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3. policy CONTEXTNational Planning Policy FrameworkEpping Forest District Council Local PolicyThe national planning context is provided by theNational Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) whichwas published in March 2012. The NPPF condensedthe previous Planning Policy Statements andPlanning Policy Guidance Notes into one document,with the intention of making the planning systemless complex and more accessible.Epping Forest District Council is currently updatingits planning documents to create a new Local Planas required by the NPPF. Planning policy for thelocal authority is currently provided by the CombinedPolices of Epping Forest District Local Plan (1998) andAlterations (2006), available from:The NPPF sets out the Government's planningpolicies for England and how these are expectedto be applied. It provides a framework for LocalAuthorities to produce their own distinctivelocal plans which reflect the needs of the theircommunities.The NPPF is published by the Department forCommunities and Local Government and is ncil Services/planning/forward planning/local plan obtaining.aspThe development brief area is also within EppingConservation Area. Any development proposals willneed to respect the character of the ConservationArea, with guidance provided by the EppingConservation Area Character Appraisal andManagement Plan, available from:http://www.eppingforestdc.gov.uk/council services/planning/conservation/conservation s/planningandbuilding/nppfNational Planning Policy FrameworkEppingConservation AreaCharacter Appraisal andManagement PlanNovember 2009www.communities.gov.ukcommunity, opportunity, prosperityNational Planning Policy FrameworkOpposite pageEpping's popular Monday marketon High StreetEpping Conservation Area Character Appraisaland Management PlanSt John's Road Development and Design Brief, Epping Draft report August 201217

4. public consultationPublic and stakeholder consultationPublic exhibitionConsultation on the preparation of this briefcommenced in early 2009 with stakeholder meetingsand a stakeholder consultation event. Followingthe development of potential options for the sitein consultation with key groups such as the TownCouncil and the Parish Church a major consultationprocess was undertaken.A public exhibition was held in March and April2012. For the first month it was held in St John'sParish Church and for the second month it was heldin Epping Library whilst a duplicate exhibition wasdisplayed throughout the period in the Epping ForestDistrict Council offices. The exhibition outlinedthe main issues facing the development brief areaand included four options for how change couldbe realised. These options and the text from theexhibition are displayed on the facing page.A summary of the key consultation outcomes ispresented here. A detailed set of comments anddata for the consultation is presented as a separateappendix.Opening of the exhibition in St John the Baptist Church18The exhibition was supported by a questionnaire.This was also available on-line with an electronicversion of the exhibition available for download. Atotal of 826 responses were received, of which 462were submitted as paper questionnaires or lettersand 354 were submitted on-line through the councilwebsite.

