Loughton Residents Association

LRA

PLANNING & LICENSING

Note: this is just a small selection. To check on a particular case, go to http://plan1.eppingforestdc.gov.uk/Northgate/PlanningExplorer/GeneralSearch.aspx. For more information about what we do, and about planning matters, see Planning & Licensing

Registering village greens in Loughton
The Town Council has been working on protecting some of our green spaces by registering them as village greens. Although this is a priority for the Council, they have had to delay submitting the applications to Essex County Council because of proposed changes in the relevant legislation. The Town Council is committed as ever to protecting all the green spaces in Loughton. More.

Protecting green spaces
The Town Council is to dedicate three recreational areas as Queen Elizabeth II Fields, in order to protect them for future generations – Hillyfields, the Roding Valley Recreation Ground and the Willingale Road Playing Field.

Localism Act
The Government’s flagship Localism Bill has completed its passage through Parliament and has gained Royal Assent. The bill has caused controversy on a number of grounds, and we will await the details of how it will be put into practice before reaching any conclusions (although almost every past attempt to “decentralise” central government seems to have had the opposite effect!). More.

Proposed National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF)
LRA is very concerned about the Government’s proposals for major changes to the planning system – we don’t think they have been properly thought through, and they could have serious and wide-ranging effects on Loughton. We responded in detail to the Government’s consultation paper. More.

The National Trust and the CPRE are among the national bodies raising concerns.

The Commons’ Communities and Local Government Committee has urged ministers to hold a second round of consultation into the NPPF document which it says needs 'significant changes'. While welcoming the government’s aspiration to make the planning system simpler and more accessible, the Committee’s report says the document, as currently drafted, contains a weighting towards economic growth that risks allowing unsustainable development. The committee makes a string of other recommendations. [LRA and many others objected to perceived biases in the Government’s proposals, and we welcome the report, which the Government has promised to consider]. More.

High Streets
The Portas Review: an independent review into the future of our high streets. LRA will be examining the proposals, particularly to try to make sure that proposals to free up planning in areas with serious problems do not lead to the destruction of relatively successful shopping areas such as the High Road and The Broadway. More.

Impact assessment on the proposals to exempt live music from the Licensing Act 2003.
The Government is proposing to support the Live Music Bill (currently before Parliament) on the condition of an 11pm cut-off time, which takes account of concerns raised by resident groups (including LRA and the National Organisation of Residents Associations). The Government assert that unamplified music is suited to small audiences and unlikely to cause noise nuisance, and therefore a complete exemption is sought. [LRA believes that this is misguided and may result in significant nuisance to residents close to small venues.]

The consultation can be found here

Planning work on your home?

  • You can find out what you can and can’t do without planning permission. More.

  • You need to think carefully about any work up to the boundary with your neighbours. More.

  • Tree Preservation Order. If you are in doubt about work you want done, or see being done, on a prominent tree, please check with the District Council – 01992 564452 – to see if it bears a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) or is in a Conservation Area (CA), and use a reputable contractor. There are stiff penalties for carrying out unapproved tree work on a TPO’d tree or in a CA! More.

Parking in your front garden.

  • Hard-surfacing: Epping Forest District Council is reminding residents that should they wish to hard-surface their front garden, planning permission may be required. If in doubt, please check first – ring 01992 564000 or see “Guidance on the Permeable Surfacing of Front Gardens”
  • New or extended dropped kerb:
    • you need planning permission to create a new, or extend the width of an existing, dropped kerb to your property if the driveway will go onto a classified road. More
    • Essex County Council must separately agree to the crossing, even if you do not need planning permission. More or phone 0845 6037621 for a form.

More on planning permission

Note: the LRA Plans Group appreciates the problems residents have in finding space to park in Loughton; we look at each case on its merits, but would not normally not oppose a planning application for hard-surfacing as long as it is limited to the minimum amount of paving – such as two rows of pavers, sufficiently wide and spaced so as to take the wheels of the resident’s car(s), but no more.

Planning & licensing applications approved by the District Council

Shops by Sainsbury’s, Torrington Avenue: the District Council have approved the demolition of the shops; the number of car-parking spaces will increase from 26 to 44. LRA Cllr Jennie Hart has been in touch with Sainsbury’s about making sure that the spaces are used by shoppers and not by commuters

Planning applications refused by District Council

Football Academy site, Langston Road.
The District Council has turned down a retrospective application to allow the continued storage of buses, coaches and vehicles on the land formerly used as tennis courts, because the site lies in the Metropolitan Green Belt and this is an obtrusive and inappropriate use that detracts from the open character of the Green Belt, detracts from the amenity and operations of a neighbouring long established commercial premises, and involves the loss of an open sports facility in the Green Belt. (The LRA Plans Group was concerned about the effect on the Green Belt and the permanent loss of potential tennis courts.)

