Agenda

Key to abbreviations:

Other venues are shown in full.

Currently meetings are subject to change, postponement or cancellation.

Many meetings will be held virtually but Democratic Services will advise arrangements for individual meetings.

Committee Management System

The members’ extranet facility for the Modern.Gov system is available at:

https://eppingforestextranet.moderngov.co.uk/extranet

Members may wish to save this link on their computer or mobile devices. Queries concerning login and password details for the extranet should be addressed to the Democratic Services Manager.

Constitution

The Council’s Constitution is available at:

https://rds.eppingforestdc.gov.uk/ieListMeetings.aspx?CId=638&Info=1

Queries concerning the Constitution should be addressed to the Democratic Services Manager

ECC Highways Portal

Up to date details of all Highways work is available at:

https://www.essexhighways.org/Transport-and-Roads.aspx

Member Contact

Please be aware that all Member queries should be logged using https://eppingforestdc-self.achieveservice.com/service/Member_Contact as this will ensure that your query or question is properly logged and chased up if you have not received a response within 5 days.

Members iPad / Technology Issues

Please email details of your issue to MemberContact@eppingforestdc.gov.uk and an ICT ticket will be raised on your behalf.

Please see below statement from Georgina, published with Qasim "Kim" Durrani’s permission.

“I am sure you would like to join me in offering our congratulations and best wishes to Qasim Durrani who has recently secured the role of Deputy Director Neighbourhoods at the London Borough of Bexley.

Qasim (Kim) has been at Epping for a number of years and apart from being well-known and professional, has led on many successful projects such as the current waste contract, the provision of a new leisure centre at Waltham Abbey and most recently the establishment of the Road Rangers service. Kim has also been strongly involved in the Covid 19, Safer High Street Initiatives.

Kim, as you can imagine, has accrued many holidays therefore his leaving date will be towards the end of April rather than May. Although Kim will be missed, he has been supported by a strong management team who will seamlessly, in the interim, extend their remit to cover Kim’s leaving. Details on the acting up arrangement will follow shortly.

Many thanks

Georgina”

Coronavirus has prompted a huge surge in domestic abuse, yet victims are reporting difficulty in accessing help and support.

Epping Forest District Council is at the forefront of offering training to employees, partners and the wider Essex community to help them spot signs of domestic abuse and support those affected through the J9 Domestic Abuse Initiative.

J9 training is open to professionals and anyone working in the community, helping them to recognise domestic abuse and respond to survivors.

We’d like to offer members a chance to take part in J9 training on Tuesday 23rd March at 6.30pm via Zoom for one hour.

If you would like to take part please contact me at j9community@outlook.com and I will arrange for a Zoom invitation to be sent to you.

By empowering members of our community to know how to react we can ensure that more people have access to the help they need.

The J9 initiative is named in memory of Janine Mundy, who was killed by her estranged husband whilst he was on Police bail. It was started by her family and the local police in Cambourne, Cornwall, where she lived and aims to raise awareness of domestic abuse and assist victims to access help and support. We remain in contact with her family who give their full support.  

*In the UK, 1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men will experience domestic abuse in their lifetime and two women a week are killed by a partner/ex-partner. During the coronavirus pandemic, numbers have soared even further with police recording 64 domestic homicides between January and June 2020.

(Further information: Jacqui Billing ext 4360)

The Adviceline number for Citizens Advice Epping Forest is changing from the 1st March 2021 to a freephone which is brilliant news for all our clients!

The number will be changing to 0808 278 7855

Our old number (0300 303 2107) will continue to work and will give people the option to continue with their call or to ring back on the new freephone number.

Please find attached their poster.

Business Rates Annual Billing:

Due to a recent request by Government, the council will delay the Business Rates annual billing process until after the Spring Budget on 3^rd March. This does not affect Council Tax billing, which has been completed.

Covid-19:

DWP has developed a funding allocation methodology to reflect the varying COVID-19 related impacts and costs across local authorities Housing Benefit services.

The additional HB Administration Subsidy funding for Epping Forest in respect of 2020-21 is £27,959.

Business Support Grants:

The council paid out over £31million in the first phase of grants to small businesses and those in the retail, hospitality and leisure industries. In phase2 the Government introduced further grants for these sectors when we entered Tier 2 of the Covid-19 local restrictions in October 2020. Since this date, the council has issued over £7.5million in grants to support local businesses; this work and support is ongoing.

Test & Trace Support Payments:

The Government has just announced an extension to 30 June 2021 of the Test & Trace Support Payment Scheme, which will also include support for one parent or guardian required to stay off work to look after a child required to self-isolate. To date, we have received over 750 claims and made over 330 payments of £500 to those deemed eligible; this work and support is ongoing.