St John’s Roaddesign and development brief consultation 20121 // Retail-led option2 // Leisure-led option3 // Retail & leisure option 4 // Residential optionA comprehensive approach to thesite which could deliver significantnew retail development including afood store. It also has the potentialto integrate well with the High Streetand to improve existing communityfacilities such as the library.An option which would deliver newleisure facilities to replace those onHemnall Street as well as deliveringa substantial area of new housingand some improvements to thecommunity facilities and pedestriannetwork.A composite approach which includesthe potential for a new food store butalso includes a new leisure centre. Itincludes the same proposals to createnew links and public space aroundthe parish church and to improve thelibrary as option 1.9 109 108111112133224389New housingThe material contained in this plot has been reproduced from anOrdnance Survey map with the permission of the Controller ofHer Majesty’s Stationery. (c) Crown Copyright. Unauthorisedreproduction infringes Crown Copyright and may lead toprosecution or civil proceedings. EFDC licence No. 100018534.New shopsNew housing1256New leisure centre1112133457New shops32468175New supermarketAn approach which would be focusedon delivering residential developmentwith minimal retail/communityfacilities. This could be delivered asphases of development, allowing forthe Epping Hall to remain in situ ifdesired.46 7The material contained in this plot has been reproduced from anOrdnance Survey map with the permission of the Controller ofHer Majesty’s Stationery. (c) Crown Copyright. Unauthorisedreproduction infringes Crown Copyright and may lead toprosecution or civil proceedings. EFDC licence No. 100018534.New supermarketNew leisure centreNew shopsNew telephone exchangeNew telephone exchangeNew housingNew/retained community useNew/retained community useNew telephone exchangeNew officesThe material contained in this plot has been reproduced from anOrdnance Survey map with the permission of the Controller ofHer Majesty’s Stationery. (c) Crown Copyright. Unauthorisedreproduction infringes Crown Copyright and may lead toprosecution or civil proceedings. EFDC licence No. 100018534.New housingNew/retained community useThe material contained in this plot has been reproduced from anOrdnance Survey map with the permission of the Controller ofHer Majesty’s Stationery. (c) Crown Copyright. Unauthorisedreproduction infringes Crown Copyright and may lead toprosecution or civil proceedings. EFDC licence No. 100018534.New/retained community useNew officesKey featuresKey featuresKey featuresKey features1. Food store, with enclosed service yard to thenorth and decked parking at-grade with thestore and below, taking advantage of the slopeof the site2. Retained former cookery school buildingproviding opportunity for either commercial orcommunity use, possibly as a new space for theTown Council3. Centre Point building refurbished and openedup to create new arcade4. Larger format retail with housing above5. New high quality housing6. Potential for future redevelopment of thetelephone exchange site featuring new housing7. New vehicle access from the High Street8. New library building with commercial uses onthe ground floor9. Potential for future new office development10. New link from the Baker’s Lane car park,possibly including an element of parking11. Potential for further new development, eithercommercial office space or residential12. New commercial development suitable forcafes or boutique shopping and with residentialdevelopment above fronting onto a new lanearound the church13. New church amenity building1. New sports and leisure centre based around arefurbishment of the existing Epping Hall2. Retained former cookery school buildingproviding opportunity for either commercial orcommunity use, possibly as a new space for theTown Council3. Centre Point building refurbished and retainedfor community use4. New high quality housing5. Potential for future redevelopment of thetelephone exchange site featuring new housing6. New minor vehicle access from the High Street7. Existing library building remodelled to create anentrance on the southeastern side where it canbe visible from the High Street8. New commercial development suitable forcafes or boutique shopping and with residentialdevelopment above fronting onto a new lanearound the church9. New church amenity building1. Food store, with enclosed service yard to thenorth and decked parking at grade with thestore and below, taking advantage of the slopeof the site2. Retained former cookery school buildingproviding opportunity for either commercial orcommunity use, possibly as a new space for theTown Council3. Centre Point building refurbished and openedup to create new arcade4. New sports and leisure building with frontageonto the new square5. Potential for future redevelopment of thetelephone exchange site featuring new housing6. New building creating frontage onto the HighStreet7. New vehicle access from the High Street8. New library building with commercial uses onthe ground floor9. Potential for future new office development10. New link from the Baker’s Lane car park,possibly including an element of parking11. Potential for further new development, eithercommercial office space or residential12. New commercial development suitable forcafes or boutique shopping and with residentialdevelopment above fronting onto a new lanearound the church13. New church amenity building1. New high quality housing2. Potential for a central space3. Retention of the Centre Point building forcommunity use4. Establishment of a new pedestrian link into thesite as a continuation of the existing laneOur evaluation of this option:Our evaluation of this option:Our evaluation of this option:Our evaluation of this option:We think this is a really strong optionwhich could enhance the town centreretail offer and could help to improvefacilities such as the library. It wouldcreate a good mix of uses as well asattractive new routes and spaceswhich would improve the setting ofthe church. This option is financiallyviable.This option would provide newleisure facilities and bring someimprovements to other communityfacilities. However, it would not addsignificantly to retail capacity of thetown centre and the leisure centreelement of the project would requirethe District Council to contributeseveral million pounds to the project,making the option unviable.Option three represents the mostcomprehensive package for the towncentre in terms of activity and mixof use. However, the leisure centreelement of the project would requirethe District Council to contributeseveral million pounds to the project,making this option unviable.This option is financially viable. Itis mainly high-quality new housing,and, although it is not expectedto contribute significantly to thestrength and vitality of the towncentre, its impact on traffic is likelyto be minimal. The site can bedesigned to respect the local historiccharacter but it would not includethe improvements around the ParishChurch or the library. It would beexpected to provide some limitedcommunity facilities.Display panel from the St John's Road Design and Development Brief exhibitionEpping ForestDistrict CouncilSt John's Road Development and Design Brief, Epping Draft report August 201219

Questionnaire responsesQuestion 1Question 2The first question asked respondents whether theyagreed with the core project principles which hadbeen set out in the consultation material as follows:Question two asked people to tick five things froma long list to identify what they would consider thebest for Epping town centre. The graph on the facingpage shows how people responded to the question.The most common responses were: The development needs to be strongly integratedwith the High Street and the rest of the towncentre; The area should include a sustainable mix of usesand create high quality public streets and spaces; Provision of improved sport and leisure facilities inthe town centre was the stand-out issue with 535of all respondents ticking this option; Any development should respect and complementthe historic character and scale of the town centrewith buildings of the highest quality; and Protection of historic buildings and respect forhistoric scale were the next two most selectedissues with 401 and 382 votes respectively; The ideas for development should make the most ofthis once-in-a-generation opportunity for the townbut should be practical, deliverable and affordable. Provision of space for adult education received ahigh response of 315 votes;The responses provide a very strong positivefeedback on this question, with 477 people eithersupporting or strongly supporting the principleswhilst 178 people disagreed or strongly disagreedwith the principles. 91 people indicated a neutralresponse and a further 80 people did not completethe question.It is instructive to read the written comments whichaccompany the scores. These indicate that peoplehave tended to rate the illustrative schemes in theexhibition rather than the core principles as thequestionnaire asked. Many of the comments mentionissues which do not relate to the principles givenand so people may not have answered the questionaccurately.20 Protecting existing trees and new high qualitypublic space were the next two most selectedissues with 256 and 225 votes respectively; Smaller shops / boutiques received 203 votes; and New or improved library received 185 votes.Question 3Question three provided people with space to maketheir own comments on the plans. Two key themesreceived by far the largest percentage of responses,these were the opposition to a new supermarket andthe desire for a new or improved leisure centre.26% of respondents stated their opposition to a newsupermarket as part of question three, with trafficconcerns and impact on the existing high streetoften included alongside. This was balanced by 3%of respondents stating that a new supermarket isneeded, with Waitrose specifically mentioned.

