The site
Site location
The proposed site, covering 4.3 hectares, is located to the south of Parsloe Road, adjacent to Epping Road (B138).
The site benefits from good public transport links including local bus stops on Parsloe Road, Sumners Farm, and Thurstans. The site is also within one mile of Barbara Castle Health Centre, Water Lane Primary School, Milwards Primary School & Nursery, Kingsmoor Academy, local places for worship and local shops. With further strong links into Epping and Harlow, the site is sustainably located to existing amenities.
The site also sits within a 15-minute drive or 25-minute cycle to Harlow Town Railway Station benefiting from direct links to key areas such as London, Cambridge, Bishop’s Stortford and Stansted Airport. Additionally, Epping Underground Station is also located within a 15-minute drive, offering an alternative route into various areas in London.
Through early planning and technical work, we have identified that the site is constituted as ‘Grey Belt’ land under the revised National Planning Policy Framework.
What is Grey Belt?
Grey Belt is the potential reclassification for any Green Belt site (including previously developed or brownfield land) that, according to the Government’s definition, can be shown to ‘not strongly contribute’ to three of the five purposes of the Green Belt.
- To check the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas.
- To prevent neighbouring towns merging into one another.
- To preserve the setting and special character of historic towns.
The five purposes of Green Belt
The Green Belt is a planning designation that gives land around towns and cities special protection. Its purpose is to:
- Check the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas.
- Prevent neighbouring towns merging into one another.
- Assist in safeguarding the countryside from encroachment.
- Preserve the setting and special character of historic towns.
- Assist in urban regeneration, by encouraging the recycling of derelict and other urban land.
The Golden Rules around releasing Green Belt Land
The National Planning Policy Framework (‘NPPF’) sets out that where Green Belt land is released for development through plan making or review, certain “Golden Rules” apply. In particular, the Golden Rules apply where major development involving housing is proposed on such sites:
- Affordable Housing – For Epping Forest, at least 50% of all housing must be provided as affordable housing.
- Infrastructure – New development must contribute to necessary local and national infrastructure such as education or healthcare facilities.
- Green spaces – Development must include improvements to existing green spaces or provide new green spaces which are accessible by the public (i.e within walking distance from new homes). They should contribute positively to the landscape setting of the development and must either meet local standard for green space (if applicable) or relevant national standards.
When determining planning applications, local planning authorities will now need to give significant weight in favour of permission where development complies with the Golden Rules.