In progress

Loughton BBQ opening hours hearing. 171 High Road.
On Tuesday February 7th the District Council Licensing Sub-Committee will be hearing an application for a half-hour extension to their closing times on Thursdays (till 1.30am), Fridays and Saturdays (both till 2.30am). Members of the public are welcome to attend. A number of local residents have objected, as has the LRA Plans Group. Meeting starts 10am at the Epping offices. The agenda is on the Council’s website

Pyrles Lane – District Council Nursery site
The District Council is considering the possibility of housing on this site, between the houses on Hillyfields and Pyrles Lane and the green area running down to Rectory Lane, and have already received a petition opposing the proposals from residents in Pyrles Lane. They intend to buy a house and a strip of garden land to provide access to the site. LRA’s Plans Groups looks at all planning and licensing proposals in Loughton, and will be looking closely at this one once a formal application appears.

Grass verge next to boundary with Oaklands School (and near the entrance), opposite Spring Grove junction: Vodafone & O2 have appealed against the District Council’s refusal to allow a telecomms mast, and we await the Inspector’s decision.

Other telecomms masts: the Council turned down five other telecomms mast applications from Vodafone & O2. Revised proposals are now under discussion, and we welcome this approach (the companies could just have appealed against the decisions). We will let residents know when formal applications are lodged – the Government has stacked the odds against the council being able to reject these applications, but whatever is eventually approved should at least be less obtrusive than the original proposals.


Other

Luxe Bar, High Road
We understand that there have been complaints that the bar stayed open till 3.30am on Boxing Day – this is a matter for the District Council to follow up. They also advertised a party till 4am on New Year’s Day – unfortunately, this is permitted because the Government has “de-licensed” New Year’s Eve, so that venues can if they wish stay open all night. [LRA policy is that there should be no opening beyond midnight in the High Road and nearby roads, as all these roads (except Old Station Road) are residential (there are flats over the High Road shops), and even if those using the early-morning premises are well-behaved (not always the case) there is inevitably noise when they leave, which is far more noticeable and disturbing for residents after mid-night when other things are much quieter.]

Last Post, High Road: residents were invited to discuss proposals to extend their late-night opening hours, and to put tables and chairs on the pavement in front of the entrance, before they made formal applications. As later hours have met strong objections from residents, and have been turned down several times by the Council, Wetherspoons agreed to drop this idea (at least for the present). They will draw up a detailed proposal for tables and chairs, and consult residents again

Consultation on Highways changes, Chigwell Lane/ Rectory Lane: We now have the drawings in respect of the proposed highway improvements along Chigwell Lane/Rectory Lane, which are associated with planning application EPF/2580/11 for a retail park in Langston Road. If the planning application is granted, then it is likely that these (or subsequently amended) highway improvements will be a requirement of the planning permission. While we welcome improvements to the traffic flow, we are very concerned about some aspects, particularly the loss of trees (without any apparent commitment to plant suitable replacements).

Commuter car park.
The LRA Plans Group (and others) recently objected to a planning application to build a 179 space commuter car park on Green Belt land off Abridge Road, Theydon Bois, because of the effect it would have on Loughton’s train commuters. The District Council turned down the application, but the applicant has appealed, and there will be a public hearing.

Taxi rank on Brooklyn Parade?
This suggestion (plus ranks elsewhere in the District) appeared on the agenda for a recent District Council Committee meeting, and caused concern among shopkeepers, LRA and others because of the potential loss of 5 parking spaces for customers. The proposal appears to have been premature, and LRA Cllrs David Wixley and Lance Leonard have been assured that, if firm proposals are brought forward, widespread consultation with residents and shopkeepers will take place first.
The District Council is now asking residents for their views on installing taxi ranks. More.
Closing date for replies 1st February 2012.

Possible footpath designations

  • Access Essex Newsletter is published quarterly by the County Council’s Public Rights of Way team, and provides updates and information for anyone with an interest in Public Rights of Way within the county. The Winter 2011 edition is now available. Issues are archived online here
  • from Willingale Road, along the south bank of Pyrles Brook to the Piggotts Farm footpath: see the next edition of the Town Council’s newsletter, Think Loughton
  • Goulds Alley does not meet the relevant criteria as it has only been in existence for ten years. However, the Town Council will ask the District Council to designate it as a public right of way
  • from Marjorams Avenue to St John’s Church Hall: an application to designate it as a public right of way has failed owing to lack of evidence

More - see 181.11 and 232.3

Late-night venues in Loughton: 
If you see anti-social behaviour please report it to the police at the time 
If you think that the noise is unreasonable, please complain at the time to the 24-hour District Council online service http://www.eppingforestdc.gov.uk/council_services/environmental_health/noise.asp or phone 01992 564000.

182 Roding Road: the applicants have finally managed to get approval for a block of flats to replace the existing house (this is the corner property where Roding Road turns left at the sports field). Previous applications for flats have been turned down because of their scale (over-dominant in the street scene) and the effect on the view from Green Belt land. (The LRA Plans Group opposed the latest application on these grounds.)