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Council
Thursday, 23rd July 2026 at 7:00pm

 
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  1. Gary Woodhall
  2. Cllr Alan Lion
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  1. Gary Woodhall
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  4. Cllr Jodie Lucas
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  1. Cllr Chris Whitbread
  2. Cllr Alan Lion
  3. Cllr Kaz Rizvi
  4. Cllr Ken Williamson
  5. Cllr Alan Lion
  6. Cllr Holly Whitbread
  7. Cllr Smruti Patel
  8. Cllr Alan Lion
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  1. Cllr Paul Kelleher
  2. Cllr Darshan Sunger
  3. Cllr Alan Lion
  4. Cllr Lisa Morgan
  5. Cllr Holly Whitbread
  6. Andrew Small
  7. Cllr Holly Whitbread
  8. Cllr Mandy George
  9. Cllr Raymond Balcombe
  10. Cllr Roger Baldwin
  11. Cllr Ken Williamson
  12. Cllr Jodie Lucas
  13. Cllr Ken Williamson
  14. Cllr Tom Bromwich
  15. Cllr Holly Whitbread
  16. Cllr Karen McIvor
  17. Cllr Smruti Patel
  18. Cllr Holly Whitbread
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  21. Cllr Alan Lion
  22. Cllr Sheree Rackham
  23. Cllr Ken Williamson
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  25. Cllr Chris Whitbread
  26. Cllr Alan Lion
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  28. Cllr Ken Williamson
  29. Cllr Alan Lion
  30. Cllr Louise Mead
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  32. Cllr Chidi Nweke
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  34. Cllr Geoff Shaw
  35. Cllr Chris Whitbread
  36. Cllr Alan Lion
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  39. Cllr Michael Owen
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  41. Cllr Alan Lion
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  1. Cllr Ken Williamson
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  1. Cllr Mary Dadd
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  1. Cllr Jaymey McIvor
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  1. Webcast Finished

Councillor Alan Lyon.
Good evening members and welcome to this meeting and please be seated.
Good evening, members.

1 Webcasting Introduction

As this is my first council meeting as chairman, I would like to remind all members that councillors
are expected to uphold the principles respect, courtesy and constructive dialogue, both in
and outside the chamber.
Discourteous behaviour will not be tolerated during meetings. Please show consideration
for those addressing the Chamber and avoid private conversations or other distractions
while the debate is taking place. May I ask members to listen without interruption, wait
to be called before speaking, address remarks through the Chairman and keep comments relevant
to the item under discussion. Thank you. Webcasting introduction. Gary Woodall.
Thank you. The Chairman would like to remind everyone that this meeting will be filmed
Gary Woodhall - 0:01:45
live and recorded and uploaded to the internet and will be capable of repeated viewing. Therefore,
by participating in this meeting you are consenting to being filmed and to the
possible use of those images and sound recordings. If any speakers on Microsoft
teams do not wish to have their image captured they should ensure that their
video setting throughout the meeting is turned off and set to audio only.
Members and speakers are reminded to turn on their microphones before
speaking and turn them off when they are finished. Thank you Chairman. Thank you.
Cllr Alan Lion - 0:02:21
item two apologies for absence chairman I have apologies tonight from

2 Apologies for Absence

Gary Woodhall - 0:02:26
councillors Abbott Murray and Sharif Thank You item three
Cllr Alan Lion - 0:02:30
Cllr Jaymey McIvor - 0:02:42
councillor Abbott mr. chairman yeah we have had his apologies thank you thank
Cllr Jodie Lucas - 0:02:50
Chairman also apologies for Councillor Lee. Thank you very much. Okay. Thank you
Cllr Alan Lion - 0:02:53
Cllr Lisa Morgan - 0:02:56
Chairman and apologies for lateness for a Councillor Markham. Okay are we done?

3 Declarations of Interest

Cllr Alan Lion - 0:03:01
Okay right so item three declarations of interests. Item three our agenda our
declarations interest any do any members need to declare an interest in our
meeting tonight. No declarations of interest? Okay item four item four on our

4 Minutes

agenda is to approve the minutes from our meeting held on the 28th of May 2026
which you'll find to attach pages 6 to 35 of our agenda. Members may I
I now sign these minutes as a true record of our meeting.
Thank you.

5 Announcements

Okay, item five is announcements, and I have a number of announcements to make.
On a national level, we have all been shocked and saddened to learn of the unnecessary loss of life of former MP Anne Widdecombe.
For more than four decades, Anne was a passionate advocate for politics and community.
Her commitment to public service, fierce dedication of her constituents and unmistakable presence
in public life has left a lasting mark on our country.
We know this is a deeply upsetting case that has had a profound impact on all of us and our thoughts remain with Anne's family, friends and all those affected.
Also, as a local council, we are deeply saddened by the tragic news that George Dennis, a young
boy from Onga, lost his life last week in a horrifying road accident.
On behalf of all members and officers of Epping Forest District Council, I extend our deepest
and most heartfelt condolences to George's family,
friends and loved ones at this incredibly painful time.
The loss of a child is heartbreaking beyond words
and it is a tragedy that is felt across the whole community.
At just 11 years old, George had his whole life ahead of him
and his loss will be felt far beyond
those who knew him personally.
Our thoughts are especially with his parents, wider family, friends, classmates and teachers.
We hope they may find some comfort in the care and support of those around them and
in the many heartfelt tributes that show how much George meant to so many people.
As a council, we stand alongside George's family and the wider community as they mourn
this devastating loss. May they find strength in the days ahead and may George's memory
be cherished always.
My other announcements. The past eight weeks has been a busy and rewarding start to my
year as Chairman. Firstly, I warmly congratulate those from our district recognised in the
King's Birthday Honours List, Kimberly Klug -Miller of Epping, Joy Mederios of Chiguel and Martin
Paty of Onga. I was also pleased to present past Councillor Paul Kesker with his well -deserved
bronze long service award. I began my term with a visit from Debden Park School politics
class to the civic offices where the students debated the pros and cons of
local government reorganisation. At the Treasure Trove project in Nasing I saw
residents growing confidence using digital devices safely with each
participant receiving a free tablet. I also attended the first EFDC DWP work
skills and wellbeing event which welcomed more than 300 visitors. I visited St. Clair's
Hospice for the launch of the Lions on the Loose. Lots of family friends. Ahead of the
trail around Epping and Harlow. Other highlights included the new City College Epping Forest
Campus Awards, storey time at Epping Library with Councillor Louise Mead and the Oakwood
Stephen Murray. A particular highlight was the Epping to Onga Railway summer memory train
with the Vice Chairman. On busy days I included the official opening of the Three Foods for
You hub in Epping and Limes Farm Family Day and the Essex County Chairman's reception.
Finally, I attended the West Essex Tourism Conference yesterday, bringing together around
50 businesses from Epping Forest, Attlesford and Harlow. It's been a full, varied and memorable
beginning to my chairmanship. Thank you. Item 6. Public questions.

6 Public Questions (If Any)

None tonight, Chairman. Item 7. Questions by members without notice.

