks which is the statutory minimum, to just over 11 weeks. Changes to national policy mean that the existing Local Plan ceases to be in effect from April 2013. We must therefore work quickly to ensure that we can protect the district from inappropriate development. Councillor Richard Bassett, Portfolio Holder (PFH) for Planning July 2012 iii EB131 Contents Page Foreword iii Table of Contents iv Index of Tables v Index of Diagrams vi Glossary vii-ix 1. Introduction 1 2. The district in 2011 and 2033, including our vision and aims 3 3. Green Belt and the natural and built heritage of the district 14 4. Options for growth and distribution of development: 22 a. Housing; 23 b. Economic development; 36 c. Harlow; 42 d. Distribution of growth; 49 e. Settlement analysis: 71 i) Buckhurst Hill 73 ii) Chigwell 77 iii) Chipping Ongar 85 iv) Epping 95 v) Loughton / Debden 105 vi) Lower Nazeing 117 vii) Lower Sheering 123 viii) North Weald 129 ix) North Weald Airfield 135 x) Roydon 139 xi) Theydon Bois 143 xii) Thornwood Common 147 xiii) Waltham Abbey 153 5. Housing 165 6. Economic development: 171 a. Town centres; 171 b. Employment land; 177 c. Rural economy 181 7. Transport, access and movement 184 8. Infrastructure and the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) 187 9. Responding to climate change 189 10. Community facilities 191 Appendix 1 193 iv EB131 Index of Tables The numbering of the tables below reflects which chapter the table appears in, e.g. Table 4.1 appears in chapter 4. Table Page Table 4.1 Population Forecasts 24 Table 4.2 Housing Target Options 34 Table 4.3 Analysis of possible job growth by sector 37 Table 4.4 Forecast job growth to 2033 from the Employment 38 Land Review Table 4.5 Land requirements of forecast job growth from the 38 Employment Land Review Table 4.6 Estimated employment land requirement from the 39 Employment Land Review Table 4.7 Forecast retail job growth from Town Centres Study 39 Table 4.8 Total land requirement based on need / demand identified 40 in the Employment Land Review and Town Centres Study evidence base documents Table 4.9 Job growth targets 41 Table 4.10 Growth options around Harlow 44 Table 4.11 Proportionate Distribution (for information only) 50 Table 4.12 Spatial Option 1 51 Table 4.13 Spatial Option 2 55 Table 4.14 Spatial Option 3 57 Table 4.15 Spatial Option 4 59 Table 4.16 Spatial Option 5 62 Table 4.17 Spatial Option 6 65 Table 4.18 Spatial Option 7 67 Table 4.19 Potential development options for Buckhurst Hill 74 Table 4.20 Potential development options for Chigwell 78 Table 4.21 Potential development options for Chipping Ongar 86 Table 4.22 Potential development options for Epping 96 Table 4.23 Potential development options for Loughton / Debden 106 Table 4.24 Potential development options for Lower Nazeing 118 Table 4.25 Potential development options for Lower Sheering 124 & Sheering Table 4.26 Potential development options for North Weald 130 Table 4.27 Potential development options for Roydon 140 Table 4.28 Potential development options for Theydon Bois 144 Table 4.29 Potential development options for Thornwood Common 148 Table 4.30 Potential development options for Waltham Abbey 154 v EB131 Index of Diagrams The numbering of the diagrams below reflects which chapter the diagram appears in, e.g. Diagram 2.1 appears in chapter 2. Diagram Page Diagram 2.1 Population Key Facts 3 Diagram 2.2 Internal migration into and out of EFDC in 2010 4 Diagram 2.3 Migration into and out of EFDC over time 5 Diagram 2.4 International Migration into and out of EFDC over time 5 Diagram 2.5 Households Key Facts 6 Diagram 3.1 Potential Strategic Green Belt gaps 18 Diagram 4.1 Options for development distribution around Harlow 43 Diagram 4.2 Spatial Option 1: Proportionate Distribution 53 Diagram 4.3 Spatial Option 2: Transport Focus – Proportionate 56 Distribution Diagram 4.4 Spatial Option 3: Transport Focus – Equal Distribution 58 Diagram 4.5 Spatial Option 4: Development away from the Central 61 Line – Proportionate Distribution Diagram 4.6 Spatial Option 5: Development away from the Central 63 Line – Equal Distribution Diagram 4.7 Spatial Option 6: Large Settlements – Proportionate 66 Distribution Diagram 4.8 Spatial Option 7: Large Settlements – Equal Distribution 68 Diagram 4.9 Potential development options for Buckhurst Hill 73 Diagram 4.10 Potential development options for Chigwell 77 Diagram 4.11 Potential development options for Chipping Ongar 85 Diagram 4.12 Potential development options for Epping 95 Diagram 4.13 Potential development options for Loughton / Debden 105 Diagram 4.14 Potential development options for Lower Nazeing 117 Diagram 4.15 Potential development options for Lower Sheering & 123 Sheering Diagram 4.16 Potential development options for North Weald 129 Diagram 4.17 Potential development options for North Weald Airfield 135 Diagram 4.18 Potential development options for Roydon 139 Diagram 4.19 Potential development options for Theydon Bois 143 Diagram 4.20 Potential development options for Thornwood Common 147 Diagram 4.21 Potential development options for Waltham Abbey 153 Diagram 5.1 15 dwellings per hectare: The Crescent, Loughton 167 Diagram 5.2 36 dwellings per hectare: Theydon Grove, Epping 167 Diagram 5.3 42 dwellings per hectare: Meadow Road, Loughton 168 Diagram 5.4 73 dwellings per hectare: Kendall / Harrison Road, off 168 Meridian Way, Waltham Abbey vi EB131 Glossary AMR Annual Monitoring Report AQMA Air Quality Management Area BAP Biodiversity Action Plan Baseline A measurement used as a basis for comparison BREEAM Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method CA Conservation Area CC County Council CFMP Catchment Flood Management Plan CIL Community Infrastructure Levy CLG (Department of) Communities and Local Government Comparison retail shops Selling goods not normally bought on a day-to-day basis, and where the purchase may be the result of visits to a number of shops to ‘compare’ prices, eg clothing, footwear, furniture, furnishings and household equipment Convenience retail shops Selling items purchased on a daily basis, eg food, drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic), tobacco, newspapers, magazines, small household goods and materials CO2 Carbon Dioxide. The phrase ‘Carbon emissions’ refers to Carbon Dioxide, which acts as a Greenhouse Gas CPZ Controlled Parking Zone CSH Code for Sustainable Homes DC District Council dph Dwellings per hectare EA Environment Agency East of England Region including the six counties of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk & Suffolk ECC Essex County Council EEFM East of England Forecasting Model vii EB131 EEP East of England Plan (also known as Regional Spatial Strategy) EERA East of England Regional Assembly EFDC Epping Forest District Council ELR Employment Land Review EMG Ethnic Minority Group GHG Greenhouse Gas Hectare (ha) Area of 10,000 square metres, equivalent to 2.47 acres (conversely 1 acre is 0.4 ha) HGV Heavy Goods Vehicle ICT Information and Communications Technology IDP Infrastructure Delivery Plan IMD Index (Indices) of Multiple Deprivation KSI Killed or Seriously Injured LCA Landscape Character Assessment LDF Local Development Framework LEP Local Enterprise Partnership LGV Light Goods Vehicle LIP Local Investment Plan LNR Local Nature Reserve LoWS Local Wildlife