The recent extraordinary district council meeting which discussed the local plan saw unprecedented public attendance with all seating taken and standing room full as well. People were turned away and there were wardens controlling the crowds.
A large number of ward councillors spoke passionately against the plan to rapturous applause from the public gallery and spoke on behalf of their residents who were upset by the plans to permanently destroy many green spaces in our towns and build on the Green Belt.
However, all came to nothing as the controlling majority councillors in the council voted en bloc forcing the plan to go through totally unchanged.
If you want to view the meeting a recording is available here https://eppingforestdc.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/245937 or if you have not yet seen the plan a link to the plan website is here http://eppingforest.consultationonline.co.uk/our-draft-local-plan/
So what can you do now to try and make your views known?
Firstly contact your local ward councillor and meet with them asking them to represent your views in the council chambers when the matter is discussed. Not sure who your councillor is you can find out here http://www.eppingforestdc.gov.uk/index.php/your-council/who-represents-you by entering your postcode and clicking go.
Secondly gather evidence why you think the proposed sites would not make sense and send them in with your objections.
Thirdly come along to the Epping society public briefing on the plan and learn what the plan means to you as an Epping resident and what pro-active plans you can take. We are holding a public meeting on the evening of 14th November, 2016 in Epping Hall on St Johns Road in Epping – full details to follow soon.
In the meantime in order to gather evidence for why individual sites should not be included for development in the local plan we are looking for people to take pictures of traffic problems around the proposed sites in Epping at different times of day and on different days. If you can assist at any of the sites on the list below please get in contact with us on info@eppingsociety.org.uk
1 November, 2016 at 7:40 pm
Thank you for putting the draft policy details on your website. When i went to the EFDC website to find out how the local plan may affect the area where i live, I clicked on chapter 5 -the places. All i could find was a cryptic “map” with no details of the number or type of developments proposed, street names etc.. After much searching, I was shocked when i finally found so much proposed development planned for where i live (Epping) I did point this lack of very important information out to the ward councillors at a recent meeting and was informed that “it has been noted” I feel that there are many residents in the district who do not yet realise what has been approved by EFDC. Is there any way that pressure can be put onto the council to update it’s website to make it more detailed before it’s too late.