Improved sports and leisure facilitiesProtection of historic buildingsRespecting the historic scale of the areaSpace for adult education and trainingProtecting existing treesNew high quality public spaceSmaller shops/boutiquesNew or improved library buildingNew premises for the Citizens Advice BureauCommunity buildings for hireNew affordable housingNew facilities for the Parish ChurchMore town centre parkingNew housesSpace for start-up businessesLarger non-food shopsTown centre supermarketCafes/restaurantsNew flatsBetter Pedestrian links to car parksNew premises for the Town CouncilNew office space0100200300400500600Graph showing responses to the question 2 tick boxesSt John's Road Development and Design Brief, Epping Draft report August 201221

Youth workshop15% of respondents stated that a new or improvedleisure centre was needed, with 8% making specificreference to a swimming pool.Other responses which were received multiple times,but with less regularity than those above, include: That Centre Point should be converted into acommunity use and kept as a public building; That more community based facilities are needed,particularly youth orientated ones;In addition to the exhibition a youth workshop washeld in The Box on Epping High Street. This washeld over two hours during the time that many youngpeople use the facility after the school day.Young people were asked what they would like to seeon the Development Brief site. Responses include: A football pitch with astroturf and the facilitiesrequired for a football academy; A bigger and better skate park; The impact of any new development on trafficlevels; National restaurant chains (McDonalds, BurgerKing and KFC); That the character of Epping as a small historicmarket town should be protected; and National high street retail outlets (JD Sports, HMV,Vans, Primark, etc.); That Epping already has enough cafés andrestaurants. A larger youth centre; A college; Housing; A swimming pool; and A bowling alley/cinema.22

ConclusionsThe public consultation identified a number of keythemes: The proposals accommodate and facilitatethe proposed developments being plannedby the Parish Church; There are significant concerns about the provisionof a new food store on the site, including concernsabout scale and bulk, parking, traffic impact andimpact on the High Street. Conversely, there wouldbe a greater level of support for small shops or adepartment store. Clear guidance is given on the acceptablescale and massing of any new development,with particular reference to the historiccharacter of the town centre; and There is strong support for improved sport andleisure provision in the town centre, potentially asa replacement for the Hemnall Street leisure centre.Other leisure uses which have been suggestedinclude a cinema. The potential for housing development isnoted, although it is clear that this shouldnot be the predominant ground floor useon key frontages given the town centrelocation. There is strong support for an approach whichprotects the historic character and scale of the areaand which retains the green space and maturetrees on the High Street. There is a desire expressed for improvedcommunity facilities in the town centre andparticularly for the inclusion of facilities for adulteducation and an improved/redeveloped library.In response to this and the rest of the consultationresponses the brief takes the following approach: There is provision for leisure uses to form a keypart of any development proposals, both in termsof sports and leisure use and also in terms ofcommercial leisure such as a cinema; The policies note that retail uses could be includedon the basis that they are well connected with theHigh Street and form a complementary rather thancompeting offer; The potential for community uses including adulteducation is noted, and potential options identifiedfor the library building to either be redeveloped orremodelled to enhance links with the town centre;St John's Road Development and Design Brief, Epping Draft report August 201223

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5. development guidelinesDevelopment objectivesThe St John’s Road site represents the best currentopportunity to accommodate growth in Eppingtown centre and would provide the first site of anynotable scale for a generation. Opportunities suchas this are needed if Epping is to maintain its placein the hierarchy of centres in the area and continueto support its local population. It is thereforeimportant that any development proposals make themost of this opportunity and that a cohesive plan isdeveloped for the site.The key objectives for the site are as fo

Epping has an historic town centre with an attractive linear High Street. The core of the shops and services is located to the north/east of the junction 2. site context figure 1: site location plan site boundary Epping underground station tation Road Road B1393 Conservation Area Town centre high street opposite page Green area and mature trees .