Building new council homes

We are part way through our district-wide Council House-building Programme of building around 300 new affordable rented homes by 2024. These homes will supplement our existing stock of around 6500 properties and help us to house the 1,500 people who are waiting for a home on our housing register.

All our new homes are energy-efficient and safe, built to the Government’s Decent Homes Standard and designed to meet the needs of people in the 21st century.

Building locations and progress

Recently completed new build council houses

Phase One of the Programme completed in 2017, delivering 23 new affordable rented homes in Waltham Abbey, all of which have been let to local residents in housing need:

  • John Scott Court – four x 1-bed flats and five x 2-bed flats
  • Hockley Court – two x 1-bed maisonettes and four x 3-bed houses
  • Oakwood – four x 2-bed houses
  • Greenleas – two x 2-bed houses
  • Wood Villas – two x 3-bed houses

Phase Two of the Programme is now complete and delivered 51. new homes in Debden, all of which have now been let:

  • Davis Court – eleven x 1-bed flats and four x 2-bed flats
  • Churchill Court – nineteen x 2 bed flats
  • Burton Road – two x 2-bed houses
  • Burton Road – fifteen x 3-bed houses

Phase Three of the Programme is also complete, providing a further 18 new homes:

  • Pantin Close, Epping – two x 1-bed bungalows and two x 2-bed houses
  • Verrall Close, Coopersale – two x 1-bed flats and two x 2-bed houses
  • Matthews Close, Epping – one x 3-bed houses and three x 2-bed houses.
  • Centre Drive, Epping – one x 3-bed house
  • Centenary Close, North Weald – two x 2-bed flats and two x 3-bed houses
  • London Road, Stanford Rivers – one x 3-bed house
  • Thorn Terrace, Stewards Green Road, Epping – two x 3-bed houses and two x 2-bed houses

We have also purchased eight brand new homes off-plan from Linden Homes in Roydon.  Along with 18 open-market properties for renovation from 2019 to date.

Current development schemes

Cyril Hawkins Close, North Weald, which comprises of twelve new houses and forms part of Phase Three, is nearing completion. Delays have been caused by the pandemic, but the first tenants should be moving in around Christmas.

The first developments of Phase Four have just commenced. The first five sites will provide:

  • Gillingham Close, Loughton – two x 2-bed houses
  • Jones Close, Loughton – three x 3-bed houses
  • Young Close, Loughton – three x 2-bed houses
  • Bewlay Close, Ongar – four x 1-bed bungalows
  • Ripley Close, High Ongar – two x 1-bed bungalows

Upcoming new build council houses

Under future phases, more new properties will be built in Loughton, Buckhurst Hill, and Waltham Abbey, with planning permission already granted for many of these new homes.

We continue to look for opportunities to build more affordable housing in the Epping Forest District, with consideration given to:

  • Maximising the number of homes on the available land
  • Local context and surroundings
  • Priority need as identified in the Strategic Housing Market Assessment
  • The impact of welfare reform changes

Find out more

For more information contact our Housing Development team, email housingdevelopment@eppingforestdc.gov.uk.

More information