Housing Benefit Award Accuracy Initiative:

This year, the council successfully took part in the scheme, devised by the DWP to increase and assure the accuracy of a number of areas of Housing Benefit, for which we received additional funding of approximately £15,000. The DWP were pleased with the work and results provided by the council and we have been asked to repeat this exercise in 2021/22, for which we will receive further funding of £16,500.

Digital Transformation:

During the past 12months the Rev & Bens team has increased the digital services and transactions with customers from 50% to around 90%. Most recently,  carrying out an automation process to collect data from the DWP for increases in customer’s State Pensions, which resulted in 1,350 records being automatically updated within the council’s benefit claims system. This task was previously carried out manually, which is a substantial efficiency saving. It has also opened up the opportunity to automate further welfare benefit changes.

(Further information: Peter Freeman ext 4191)

With the agreement of the Chairman, the full Licensing Committee scheduled for 17 March 2021 has been cancelled due to lack of business.

(Further information: Adrian Hendry ext 4246)

Please see attached.

Please see attached.

None this week

None this week

1.            Appeals Lodged

EPF/0695/19 – Langley and Mile Nurseries Crooked Mile, Waltham Abbey EN9 2ER - Outline planning application for a residential development comprising up to x 52 no. dwellings (including 40% affordable housing) with vehicular access from Crooked Mile, associated open space, children's play area and ancillary works – Hearing – Mo Rahman ext. 4415

EPF/2121/20 – 76 Kenilworth Gardens Loughton IG10 3AG - Proposed first floor side/rear extension and single storey rear extension – Householder appeal – Mo Rahman ext. 4415

EPF/2451/20 – Forest Lodge 1 Fairmeadside Loughton IG10 4RH - Ground floor rear extension and two storey infill extension to western side, loft conversion including raising of ridge and rear dormers and new front gable feature and amendments to fenestration – Householder appeal – Brendan Meade ext. 4078

2.         Forthcoming Planning Inquiries/Hearings -

EPF/1649/17 – White Rose Curtis Mill Lane Stapleford Abbotts RM3 1HS – Re determination appeal by new Inspector- date to be arranged.

13^th April 2021 -  EPF/2905/19 and EPF/0379/20 Epping Forest College Sites Redevelopment of the site to provide x 139 no. residential units in 3 buildings ranging from 3-5 storeys, car parking spaces, communal landscaped amenity areas, secure cycling parking & other associated development and

Redevelopment of the site to provide 285 residential dwellings (Use Class C3) in a series of blocks ranging from 2 to 5 storeys in height, a new Wellness Centre (Use Class D1), creation of a new public park, car parking, communal landscaped amenity areas, secure cycle parking and other associated - – Virtual Inquiry -

EPF/0695/19 - Langley and Mile Nurseries Crooked Mile, Waltham Abbey EN9 2ER - Outline planning application for a residential development comprising up to x 52 no. dwellings (including 40% affordable housing) with vehicular access from Crooked Mile, associated open space, children's play area and ancillary works- date to be arranged

3.            Enforcement Appeals

ENF/0344/19 – Greenacres Bassetts Lane Willingale CM5 0QL - Application for variation of conditions 1, 3 & 6 of EPF/0856/20 (Material Change of Use to a mixed purpose of agricultural and residential caravan site – Hearing – Caroline Brown ext. 4182

4.            Appeal Decisions

EPF/0897/20 Land at Bentons Farm Middle Street Bumbles Green Nazeing EN9 2LN - Development of 1no. two storey four bedroom detached residential dwelling house together with double garage. Utilising existing access from Oak Tree Close – Dismissed

EPF/1044/20 – Rolls Park, Rolls House, High Road, Chigwell IG7 6DJ - Redevelopment of the site to provide 7 houses, comprising 2no. 4 bed detached, 4no. three bedroom semis, and 1No. 3 bed detached – Dismissed

EPF/1317/19 Trevelyan House Goldings Hill Loughton IG10 2SW - Application for Variation of Condition 2:"completed strictly with approved drawings" for EPF/2379/17. (Demolition of three existing properties and associated buildings to be replaced with x 8 no. dwelling houses, new access road, parking and landscaping). Erection of 7 no. street lights accompanied by a lighting report – Allowed with Conditions

5.         Tree Preservation Orders

None this week

6.         S106 Agreements

None this week

7.         Changes to Planning Systems

None this week

The notification of decisions taken by individual Portfolio Holders is no longer included in the Council Bulletin.

All members of the Council receive automatic email notification of the publication of each individual Portfolio Holder decision and the call-in period for each decision commences immediately. Members wishing to call-in a decision should complete the attached call-in form and return it to Democratic Services before the expiry of five working days following the publication date of the decision. Members should refer to the Constitution (Article 6 - Overview and Scrutiny) for the rules of call-in.