Featured News
13-15A Alderton Hill
Another proposed block of flats

19 February 2024

The Planning Inspector has turned down the developer’s appeal against the District Council’s refusal of an 89-unit care home at the lower end of
Alderton Hill – a very welcome decision.

Michael Benbow (representing local residents) and David Linnell (for LRA Plans Group) attended the 5-day appeal Inquiry in Epping and spoke strongly against the development. In addition, Michael had encouraged nearby residents to put in objections (234 local households objected - a remarkably high number for an appeal). Michael also successfully organised residents from each of the areas surrounding the site to attend and to say how the proposed overdevelopment of the site development would adversely affect them. The degree of overdevelopment was the key element in the Inspector’s decision. The full report is here.

The result was by no means a foregone conclusion, as the Inspector had to give a verdict which was not inconsistent with a previous appeal decision on a larger proposal for the site. That decision had given far too little weight to the significant degree of over-development that was being proposed and its potential adverse effect on neighbouring residents. In their latest proposals, the developers had tried to take account of the earlier objections. Without the forceful evidence presented by residents this time, the developers might well have succeeded in getting their latest proposal approved.

But the saga isn’t over yet – we now await further proposals for the site.

15 December 2023
Eyesore on Alderton Hill?

There has been a long-running series of attempts to build an enormous complex of elderly persons’ flats, with care facilities and communal areas, at the foot of Alderton Hill, next to Poets Place. The site extends up Alderton Hill, well into the area currently occupied by large, single-family homes; it faces Brook Road. The proposal would be between 3 and 6 storeys high!

The latest planning application was turned down by the District Council 10 months ago – 310 local households had objected. The applicants then appealed and 234 local households objected (a remarkably high number for an appeal).

A five day Planning Inquiry was held from December 6th - 12th in Epping. For LRA, Michael Benbow, who had put considerable effort into encouraging residents to object, and David Linnell attended on all five days, and spoke strongly against the development. Michael also successfully organised residents from each of the areas surrounding the site to attend and to say how the development would adversely affect them.

This was the second time that there has been an appeal on a rejected application for the site. Unfortunately the planning system is stacked against residents, making it increasingly hard to get proposals rejected. We now await the Inspector’s decision, which won’t emerge until well into 2024.

9 October 2023

In February this year, the District Council refused permission for the demolition of houses at 13, 15 and 15a Alderton Hill, which were to be replaced by linked blocks of 89 elderly persons apartments in buildings up to 6 storeys high.

This result was achieved after at least 310 comments were made, of which 309 of these raised issues and one expressed support.

As expected, the developer has now lodged an appeal, so it's now time to make your views known (again), this time to a Planning Inspector who will be making the final decision.

Your comments helped the District Council refuse the last application so for the appeal, comments need to be sent to the Planning Inspector who will decide the outcome. If your commented before it can be an updated version of what you have sent before.

More details are here, including the Council's decision to refuse permission in February, and how it looks from various viewpoints (from p25)

The overdevelopment proposals have been uncompromising since 2017. There have been three major planning applications involving hundreds of drawings and thousands of report pages. The District Council and residents now face another Public Inquiry for proposals very similar to those in 2017 and 2018.

Alderton Hill Flats Street View

How to comment

It just takes 10 minutes, with a deadline of midnight on 12 October. You can either:

•    Email the Planning Inspector. If emailing, please email a copy to LRA Plans Group.
•    Comment online here, and click Make Representation.
•    Write to the The Planning Inspectorate, Customer Support Team, Temple Quay House, 2 The Square, Bristol BS1 6PN.

However you comment, ensure you use the reference APP/J1535/W/23/3327649 and provide your name and address.

You may like to consider the following points:

•    Alderton Hill is characterised by large 2 or 3-storey single-occupation houses with large gardens. Is the design proposed here - 4 storeys facing Alderton Hill and up to 6 storeys at the rear - too bulky, too high and out-of-character with neighbouring dwellings?

•    The current proposal is for 89 flats with 173 bedrooms. This is only marginally less than proposed in 2017 (and refused) for 105 flats with 186 bedrooms.

•    There are only 32 valet spaces proposed for residents with 11 spaces reserved for staff and visitor parking.