7 Questions By Members Under Notice

Under notice. Under notice.
None tonight.

8 Reports from the Leader & Members of the Cabinet

For reports from the Leader and members of the Cabinet, pages 36 to 49.
Item 8 on our agenda is the reports from the Leader and members of the Cabinet.
Written reports can be found on pages 36 to 39 of our agenda.
Councillor Whitbread, would you like to present your report?
Thank you, Chairman.
Cllr Chris Whitbread - 0:09:06
and can I associate myself with your earlier comments
with regards to the tragedies
that we were only too aware of.
Obviously members, this has been a busy time
for us as a council.
On a positive note, the Home Office cleared the Bell Hotel
and then a week later advised us
that the hotel contract was ended on the 11th of July.
As members will know that this coincided
with the confirmation that the council had received a section 62 designation. So
good news in one hand bad news in another. I know that Councillor
Williamson will update you on that very shortly but I do want to pay tribute to
our officers for their professionalism throughout this process. They have been
first class in putting together our response to government and indeed in
making sure they understood, our number one priority to come out
of the designation is well understood.
And it shone through when we met with MHCLG just after the
designation that that was our ambition and that is what
we will achieve.
As we have consistently said, that was our number one
priority, and I believe it will work through the process.
But we have a lot to learn as a council as to what
needs to be done.
On a lighter note, it was a pleasure to join the
celebrations for the 40th anniversary of the
Rodding Valley Meadows Nature Reserve.
And indeed, an afternoon walk around the meadows is
worthwhile for anyone, although I must admit it was
a tiring hot day on which to do it with the chief
executive and myself going around with a group of
people, which was really, really pleasant.
Following that, I spent a positive morning in Roydon
with teams from housing, community, TVS and QALYST during the Make a Difference Day.
A really worthwhile event.
Well, we actually went around, met residents and was able to do some minor bits and pieces while we were there,
collecting rubbish that had been dumped, finding out any issues that residents had.
Really worthwhile, dealt with some anti -social behaviour issues,
dealt with some of the issues around dumping rubbish.
But most importantly it showed Epping Forest out there and speaking to residents and if you get the opportunity to attend
Please do we are really lucky to have such dedicated staff in all those service areas
Potting themselves out to try and address some of our residents concerns. So really really worthwhile in the past week
We've had an Essex leaders and chief executives meetings where we've discussed the way forward on a number of major issues across Essex
And that continues to be our focus as we move forward.
And of course, we've also received the statutory change
order, which I know the Chief Executive sent a note to all
members on, and we will be organising in the early autumn
or late summer a meeting with which to update members on
where we stand in the future on local government reorganisation.
Earlier this week I attended the Harlow Garden Town Board on behalf of
Councillor Williamson. I'm really pleased to say that Councillor Williamson has
been appointed as chairman of that board bearing in mind that the three remaining
sites are all predominantly in Epping Forest. It's really important that we
have a focus on those sites and get forward moving forward on the delivery
of those sites in order to make sure that our local plan remains sound and
in proper state for our residents protection in the future.
Members, it's an endless trail of meetings at the moment
on a whole range of issues
and I'm happy to take any questions.
Cllr Alan Lion - 0:12:57
Okay, before we move on to ask whether any other members
have got anything to add to the reports,
can I ask Councillor Markham and Councillor Patel
if they have any declarations of interest?
Thank you.
Cllr Kaz Rizvi - 0:13:18
Okay, members of the cabinet. Thank you very much Mr Chairman and just to add a verbal
update from my report on page 46 at the request of the Vice -Chairman. Was it report from cabinet?
Yeah, so it was about the Street Tag Schools Programme and I just thought to
give a little bit more of a detailed explanation as to what the Street Tag
schools programme involved. This is a free app -based programme which will be dedicated
to schools and parents of school -aged children. It is designed to make physical activity fun,
so walking, jogging, cycling, across different parts of our district where virtual tags are
placed and those parents and school children who have downloaded the app and have noted
that they've collected the virtual tag gives them points and then they move up a leader's
table and schools are ranked then based on how well performing their parents and their
children are.
So it's a really innovative way of making physical activity fun.
We are very, very excited about it.
It is funded by Active Travel and the programme will run from September I believe through
to November, or 5th of October, sorry, to 30th of November.
and for any further details you can visit streettag .co .uk. Thank you.
Thank you. Councillor Williamson, do you have something to add?
Cllr Ken Williamson - 0:14:42
Thank you chair. I believe I will probably be asked a few questions about 62a and a
few other things so I don't think there's anything to add to my report at this stage.
Cllr Alan Lion - 0:14:53
Thank you. Councillor Holly Whitbread. Thank you chairman. I wanted to draw
Cllr Holly Whitbread - 0:14:56
members' attention to the Eppin Forest Tourism Guide. I think everyone has one at their desk.
We had the West Essex Tourism Conference held here in Eppin Forest District Council yesterday.
It was a fantastic event. It was a really good opportunity to show the best of West
Essex, but particularly Eppin Forest. I know the chairman was there and spoke twice, off
the cuff as well, which was very impressive about his expertise in digital infrastructure
across West Essex but it was a really interesting day and I would like to
thank Wendy Cockbill for her work and bringing it together and bringing many
partners together across the board. But if members have an opportunity to look
at this guide it really does showcase everything which is brilliant about
Epping Forest and why it's such a wonderful place to live from the
brilliant restaurants on our high streets to the tourism venues like
Epping, Onga Railway and some of our wonderful hotels. So do take a look, do
share this with local parish councils. I believe we have 5 ,000 copies so if you
do want to pass copies to your parish council or town council please do but I
thought it was really an important opportunity to highlight that and the
fantastic work done there. The other thing I would like to add to my report
is around the formation of a budget portfolio holder working group which I
will be establishing. If members are interested in being part of this process
and I very much encourage them to do so.
Please let me know and I will also be approaching members
who I know have a specific interest in finance
and budgeting as well.
But we have got a really difficult round of budget
again this year.
I know I always stand up and talk about the challenges
we face, but we have a number of difficult decisions
to make.
And actually a number of difficult decisions
to make when we look at the challenges ahead
in the coming years in light of local government
reorganisation.
and everything at the moment suggests it will happen,
but if it doesn't happen,
this council has some serious
and further financial challenges to consider.
So I hope members will consider being a part of that group
and more information will follow.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Councillor Patel.
Thank you, Chair.
So just to say evening to all the members
Cllr Smruti Patel - 0:17:05
and also to say that besides the report that I've got
in front of all the members at the moment
for today's full council,
I also want to add that because of the inspection coming in
in the next two years for housing.
We're very busy, obviously, as you know,
updating all the policies, et cetera.
But we are going to be bringing in members' briefings towards
the end of the summer, which will basically be more to do
with what our consumer standards are and things like that.
So I just wanted to make everyone aware,
have diaries availability towards the end of summer,
and it's basically just to get us prepared for inspection.
Thank you.
Any other cabinet members?
Cllr Alan Lion - 0:17:44
Okay, we will go on to members item nine on the agenda, is questions without notice.

