Issue - meetings

(Acting Chief Executive) To consider the attached report (AMED-004-2018/19).

The Acting Chief Executive (ACE) presented a report to the Cabinet Committee and updated Members on further developments to the report since it had been published.

(1)             Epping Forest Shopping Park

The three remaining units had now been secured. Mountain Warehouse and Home Bargains were actively trading and Boots were in the process of fitting out their unit.

There was an issue with litter bins getting overfull and therefore litter being left on the floor in the Shopping Park. The frequency of litter bin collections had now been increased and more litter bins were on order.

The car park was being abused by other local businesses and commuters who were covering their number plates or driving in the exit lane to avoid the ANPR cameras. It had been established that the traffic management of the shopping park needed to be looked at as cars were congregating one end of the car park, near Aldi, which in turn made the traffic queue across the lanes making it hard for people to turn in and out of the shopping park and causing tailbacks as far back to the M11 exit.

To control the traffic situation additional controls needed to be put into place and Essex Highways have been requested to assess the problems and help find a solution.

There was still a problem with the roof leaking at the Smyth Toys unit therefore the retention had not been released for the roof works. The contractors had been called back to look at the roof and stop it from leaking.

At a recent meeting of the Debden Town Centre Partnership the traders of Debden Broadway had raised concerns that the Shopping Park was negatively affecting the footfall and trade to local businesses. EFDC have re-commissioned the original consultants to repeat the impact assessment and a report should be ready by the end of November 2018.

Councillor Mohindra commented that there had been no official opening of the Shopping Park and now that all of the units were occupied an official opening should be considered as this was a great achievement for EFDC. The ACE said he would look into arranging an official opening date of the Shopping Park.

(2)             Oakwood Hill Depot

All feasibility work on the relocation of the Housing Repairs Service to the site had now been largely completed. The planning application had yet to be considered by the Area Plans South Sub-Committee while mitigation measures asked for by Natural England were being agreed with respect to visitor pressures on the nearby Roding Valley Nature Reserve.

(3)             Pyrles Lane Nursery

On the 18 October 2018 a private report was considered by Cabinet where the sale of Pyrles Lane Nursery in excess of £3 million was agreed, on the basis of a development of 36 homes to which 40% of the homes would comprise of affordable housing, in the ratio of 75% affordable rented and 25% shared ownership.

(4)             St John’s Road Redevelopment

Despite an extensive period of negotiation with Frontier Estates,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 14

To consider the attached report AMED-002-2018/19.

The Director of Neighbourhoods presented a report to the Cabinet Committee and updated Members on further developments to the report since it had been published.

(1)        Epping Forest Shopping Park

The remaining three units had now been secured. Mountain Warehouse were actively trading and reported that trade was proving popular with customers. Home Bargains were in the process of fitting out their unit and the unit acquired by Boots was in the hands of Solicitors and should be concluded by the end of August 2018. All aspects of the construction of the park have been completed and the Council were now in the default notice period.

There had been an issue to the roof of one of the units, Smyths Toys, which had a leak. The contractors had been back on site to fix the leak and the Council were confident that this had now been remedied.

The Shopping Park was approaching its first anniversary and the feedback from the traders was very positive.

(2)        Oakwood Hill Depot

The Depot had been open for approximately 2 years and was constructed in order for the Council to relocate services the Fleet and Grounds Maintenance Service from Langston Road. As part of the St John’s Road redevelopment and as part of the Council’s rationalisation it was intended to move the Housing Repair Service to some surplus capacity at Oakwood Hill. It had been ascertained that before the Housing Repairs Service could move to the Depot a requirement for more car parking was needed. A feasibility study had been completed and a planning application to provide the extra car parking to facilitate the Housing Repairs Service had now been submitted.

(3)        Pyrles Lane Nursery

As previously reported it had been the intention to auction this site. The auctioneers had advised that the scale of the development was too large and they advised that the most appropriate means of disposing of the site would be to actively market it by the Council’s Agents. The sale was being promoted within the property market on the basis of a private treaty expecting offers in excess of £3m. An option has been included in the sales particulars for any potential developer to build the affordable housing element of the scheme with a view to the Council purchasing the homes to form part of the Council’s housing stock. To date there had been in excess of 40 expressions of interest which was very encouraging.

(4)        St John’s Road Redevelopment

Frontier Estates have signed the documents and they were now in the hands of the solicitors acting for Epping Town Council. Epping Town Council’s solicitor has requested an email from EFDCs solicitor advising that the Council are satisfied with all the amendments which were a result of the Town Council and Frontier Estates.

A meeting was held in late June with Frontier Estates, Epping Town Council and the District Council to finalise the details. It was confirmed that Frontier Estates wished to proceed with the same mixed use scheme  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6