News

 Assessment of Footway Conditions, Loughton Lane, Theydon Bois, Essex CM16 7LB

Theydon Bois Parish Council (TBPC) has instructed ADL Traffic & Highways Engineering Ltd to write

to Essex County Council (ECC) in relation to the section of footway and kerbing along Loughton
Lane in Theydon Bois between the junction of Graylands and The Green. 

The highway kerbs serve a number of purposes:
• Providing a physical ‘check’ to prevent vehicles leaving the carriageway;
• Acting as a barrier or demarcation between the road traffic and pedestrians; and,
• Retaining the carriageway edge to prevent ‘spreading’ and loss of structural integrity.
It is therefore apparent that, as there are no adequately heighted kerbs along the section of Loughton
Lane in question, the kerbs do not serve the aforementioned purposes which could lead to road
traffic collisions and is therefore in serious need of improvement. Please click on this link to see the report including recent images. 

Installation of Defibrillator

The Parish Council have installed a defibrillator on the front of the pavilion, situated on the cricket green adjacent to the allotments. This has been jointly funded by the Parish Council, the Buxton Trust and the Scouts.

Defibrillators are an essential tool in helping people who have had a cardiac arrest survive while medical help is on its way. They can be used without prior training by anyone – full audible instructions are issued by the unit itself. There is a video link online which we would suggest all allotment holders watch, showing the steps you would take if you needed to help someone who was in cardiac arrest. The link is below:

Please familiarise yourself with the position of the defibrillator should you ever need to quickly retrieve it. And please do let me know if you have any questions.

Green Infrastructure Strategy
Please find below a link to the current Public Consultation on Epping Forest District Council’s draft ‘Green Infrastructure Strategy’.
Once finalised the ‘Green Infrastructure Strategy’ will be integrated into the new Epping Forest District Local Plan (2011-2033) and all residents are invited, and encouraged, to respond to the Survey (which has 10 questions). If you follow the link below, this will guide you to a copy of the ‘Green Infrastructure Strategy’ and will also provide full details on how the Survey Form can be completed.
The Consultation Period runs until 5pm on 16th July, 2020.
Should you have any issues with accessing the Survey, please do not hesitate to contact the Planning Clerk on planning@theydonbois-pc.gov.uk
Link to the Survey:
www.eppingforestdc.gov.uk/planning-and-building/planning-policy/green-infrastructure-strategy

To see the poster from EFDC please click here.

Community Litter Picking Update

Due to the ongoing threat of Coronavirus, please be aware that the Monthly Community Litter Picking sessions are unable to go ahead. Please could you be extra cautious not to leave any litter behind and keep our Village looking nice for everyone.

Highways Update

Works are due to begin tomorrow, 10^th June by the Parish Council’s Contractor, Harrington Brothers, who will re-furbish the footway from the junction of Thrifts Mead with Poplar Row to the Bus Shelter in Coppice Row opposite the Indian Ocean. Traffic and pedestrian footway management will be in place, so please be extra careful on your journey.

Audit Reports

– Annual Governance Statement 2019-2020
– Notice of Public Rights and Publication of Unaudited Annual Governance and Accountability Return 2019-2020
– Annual Internal Audit Report 2019-2020

Cemetery Update

The Parish Council can confirm that the Cemetery will remain open. This follows a change in the advice received from the Government. However, please observe and respect social distancing whilst visiting the Cemetery.

Covid- 19 update from our local Policeman PC Andy Cook

Dear Theydon Bois Villagers,

Theydon Bois Villagers are overall adhering to government guidelines well. However, the police have been engaging with residents and would like to remind everyone that the lock down means that it is not okay to visit friends houses or to sunbathe on The Green. It is important to stay at home unless essential and maintain social distancing, any observed breeches can be reported to the Police on 101 or online.   

Crime updates in Theydon Bois in April

There have been 8 recorded offences including:

1 X Hate Incident

1 x Theft from Motor Vehicle

1 x Shoplifting

Thank you for reading and keep safe. 

Proposed Development on the Sites of ‘Wain’ and ‘Green Hedges’, Coppice Row 

On 6^th February 2020, the Planning Committee met, in a public forum, to consider an application relating to the re-development of a site on Coppice Row which is located in a very prominent and central position within the Village, opposite the historic and iconic Avenue of Trees and overlooking the Village Green. Currently, the site features two bungalows known as ‘Wain’ and ‘Green Hedges’ and directly to the rear of the site resides a Grade II Listed Building of local and historical interest, known as ‘Baldocks’. The proposal envisages a development of 9 apartments (one of which would be a four-bedroom penthouse suite), together with parking for 6 vehicles. The illustration below (taken from the submitted plans) gives an impression of how the development would be viewed in the streetscene:

The development site is an ‘Allocated Site’ in Theydon Bois under the new Epping Forest Local Plan (2011-2033) and, as such, is projected to yield a number of new dwellings to contribute to the housing need within the District of Epping Forest. Accordingly, it is anticipated that this site will under-go redevelopment and that, to provide an additional number of dwellings, it is likely that this will comprise accommodation in the form of apartments. 

However, the Parish Council recognises the prominence of this important site within the Village and understands the potential impact of an unsympathetic or unbefitting development. Therefore, in viewing the current iteration of the proposed development, the Planning Committee submitted a letter of Strong Objection to Epping Forest District Council and the full version of this document can be read here – [Wain & Green Hedges Objection Letter]

This Strong Objection contains the following main points:

• comments around the detrimental impact on the streetscene and on the Grade II Listed neighbouring property behind;
• a comparison to the development of Pavilion Court on the opposite corner of Orchard Drive and the feeling that this new proposal should be similar (or even subservient) to the reduced proportions of Pavilion Court; and
• the argument that the parking provision would be wholly inadequate to satisfy the requirements of the adopted Essex Parking Standards, 2009.

Should members of the public wish to submit comments on this application, they can do so by contacting the Planning Department at Epping Forest District Council, following the guidance contained via the webpage below and using the unique Application Number of EPF/3001/19:

https://www.eppingforestdc.gov.uk/planning-and-building/comment-on-a-planning-application/

Highways Update

The Parish Council paid to have the top path on the Village Green re-paved. This work was a great success. 

The Limes Medical Centre 

Mrs Debbie Bodhanya The Practice Manager, Dr Tareq Abouharb GP Partner and Leah Martin Clinical Media Administrator came to a public meeting on the 29th of January 2020 to present on The Limes Medical Centre.