9 Questions by Members Without Notice

I will allow the usual 30 minutes for this item.
May I ask those wishing to speak to clearly indicate their intention by raising their
hand?
Oh, you already have some.
And can I ask that you are brief and to the point when asking your question.
If you have more than one question, your second question may be asked after other councillors have spoken.
That way everyone that wishes will have the chance to speak. Thank you.
So who's the first one?
So Councillor Keller, I think was the first question.
Thank you, Chairman.
Cllr Paul Kelleher - 0:18:31
Wolf Mabie North, but Wolf Mabie in general.
There's been a scourge of NC social behaviour
and fly tipping going on there for a long time now.
Speaking to residents recently, there's a real concern,
especially in the 10th century in the evening,
regarding e -scooters, not feeling safe,
reports of drug dealing on the streets.
We would ask that the Council convene with Wolf Mabie's elected reps at all levels, along
with police services and waste management within the town to discuss a holistic approach
to mitigation prevention and enforcement in these areas.
I believe that Councillor Sungga.
Thank you, Chairman.
Cllr Darshan Sunger - 0:19:25
And thank you for your question, Councillor Keller.
In terms of what you've reported about the fly tipping, I can perhaps give you a little
bit of an update a bit later, but in terms of the other stuff, the drug dealing and the
scooters, if you could perhaps write to me, I could take up with one of our service directors
and perhaps come back to you and write you, if that's okay.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Cllr Alan Lion - 0:19:50
We now have Councillor Morgan.
That one.
Cllr Lisa Morgan - 0:19:57
This is for the finance portfolio holder.
Since all Councillors are now eligible to join or rejoin the local government pension
scheme. Can you tell me how many members have joined the scheme and also, which you may
not be able to answer that if you can, if you send it to everybody, and also if you
can't answer that maybe you could send to everybody how they join it for the new members. Thank you.
Cllr Holly Whitbread - 0:20:40
Thank you Councillor Morgan for that question. You are teaching me something this evening because
I didn't know the councillors were eligible for the pension scheme.
I don't know if Mr Small can clarify on that matter as it's a personnel matter. Thank you.
Andrew Small - 0:20:55
I believe it's a change that's just taken place into
legislatively to allow councillors to become member of the local government pension scheme. I think it probably requires a
debate in the chamber as to whether the council
wants to support that or not really and whether it wishes to make budgetary revision to do so. So thank you.
Chairman, if you don't mind just coming back on that point.
And I'm reacting off the hoof,
Cllr Holly Whitbread - 0:21:18
but I will write in full to that question
and I'm sure we will have a full debate about it,
but of course we'd have to consider
the budgetary implications of that
and a very tough budget process.
Thank you.
So thank you very much.
Okay, we now have Councillor Mandy George.
Hello, good evening everyone.
Cllr Mandy George - 0:21:39
This is for Councillor Balcombe.
On page 36 of your report,
you maintain the rollout of food caddies
to flats. Can I ask, are the occupants of the flats asked if they want a food caddy
because I'm aware that most residents already have a food caddy and if not, why not? It
just seems a waste of money to be sending out food caddies to those who already have
one because I know that the vice chair has already sent hers back. Thank you.
Cllr Raymond Balcombe - 0:22:09
Councillor Belkin. Thank you for the question. Quite simply,
We made the decision that it was better to roll them all out and trying to do it one
here one there whatever it was a cheaper way to do it that's what we've done.
If you actually go back in time nearly every household had a green bin as well and how
many of them are still there and working so that's the reason why.
Cllr Roger Baldwin - 0:22:41
I'd like to ask a question about the End Scale data centre which is currently being constructed
in Langston Road.
I was very, very disappointed that these went through under delegated decisions and a bit
bit of clarification around that.
These data centres are controversial, and I think they
do merit a lot of scrutiny, local scrutiny, and we've had
public a few demonstrations recently, and I think that it
really did merit a lot of scrutiny from planning, and it
should not have bypassed our committees like that.
I'm not blaming that on the King Forest Council.
There could be other reasons why it was bypassed.
It could be considerations of national infrastructure.
But I'd like a little bit of clarification on that.
I'd also like to say that I'm worried
that this could be the thin end of the wedge,
because I've been reading a bit about Slough over there
in West London.
And there's been a whole cluster of these data centres.
And I rather fear that once we've got one,
they'll sure haul in another and another.
And it could have implications for the local electricity grid.
I know at the moment, even for this one data centre,
that the local substation is having
to be upgraded just for this one data centre.
I'm also concerned about the amount of heat generated.
And it's adjacent to the river roading.
I'm wondering whether we're using any water from the River
Ocean for cooling.
But these things need to be looked into and scrutinised.
One thing, the size and dimensions have been increased,
I think, by 9 .5 metres.
Now 31 .5 metres, which is very, very substantial.
And it also has a footprint of 17 ,200 square metres.
Being that it has increased so much in size,
I wonder, does it merit bringing this to council planning
if that is indeed possible.
The last thing I want to say, I think keep it brief,
is that how does a data centre of this magnitude
reconcile with our 2019 climate change action plan,
climate emergency in 2019, and climate change action plan,
how can we reconcile these data centres with being net zero by 2030?
so thank you thank you thank you thank you Councillor Baldwin for your question
Cllr Ken Williamson - 0:25:28
I think this one is particularly straightforward that it already had
planning commission it's not a new application it's been around for some
years it was renewed I do agree that the size was increased but we had a
discussion as portfolio holder with officers, and it was felt
that the actual, the principle of development was already
there, there's nothing we could do.
I believe that even since that first permission was given,
these data centres have moved on, and the requirements for
water are now a lot less than they were at that time.
It's up to the applicant and Thames Water to sort out what
they actually need.
It's not a planning consideration as such.
I took the view that bringing it to committee
would increase the officer's workload for no real gain.
It already had permission.
And all we were talking about was an increase in the scale.
I know the area well.
There are no residents in the area.
It's an industrial retail area.
I felt that it was the correct decision to make a delegated decision.
And if the officers felt that it was too large,
they would have refused it on those grounds.
I think it was the right decision and I would make the same decision tomorrow.
I'd just like to make it perfectly clear that 62A had absolutely nothing to do with
this designation of keeping things away from planning committees.
Absolutely nothing to do with it whatsoever.
I've explained the reasons why I made the decision.
As I say, I would make the same decision tomorrow.
Okay, Councillor Lucas.
Thank you, Chairman.
Cllr Jodie Lucas - 0:27:22
And as he had accurately assumed earlier,
my question is to the cabinet member
for planning, Councillor Williamson,
and he had just touched on that item as well.
I would like to ask for an update
on the work being undertaken to secure the removal
of the Epping Forest District Council