•    The development will cause more traffic and pollution from exhaust fumes which will further impact on the air quality to the Epping Forest Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and the overstressed recreational services in the SAC. The District Council has proposed a Clean Air Zone (CAZ) in 2025 where motorists will be charged to drive through the Forest but, even if this is can be brought in (and the Council on its own lacks the power to introduce road charging), it does not stop additional cars associated with the development from polluting the SAC.

•    This application breaches the current boundary on Alderton Hill/Brook Road between family housing and larger buildings such as Poets Place and Roding Valley High School. Will this application, if successful, encourage other applications for blocks of flats or other large buildings in Alderton Hill and nearby roads?

•    The Local Plan (agreed only this year) prescribes 19 dwellings for residential use for the site, far less than that proposed. In addition, the developer wants to now change the land Use Class from C3 Residential to C2 Institution. The proposal therefore completely contradicts the Local Plan.

•    13 Alderton Hill is a new house, built to a very high standard 18 years ago, by a property developer for his own occupation. Demolition of this substantial family home should be refused because it represents an enormous investment in carbon and energy already. Demolition would unnecessarily release embodied carbon dioxide (CO2) stored inside it which would contribute to climate change.

•    Loughton has become over-developed over the last 3-4 decades and now has 70 more roads plus many smaller infills. This includes 8 blocks of flats (424 homes) being built on the College sites on Borders Lane. Over that period, about 3000 new homes have been added and it's reasonable to assume there are 6000 more cars driving on the five roads in and out of Loughton. Our town is now saturated and no more intensive over-developments should be granted planning permission.

The Appeal will be heard on 5 December, and we'll let you know the outcome.

Images: Google and eb7 Daylight & Sunlight Report (merged), Design and Access Statement

3 Alderton Hill Flats Aerial View

March 2023

The District Council planning officers have refused permission for this development. The reasons cited included the development being too bulky for the surrounding area, loss of privacy for neighbours, insufficient information that it would not affect the Epping Forest Special Area for Conservation and it does not adhere to the draft Local Plan. Read the Council's refusal letter and the full report.

We know that over 230 households sent in objections to the application. Thank you all for your time and effort for doing so. It made a difference.

The developer is now expected to lodge an appeal and has six months to do so. We will be following this closely and will keep members and residents informed.

4 November 2022

Although the consultation ended September 22nd, you can still send your comments by:

• Emailing the District Council. Please copy your comments by email to LRA Plans Group (LRAPG).
• Writing to the Director of Planning & Economic Development, Epping Forest District Council, Civic Offices, 323 High Street, Epping CM16 4BZ.

12 September 2022

There is a new planning application for demolition of houses at 13, 15 and 15a Alderton Hill, which will be replaced by linked blocks of 89 elderly persons apartments. These will have integrated care facilities with supporting amenity facilities, landscaping, 45 parking spaces in undercroft parking and associated ground works.

More details are here, including how it looks from various viewpoints (from p25).

A consultation is underway until September 22nd. You can make your views known now.

How to Comment

• Comment online here.
• Email the District Council. Please copy your comments by email to LRA Plans Group (LRAPG) and the Town Council so they can take them into account when they comment to the District Council.
• Write to the Director of Planning & Economic Development, Epping Forest District Council, Civic Offices, 323 High Street, Epping CM16 4BZ.

You may like to consider the following points

• Alderton Hill is characterised by large 2 or 3-storey single-occupation houses with large gardens. Is the design proposed here - 4 storeys facing Alderton Hill and up to 6 storeys at the rear - too bulky, too high and out-of-character with neighbouring dwellings? (See extracts overleaf)

• 45 parking spaces are proposed for 89 flats - way below the County standard, but this can be reduced for retirement homes, and where there’s “good” public transport; anyway, parking problems are given little weight under the national planning rules. More important may be that visitor/resident parking will be managed by an on-site valet with vehicles being dropped off and picked up; also staff and visitor parking (11 spaces) is ridiculously underprovided – will this mean that in practice visitors and staff prefer to park nearby?

• The development will cause more traffic and pollution from exhaust fumes which will further impact on the air quality to the Epping Forest Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and the overstressed recreational services in the SAC. The council is proposing a Clean Air Zone (CAZ) in 2025 where motorists will be charged to drive through the forest but, even if this is brought in, it does not stop additional cars associated with the development from polluting the SAC.

Featured News 13-15A Alderton Hill Another proposed block of flats

Featured News
13-15A Alderton Hill
Another proposed block of flats