Potential outline planning applications for residential development on land associated with Epping Ongar Railway are being discussed with Epping Forest District Council planning officers. If approved, the potential applications by Epping Ongar Railway Limited for land at Ongar and North Weald could form part of a negotiated settlement to transfer the main railway holdings to Essex County Council.
The discussions are focusing on retirement homes in Ongar and dwellings at North Weald. Section 106 agreements could also provide homes in North Weald for ‘key workers’ such as nurses or teachers. The railway line along with ancillary land and buildings could be transferred from Epping Ongar Railway Ltd to Essex County Council if the potential planning applications were approved.
Such applications would be considered by the District Council’s Development Control Committee. Although no dates can be set until the potential applications have been processed, the Council expects to register them in the next few weeks.
London Underground Ltd (LUL) originally sold the Epping Ongar line with a clause that should a rail service not be restarted within certain timescales, the new owners must offer the line back to LUL, Essex County Council and Epping Forest District Council. Since no trains ran and LUL are unwilling to buy the line back, the challenge of negotiating a new deal has fallen to Essex County Council.
Under the terms of the contract Essex County Council are entitled to buy back the track but not all the ancillary land and buildings necessary to run a railway. It therefore needs a means of agreeing the transfer of facilities such as stations, platforms, maintenance sheds and car parks to make the track viable. A heritage operation would probably be the most feasible use for the line in the foreseeable future.
While Epping Forest District Council has previously expressed support for the railway to be returned to public ownership as a means of restarting rail services, it would be duty bound to consider any associated residential planning applications on strictly defined planning grounds.
Unlike an application for residential development in Ongar, an application for North Weald on land in the Green Belt would be subject to extra scrutiny.
Head of Planning Services, John Preston said: "Members of the District Development Control Committee would have a legitimate cause for considering the community benefits of transferring railway ownership to Essex County Council. However they would also have to weigh any applications against normal planning policies including residential development in the Green Belt at North Weald. If they found in favour of such applications, the final decision on North Weald would probably have to be taken by the Secretary of State."
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