from section 62A designation and restore the council's powers to determine major
Cllr Ken Williamson - 0:27:51
planning applications locally? Thank you chair, thank you for the question. I did
rather expect it from somewhere in the chamber. There's an enormous, as
Councillor Whitbread said at the beginning of this meeting, our officers
have been working tirelessly on all of this. I mean I've got so many bits of
paper printed out that we're all looking at.
We had a meeting with the ministry,
and I was quite heartened by that meeting.
It was a very positive meeting in our possible ways forward.
I think they were quite impressed with the work we'd
already done with the changes that PAS recommended
that we'd put in place.
We pointed out that we are a green belt.
Most of our district is green belt and Epping Forest.
We have a lot of problems planning wise on those issues.
And they took that all on board and I'm hoping that when we get
the action plan that we will stand a chance of being
de -designated quite quickly.
I'd like to thank all of those that have been invited to join
the Policy Advisory Group and joining that group.
But I would say that anybody in the Chamber can add anything
they wish to be said to that group and I will take it
to the group on your behalf.
We've got a member, I think, from each group,
each group within the Chamber.
But if anybody wants to add anything,
I'm quite happy to take that to the advisory group.
I'm hoping this might be one of the shortest advisory groups
on record that we get the action plan sorted.
We put it through the ministry and we carry on.
Whilst I'm standing, I'm eating to the 30 minutes, I know,
but I have to mention last night's Plan A meeting,
which was incredibly disappointing.
I thought the officers,
I thought the chair were excellent throughout the
meeting, trying to steer members to correct decisions.
On the second application we had four people voted against the motion to approve.
When the chair asked them for reasons for refusal, there were absolutely none.
And I despair that people can vote against and have no planning reason to vote against.
The I don't like it or my residents don't like it doesn't cut water with the planning
inspector.
We did ourselves no favours last night when it comes to being de -designated.
Thank you, chair.
Thank you very much.
Councillor Bromwich.
Cllr Tom Bromwich - 0:30:44
Thank you, chair, for what I thought was a really good report from you.
Just an additional announcement to supplement your announcements on local schoolboy George Dennis.
On Saturday at 1 .30 the Onga Juniors FC are hosting a memorial match at Fifield Sports Academy just north of Shelley.
So if anyone did want to go to that, it's £5 a ticket. I'm sure the family, the community really appreciates our support.
I'm also really delighted, Councillor Wick, to read out this,
because there are a lot of things in here that we discussed in place scrutiny,
and I'm really happy that Wendy, the team, yourself, have factored that in
and almost made an attempt to...
Well, no, you haven't made an attempt.
You have decentralised tourism in Epping Forest,
giving attention to Matching Green and Toot Hill and Onga Park Wood,
which is really great.
Another really great tourist destination in Epping Forest
is North Wild Airfield and our wonderful North Wild Market, which is, as everyone who's been
there, and I know many councillors have been a wonderful day out, you can go and get, you know,
barbecue meats if you want, next to a boutique stand, next to seaside style donuts. But it's also
a really fantastic asset for Epping Forest District Council, benefiting from around two
and a half million pounds in income from rent, landing fees and operations. The common sense
question that I'm getting from a lot of my residents is what does Northwield get
back from that? What do we get from the rent that EFDC collects from Northwield
airfield? Because despite our love of many many residents absolute love of the
airfield including myself and the market, residents of the surrounding roads and
local businesses particularly on Rayleigh Lane and further afield have been
suffering from occasional traffic and parking issues at the market and I
stressed the word occasional. So for example in May it was an absolute
disaster I think most of us heard about that. We have made progress locally my
district colleagues our County Councillor and our Parish Council have
made progress getting a one -way system on Church Lane implemented submitting
parking proposals enforcement proposals to the North Essex Parking Partnership
and getting green areas locally protected from illegal and inconsiderate parking via the Essex Act.
But I think that there could be more done just to help alleviate any of that strain.
So are you able to commit to ensuring that North Wheel Bassett receives the significant and fair proportion of the profits generated by EFDC by the airfield
to help improve and expand traffic management
and parking enforcement measures.
So these problems don't become normal for residents.
And so those worst affected don't feel like prisoners
in their own homes, to quote a York road resident,
particularly on Saturdays and bank holiday Mondays.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Who's going to take that question?
Councillor Whitbridge, Holly Whitbridge.
Thank you, Chairman.
And I'm pleased that Councillor Bromwich
Cllr Holly Whitbread - 0:34:00
enjoys the tourist guide.
and I know there was a really good discussion at place scrutiny and it is about the whole
of Ephraim Forest from Chigwell to matching green so I can't praise this document enough.
In relation to North Wild Airfield and as he knows I'm new to the brief, assets got
added to my brief just earlier this month but I am very aware of the issues around North
Wild Airfield, I used to represent Thornwood so I know the patch very well.
We do have a meeting coming up in the coming weeks with yourself, the Parish
Council, to discuss the issues. What I would say is in terms of what North Wield
gets out of it, obviously it's a fantastic asset for the district and
North Wield as taxpayers they're getting the benefit of ensuring that we can
provide good value because the income that we generate from the airfield is
fundamental in keeping our council tax as low as possible. Equally, someone who's
campaigned in Northfield. I know how important it is to Northfield residents that we keep
the airfield flying. And let's be very clear, without the market, we wouldn't be able to
keep the airfield flying. So that is absolutely fundamental. That being said, I am aware of
the traffic issues. Actually, an Epping trying to get out of Epping on a Saturday can sometimes
be a challenge. We had a particular issue in May, which I believe was exacerbated by
political stall and rally which did cause excess traffic and that was a that
was a real issue so that needs to be considered as well but I look forward to
meeting again I know Gary Phillips the market manager has been very proactive
in looking for as many solutions as possible putting new signage in and
making sure that Northfield residents aren't disturbed quite rightly by the
market or as disturbed as little as possible and I will write him in full
with a response, but I look forward to meeting with him and other representatives too.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Councillor Karen McIvor.
Thank you, Chairman.
Cllr Karen McIvor - 0:36:01
I bring to the members today a sad storey, in fact of two families in North Wild and
this is a housing problem.
I won't mention the names of the families, but they have two separate reasons to email
and complain about their treatment from Epping Forest District Council.
They both have severe housing needs.
One has a disabled daughter, the other ones find themselves homeless.
So my question is, why do we make things so hard for our residents
when they're in crisis, and what can we do to improve the lives
of these two families on a fast -track basis
so they can get on with their lives like most of us like to live our lives?
Thank you, Chair.
Thank you.
Councillor Patel.
Yeah, thank you, Councillor McIvor, for that note.
Cllr Smruti Patel - 0:36:52
I have had one case that I've had forwarded to me.
I'm not sure if it's the same family and I don't want to guess it either, but there is
one that we are trying to fast track and find a solution for, whereas the other one I'm
not aware of, but I will double cheque with the Housing Director and see which one's that
about.
But if you don't mind sending me an email about if you've got any details of these individuals
then I'll take it forward.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Councillor O 'Loughlin.
Thank you, Chairman.
I think it is worth highlighting as well that homelessness and temporary accommodation is
Cllr Holly Whitbread - 0:37:23
one of the biggest issues we currently face as a Council.
When we looked at our budget this year and the pressures that we are facing this year,
one of the most significant challenges we face is the increase in homelessness.
This is a trend we have seen across the country.
In fact, the Prime Minister did highlight that he is going to end homelessness, but
He may have been referring to rough sleeping, which fortunately at Epping Forest we experience
a low percentage of, but we do have a significant number of families and individuals who are
struggling, particularly at the moment with the state of the economy, in finding accommodation,
and they are in a state of crisis.
We are currently in the process of increasing or working to increase our temporary accommodation
so that people can get into temporary accommodation quicker.
This does take time.
Currently, we have Norway House, we have got Hemnall House, we have got various accommodation
across the district that we own.
We also have hotels that we use, but we are looking at how we can create prefabricated
pods like we have already got in Norway House, more of those quicker.
It is vitally important that we support those who are vulnerable when they need it, but
the level is significant.
What I would say is that the housing team, sorry to stand on Councillor Patel's toes
here do a lot of work in terms of prevention to try and stop people getting to that point.
Actually, that is the absolute key thing. That is working with our partners in the Citizens
Advice Bureau who are fundamental in ensuring that people don't fall into that position.
I am sure members would have seen, particularly over the last couple of months, a real increase
in casework on temporary accommodation. I have had four just in the last week. It is
a reflection of the current economy, the current challenges we face. That is seen through the
and why we're trying to address it as one of our most significant
financial challenges.
But what I would say from my experience with the housing team,
as I said, I've taken up a number of very difficult cases
in the last few weeks.
They're always helpful.
They try and respond as quickly as possible,
but no housing case is black and white as well.
There's lots of shades of grey and there's lots of difficult situations
and the council do their best to follow policy,
support those who are in the most need and the most vulnerable first.
and sometimes there are issues that need flagging and highlighting and when you
do I've always found that the council are very responsive so Dawn and her team
it's really important that we do press them but it's a huge challenge that not
only we as a district face but the whole nation faces thank you.
Cllr Craig McCann - 0:39:58
Councillor McCann. Thank you chairman my question is for my board colleague
actually Councillor Soonger the environment and regulatory portfolio
holder. I'd be grateful if you could provide us with an update on enforcement actions,
specifically how many of the new £1 ,000 fixed penalty notices have been issued for flighting
offences across the district. Thank you.
Cllr Darshan Sunger - 0:40:24
Thank you, Chairman. Thank you, Councillor McCown, for your question. Before I reveal
the numbers, I'd like to send out my thanks to the Environmental Enforcement Officers
here at EFDC. As you rightly said, in April we raised our fixed penalty tariffs to the
maximum permitted by any local authority. The team changed how it works and it is showing
more efficient, more proactive, working far more closely with the colleagues across this
Council. Now the numbers, 21 fixed penalty notices were issued, 55 duty of care cheques
which produced 10 waste notices and on prosecutions three files currently being prepared all at
Derby Drive in Waltham Abbey. Alongside these three files, 13 community protection warnings,
three escalates notices and two £1 ,000 fixed penalty notices.
One paid, one is outstanding and we will pursue it.
At Springfield's, CCTV has identified a vehicle and a resident.
£1 ,000 penalty expected on the vehicle offences,
£500 due in the residence case.
And that case came to us because residents answered our appeal posters.
At Brooker Road, CCTV captured a large fly tip from a vehicle that deliberately removed
its number plate.
We recovered evidence from the waste itself.
Inquiries are live.
A public appeal has been prepared and as members will understand, it's a live investigation
so I cannot comment any more on that.
And the point really I want to make tonight, these cases were where we get results, are
cases where residents work with us. Report it, tell us what you saw, send us the footage,
that is what turns a fly tip into a prosecution.
and finally I'd like to make absolutely crystal clear here anyone thinking about
dumping their waste on our doorstep we have zero tolerance we will find you we
will find you and we will prosecute you
Councillor Rackham.
Cllr Alan Lion - 0:43:04
Cllr Sheree Rackham - 0:43:09
Thank you, Chair. And thank you for that wonderful speech, Councillor Lassunga.
I would like to ask the portfolio holder, Ken Williamson, a question I'm afraid about end scale.
In fact, it's a bit of a plea for help.
Obviously, I'm one of the ward councillors there and we have got many residents coming to us with concerns.
I've actually tried to contact the data centre on three
occasions to ask them for a meeting.
The first one was looking very hopeful and then I've
heard nothing more.
I wondered, as the portfolio holder, is there anything you
can do to help me get a meeting with them?
Thank you.
Thank you for the question.
Cllr Ken Williamson - 0:43:55
Basically, on the planning permission, the permission
is given. If you think that I have more weight than you do, I don't think I do, but if a
letter from the portfolio holder or an email from the portfolio holder may move it on,
I'm quite happy to do that.
Thank you very much.
Councillor Dawkins.
Cllr Phil Dawkins - 0:44:22
Thank you Mr Chairman. I've received quite a brief email from one of my residents which
with your permission I'd like to read out. It's only about sort of eight lines but I
think for the information for the Chamber it makes a little bit of sense. It says I'm
contacting you in the transport hub, which
has grown over the past few years
at the end of Old House Lane in Royden.
There is traffic to and from 24 -7,
which consists of trucks, containers, flatbeds,
and vehicles on board, forklift trucks, and those others.
He has listed quite a few more.
Directly outside the gate, a lot of household waste is dumped, which includes used nappies
and food, which is leading to an increase in sightings of vermin.
This continues along the Bridle path for about 100 yards.
I think the land is designated for greenhouse usage.
There is also accommodation available to rent, which I believe he means in the lines of Mr
Chairman of Caravans. He says this is a bit of concern. Sorry, Councillor Dilkin, what's the actual question?
I just wanted to add the last two lines if I may.
The neighbours of mine have been fobbed off formally by deleting Epping Forest
District. They're claiming that the council is deleting it. Anyway, the
The bottom line or the question I'd like to ask is to the leader.
I understand how busy he is, but I was just wondering if he had a chance to view this
and whether or not he could come back with anything so I can go back to the resident.
Thank you, Mr Chair.
Council Member Reid.
Yeah, thank you, thank you, Chairman.
It's really an enforcement issue and that's where we should be stepping to, first of all,
Cllr Chris Whitbread - 0:46:23
before we can do anything else.
And obviously I'm always happy to go and visit the site.
We're doing a number of them around Lazing and Roydon at the moment and we've got a number
of issues of this type of nature and myself and Councillor Bata spent most of the past
two weeks out about looking at different places but certainly if the emails forwarded on to
me I'll pick it up with enforcement. Members we have another five questions and another
minute left I think. One and a half minutes. So we need to be very quick. We have. It's
discuss that in a moment. We have John Whitehouse, Councillor Whitehouse.
Thank you Chair.
Cllr Alan Lion - 0:47:08
Cllr Jon Whitehouse - 0:47:11
I'd like to ask Councillor Ken Williamson who will be aware of the various
substantial number of planning applications
submitted on green belt land around Epping and other places including
Faden Boys and elsewhere
many of which raise the issue of whether the land is grey belt within the green belt
and that means the grey belt green belt review mentioned in his report
particularly important. Doesn't mention a timescale in the report, just wonder if
you could confirm it will be done by autumn or in autumn which I think was
the original timescale and also update it on the timescale for the review or the
update infrastructure delivery plan. Thank you.
Cllr Ken Williamson - 0:47:53
Yeah thank you. I believe that it has slipped by a couple of months. I
I will get back to you with the detail,
but I believe it has slipped a couple of months,
but I will come back.
Thank you.
Okay, members, we have almost run out of time,
so I am prepared to extend the questions
for another 10 minutes.
Cllr Alan Lion - 0:48:14
Councillor Shaw, we have a note of your name.
Please sit down.
I haven't called you yet.
We have your name.
I keep seeing you waving your hand.
You don't need to do that.
It has been noted and we'll call you in due course.
Okay, thank you.
Okay, we have Councillor Meade.
Thank you very much, Chairman.
Cllr Louise Mead - 0:48:41
So this is a question for the leader,
Councillor Chris Whitbread.
In regards to Jessel Green,
so Jessel Green, as you know,
is the ward I represent in Fairmead Ward,
sorry, the green I represent in Fairmead Ward.
Getting it all wrong, anyway, it's Jessel Green.
I know you and I had a conversation a couple of months ago
about getting building trust status for Jessal Green.
And I wondered what is the current position, please.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Cllr Chris Whitbread - 0:49:05
And Councillor Meade, thank you for the question.
In fact, I'll update members a bit further
before I go on to the particular issue of Jessal Green.
One of the many meetings I've had this month
has been with the parish clerks from a number of councils.
And as part of those discussions,
we talked about some of the assets
that the council actually holds.
Some of it is small strips of green space around playing fields that belong to the parish.
There's sort of interest around them.
The other one was of course the scouts hut in North Wild, where I've been working with the scouts for a long time,
over trying to protect their position there.
Of course it's a landlocked piece.
A couple around Shelley, various bits and pieces dotted around.
So we started to undertake a piece of work earlier in the year around what would be the council's asset management
Strategy with those pieces and how we transfer some of them over to towns and parishes
And come to ferris arrangements because there has to be a legal process for it
That is now almost formed and I'm hoping to bring something to cabinet in October
Which will make it make sure that the the legalistic pieces are in place
that we can deal with these issues. In particular as we move to LGR it doesn't make any sense for us
to hold on to an old scout building in one place. There's some land that the town council in
Maltham Abbey requires for their cemetery, those type of things. So we're trying to bring all this
together under one report. Councillor Meade is quite correct herself and Councillor Pong both
brought Jessel Green to my attention this year. I'm hoping now that the parish, yeah sorry,
to Parish the Town Council has recently written to Mr Small
as the chief executive and that is in process.
I'm certainly keen to make sure that you achieve
what you want to achieve.
It's just a matter of the legalistic process
that we have to follow.
And as a council, we always have to show
that we can demonstrate the best value elements as well
and protect the council for the future.
Thank you.
Okay, we now have Councillor Nowicki.
Thank you, chair.
Cllr Chidi Nweke - 0:51:19
This question is for the regulatory service holder.
Thank you for the speech you gave and the report here with me.
I just want to bring to your attention recently Essex police let us publish figures for the
combined Epping, Debden and Loughton area.
And in general, the whole of the district, by the way,
that has been recorded at 41 anti -shelter behaviour reports
and 39 shoplifting.
And in the report, it seems to show that from May 20,
from May 2026, so from May 2025 to 2026,
There has been an increase of crime within the area from
213 to 251.
Looking at your report, it shows that there's a lot of activities
going on in trying to deal with that behaviour and flight tipping.
Would the cabinet member agree with me that the future report
should include a breakdown of where the issues are,
the repeated incidents so that members and what councillors will know where the issues
are and how to work together with officers to start resolving those issues.
Cllr Darshan Sunger - 0:52:50
Thank you Councillor Ricky. I will take that back to our service director and see if we
can actually dissect some of that information which I think will be helpful. So if you have
any specifics for Loughton, if you want to write to me I'll be happy to take that for
We do have a meeting for the Community Safety Partnership.
I think it's pencilled in for a couple of weeks time.
I'll be happy to take that for you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Councillor Shaw, you've been very patient.
So I now allow you to have a chat.
Thank you so much, Chairman.
Cllr Geoff Shaw - 0:53:19
You're obviously saving the best questions
till last, aren't you?
Not quite there yet.
Right.
You may recall that at the previous meeting,
last council meeting I questioned the performance of Qalis and the huge losses of this company,
there's a wholly owned company owned by Evan Forest. Since that meeting I've been doing
quite a lot of research and that is of the publicly available information. Obviously
I can't look at the other information but the public information and it is very, very
disturbing. In fact, I've actually written a 60 page report, but I won't share it with
you tonight because I don't think we've got the time.
We haven't got time.
My first question, I've got a number of questions and I'd like you to hear them all. My first
question is there were 17 directors of QALYST during the five or six year period. I'd like
to know, and they were appointed by Cabinet and Ebb and Forest District, I'd like to know
if any, were professionally qualified.
RIBA, RICS, CIOB, MICE, were any of them professionally qualified.
The reason I ask this is that in the selection and recruitment process
within the shareholders agreement, it states that the directors of the
Qalis group will need to reflect the collective skills and experience
required to successfully manage the activities of the council companies.
It then goes on to say that Qalis Commercial will develop several council owned sites to
deliver significant residential, retail, leisure and we also did industrial projects in the
multi -storey car park.
The value, the estimated value of these investments is £100 million.
So you've got £100 million of investment in multi -different types of construction.
And were there any professionals within those 17 directors?
Sorry, Councillor Shaw, we are running out of time.
I know you are, but the questions that I've got are serious.
Very, very serious.
My second question is why didn't the Cabinet during those years
effectively monitor the performance of QALYIS
as required by the shareholders' agreement?
Qalis produced a business plan showing a profit of $24 million.
From that day onwards, almost every quarter it lost money.
Yet the decision noted by the Cabinet, after almost every meeting, was – this is the
printed decision – the Cabinet noted and agreed the report.
It did nothing.
There was a material event occurred when Springwood Grove...
No, there is one that is very, very serious here.
Sorry, I realise they are serious. What is the question?
And if these things aren't that serious, I suggest that they are dealt with outside the meeting.
No, this one needs to go public. This one needs to go public, which is my next question.
Why did Qalis, let me state this, why did Qalis award the major construction projects,
three major house building projects, to two companies, two companies, tiny companies within
the company house documents, during that period both of them were not employing more than
people and both of those companies were exempt from producing audited accounts. Those two
companies did not produce audited accounts throughout the whole period. They were small
companies. One of them had a balance sheet of £72 ,000.
Can I ask you what your questions are?
My question is, why did Qalis appoint those two contractors?
What was the procurement procedure for that company?
This was a disgrace, an absolute disgrace, and it smells of corruption.
We have a very short time.
So I will now ask my final question.
My final question.
One question at a time. We have said that right at the beginning. You have a range of
questions there. I will ask the leader to respond but I think a lot of these questions
will have to be dealt with separately.
I want one last question.
Sorry, you have had too many questions.
I think we need a totally independent investigation into the losses of Qalis. We need an independent
investigation sure I ask you to sit down please I will and I'm going public
tomorrow with you that's up to you
Cllr Chris Whitbread - 0:58:31
Councillor Whitbread chair chairman we've gone through over the past
cabinet meeting and overview and scrutiny meeting the details of the
quality business plan and where we are with quality at the present time there
are questions this evening that have been put to this council and this cabinet that
I cannot give the answer to in detail, regardless of the companies that were appointed as contractors
by QALYST. I am more than happy and in fact the board members who represented for the
council on the board have offered to meet with Councillor Shaw to run through the operations
of QALYST and we are more than happy to do that. I'm sure officers of QALYST and of the
Council would be more than happy to sit down with Mr Shaw or give written responses to
his questions. But you cannot present questions like that this evening and expect automatic
answers straight away because there are facts and commercial sensitivities behind some of
those questions that could further damage the QALYST position. Anybody who knows about
development. I know that Councillor Shaw does because he is a developer, formerly himself,
knows what has been going on across the marketplaces in recent times. We have seen a massive increase
in the cost of construction, around 35%. We have started to see prices of properties falling.
Sorry, excuse me, Chairman. That is not acceptable behaviour in the Chamber.
If there's any more language like that, I will ask you to leave.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Obviously not acceptable language and I take it that will be properly minuted afterwards.
We will be as compliant as we can with the questions raised by Councillor Shaw and we
will give the proper and correct answers.
But I do note very clearly here this evening that Councillor Shaw has been afforded the
courtesy of Councillor Kaufman and of Councillor Bassett to sit down and go through how Qualis
operates.
He has been offered officer support and he has also been able to ask all the questions
that he's got in this evening at both overview and scrutiny and at cabinet.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Councillor Whitby.
We have two more.
Can we...
Cllr Alan Lion - 1:01:04
Well, we're out of time, so it's up to you, Chairman.
Okay, I will take two more questions, one from Councillor Brooks and one from Councillor
Owen.
Thank you very much.
Cllr Rose Brookes - 1:01:15
The subject of my question was touched on, but not answered.
As Councillor Holly Whitbread intimated, we've all seen an increase in our housing case work,
particularly families and individuals
that we're having to house outside the district.
My question is to Council Patel really,
is last week I was out in Ilford visiting
someone who's had to be housed.
When we've accepted a duty for an individual or a family,
please, has there been any reduction in the time
that in the last three months or so
that these people have been able to spend outside the district.
Because as my colleague over there has touched on,
the support networks for most of the people we accept a duty for
are in the district.
And there's some very sad cases.
I'd also like to say that it's in my experience,
little text a couple of days ago from a case that was dealt with by a homeless team,
how much the lady who was at great risk of being homeless had experienced the
kindness, she actually said the kindness of the officers. They do a very very
difficult job and I think they deserve to be commended. Sorry I've overstepped
but thank you Councillor Patel. Thank you Councillor Brooks I really appreciate it
and as Councillor Woodbreak said as well because she's got the benefit of having
Cllr Smruti Patel - 1:02:52
in the portfolio for a long number of years.
So I do always appreciate her intervention as well
in terms of responses to those comments.
But yeah, no, it has been,
it's been really difficult at the moment.
As she's mentioned, she's got four cases.
I've had three, you know,
I'm sure everyone else has had some come through.
So we are really working diligently
in the housing department and trying to improve
as much as we can and close out cases as quickly
as we can as well and find accommodation.
Thank you.
Final question of Councillor Ailey.
Thank you, Chairman. I have a request of the Leader, please. There's an ongoing issue in
Cllr Michael Owen - 1:03:26
Baldwin's Hill and Loughton to do with water pressure and Thames Water, and the ongoing
maintenance issues aren't going to resolve it, we've now been told. Water pressure's
gone from, in one house, 4 .1 to 2 .1 to 1 .7 bar. People are having issues with showers,
boilers, taps not working, and it's starting to interfere with them. Is there anything
the council can do in terms of either scrutiny or even just emailing Thames
Water because this has been going on for years now and the residents are getting
severely hacked off. Thank you. Thank you Councillor. It's a problem I hear
Cllr Chris Whitbread - 1:04:01
more and more often in different places, you know, so a variety of different
problems. More than happy for the council to write to Thames Water to see if that
has any impact but of course we're dealing with Thames Water. I know my
My colleagues over in Chigwell are very keen to have Thames Water in to a
scrutiny meeting at some point but happy to work with him and if he gives me
more details I'll pick it up from there.
Cllr Alan Lion - 1:04:30
I can add that we had a meeting this afternoon with Thames Water and the
Chigwell councillors and we've got some fairly good results from that so it may
be something that you need to consider locally. Thank you.
My badge keeps falling off.

10 Report of the Appointments Panel

Okay, we'll go on to item 10 on our agenda, and it's the report of the appointments panel,
which you can find on pages 50 to 59, and the supplementary agenda on pages 69 to 71.
May I ask the leader, Councillor Whitbread, to present the report?
Thank you, Chairman, and thank you to the appointments panel for meeting again on two
different occasions.
Cllr Chris Whitbread - 1:05:13
Obviously, since full Council there has been a couple of changes within membership of groups
that need to be reflected in positions on committees and through pro -ratering.
This is set out in the report before you this evening.
I don't intend to go through, as I would normally, the leaders and deputy group leaders of each
group, but they are a set out before you.
And members, we will need to note those when we get to the
relevant recommendations.
We also have the group membership,
which is now set out clearly within those papers.
We then go on to the makeup of committees.
I will go through the ones where there are changes or need for
some form of action to be taken.
The first one is audit and governance,
where we have one member too many now, so effectively there could be a vote on this particular committee.
I would say that Audit and Governance, and I'm sure the Chairman who is here this evening,
it's very important that they have good attendance at those meetings,
and it's the knowledge that members bring to it that is so important
when they are doing the detailed work on how the Council is operating, the audits and everything else.
We have the one additional member here but members I would ask that we agree
for this year that we agree that we go to the additional member just in this
particular instance. This is not a committee that needs to be pro -ratted
it is a an additional space that would mean that Councillor Morris is on the
committee and I know he's been to every single audit and governance meeting
over the past year and a half and I would really appreciate it if we could
just agree that for this year we will go to the additional member. Thank you.
We then move on to the standards, sorry licencing first of all I'm skipping
through these too quickly. The one additional Conservative member will be
Councillor Smooty Patel. I believe we need an extra Loudoun
residents member but we did have a discussion earlier on about daytime
meetings and how difficult that can be so if we could leave that one open while
we have further discussions. Sorry, Castermeade. I need to come off
licencing. Yes, thank you. Sorry, I was just about to come around to that one. We did have a
Cllr Louise Mead - 1:07:38
Cllr Chris Whitbread - 1:07:41
discussion earlier on because a long time ago there was a paper about doing
some licencing meetings in the evening and we were just going to really look at
that paper again and see if it's something we could bring forward and I
I think it was said that, you know, for instance,
licencing taxes could be done of an evening because there is no
legal requirement to have solicitors present,
that type of thing.
So we're just going to see if there's a way around some of
those issues to make it easier for working members to be able
to do some of the licencing at least in the future.
So Councillor Meade wishes to come off that committee, again,
partly through to the pressures of daytime working.
and it would be good if we could if I can just confirm that Councillor Smooty
Patel will be the additional Conservative member and we will come
back again in the near future or it will go through Constitution to look again at
the licencing panel. So if we can take that has been that particular piece of
being agreed we then get on to the stand.
Mr Whitberg, I think you should.
Sorry, Leader.
Gary Woodhall - 1:08:51
Just to add that it says on the papers,
further nominations required for chairing subcommittees.
Councillor Barbara Cohen and Councillor Lisa Morgan
have volunteered to add themselves to that list.
So if members could just agree that as well.
Agreed.
Thank you, Mr Woodall.
And that has been agreed from what I just heard.
We then go on to the standards committee where there would be a vote this evening
Cllr Chris Whitbread - 1:09:18
on the chairman of standards board. Standards board thankfully doesn't meet
that often in this council. We're not sunk to the levels of some across Essex
so our standards board, I don't think it's actually met on a regular basis just once
in probably the past four years. But there is a vote on the chairman. It would
mean as unlocking all the other committee places to have votes on chairmen's which could
be complicated and I think with our earlier meeting of group leaders earlier on it was
suggested that perhaps we just hold this one over to October while the monitoring officer
and Mr Woodall look at what the constitution says with regards to not having to unlock
all the chairmanships again just for this particular one. Can I take that as agreed?
Thank you.
We then go back to the recommendations on this report.
There are three recommendations.
And if we could just agree those recommendations.
Members, can we agree the recommendations?
Agree.
Thank you.
Okay, we now move to item 11.
Cllr Alan Lion - 1:10:28
Members, item 11 agenda is the scheme of delegation changes.
Sorry, chairman.
Sorry, I do apologise.
I was just made aware by Councillor Balcombe
Cllr Chris Whitbread - 1:10:38
that there are two conservative changes that are required to planning because obviously
now that Councillor Williamson has all the responsibilities for planning, I would like
to appoint to replace Councillor Williamson on plans B with Councillor Jamie Braher and
obviously Councillor Songar is now in the cabinet and no longer being on audit and governance
and to replace him with Councillor Jamie Grayhar as well.
Do we need to agree that or is that...
That's just a change from my own pro -rata.
OK.
Cllr Alan Lion - 1:11:15
Councillor Bromwich, did you want to raise something?
Yeah, just something very quickly.
Just perhaps a question for Mr Woodall, actually,
Cllr Tom Bromwich - 1:11:23
whether the name of the political group on page 53 is going to be amended,
because I think it we have two forms from the independent outs and residents
so she typo will that be amended it'll be corrected for the minutes thank you
Cllr Alan Lion - 1:11:42
okay we will go on to item 11 which is the scheme of delegation changes
director of planning which you can find on pages 60 to 64 and I will ask
Councillor Mary Dadd to present the report.
Thank you Mr Chairman.
Cllr Mary Dadd - 1:12:03
This has really come about because of section 62A.
This report came to the Constitution Working Group
because we need more officer delegations
arising from that status.
The situation really is, and I don't think you want me to repeat the situation about
S62A except that if major applications decide to go to the Inspectorate, we basically become
a statutory consultee and have to respond within 21 days. The problem is that there
is not the time to go to the Planning Committee and get everything together in that time.
So this is why this change has come forward and what is recommended is that there is new
officer delegation so that they can respond to all the work that they have to do for section
62A.
That is in the report, I won't actually repeat some of the work that they have to do, but
It does include a substantial detailed report to Planning Inspector and including S1 and
S6 recommendations and other conditions.
So the draught was brought to the Constitution Working Group.
We did request some changes which were agreed, some changes to the original one, because
they thought it was really important, and I know this Council feels this way, that local
democracy is maintained as far as possible. So the changes that we actually put, which
is in the report, are to insert an if clause into the delegation DA, which should read
then to carry out all local planning authority functions for section 62A planning applications
as and if required by the planning inspector to provide substantive response to any section
62a planning, sorry, by the Inspectorate. That would be a sort of a coverall situation.
But the other ones we wanted is to engage ward councillors within the 14 day internal
consultation period and to make a decision in consultation with a planning committee
chair. And we think that is fair to our residents because they have the local context. And the
The third change we wanted was to ensure that planning conditions can be proposed by officers
to mitigate any harm from a 62A development should the planning inspectorate be minded
to approve.
This is why it's 14 days for them to give officers a little bit more time to put things
together.
So I recommend these recommendations for approval, please, to change the scheme of delegation
relating to Director of Planning.
Thank you.
Councillor Williamson, you wanted to add something?
Thank you, Chair.
Cllr Alan Lion - 1:15:04
Cllr Ken Williamson - 1:15:08
I'd just like to add that this is new ground for all of us and this piece of work has been
done incredibly quickly and collaboratively.
There are ongoing things, the town and parishes are being informed.
There's new things coming out every week and we're dealing with the officers are
working overtime dealing with all of those questions and trying to sort out a
sensible way forward.
Councillor Whitehouse.
Cllr Jon Whitehouse - 1:15:38
Yes, obviously rather this wasn't happening but if it's going to happen it needs to be done well and I was pleased to see the working group put in the reference
toward members because of the local context they can bring. Of course the
other organisations which can bring local context are, as Councillor
Williamson referred to, the Town and Parish Councils. I did want to ask about
the role of other statutory consultees. Are they written to by pins and they
also have a 21 -day deadline to respond or is it the District Council's
responsibility to notify other statutory consultees in the same way that it
notifies neighbours and does cite notices and so on because that then seems
a much more constrained timetable. Thank you Chairman I think I can answer that
and I'm sure that Matt Wintman will correct me if I'm wrong. As far as we
Cllr Mary Dadd - 1:16:25
understand all statutory consortees between parish and town councils will be
notified separately we won't see what they they respond and likewise with
highways, suds and various other things. I think I'm right in saying that, Mr Winslow.
Thank you.
So we actually are sending ours as a statutory consortee, not seeing what everybody else
is producing and we all have 21 days and there's no extension to that. Added to that, because
of the changes and there won't be any appeal, any evidence has to be included in those statements.
submissions so that's worth
Parish in town councils knowing as well and also all councils if they've got evidence it has to be included within that 21
Councillor Williamson wants it. No, she's answered the questions. Okay members are any other questions
Cllr Alan Lion - 1:17:22
Okay, can we agree that?
Okay, we now go on to item 12 which is the

11 Scheme of Delegation Changes - Director of Planning

12 Epping Town Neighbourhood Plan

Epping Town neighbourhood plan which can be found on pages 65 and 66. May I ask
Councillor Williamson to present this report. Thank you, thank you chair. But the
plan can't be found on pages 65 to 66 the report can be that the plan is is
Cllr Ken Williamson - 1:17:58
much longer than that. It's been through all the scrutiny it's been through a
referendum and basically the recommendation is that the Epping Town
neighbourhood plan be made which means it's adopted as part of the Epping
Forest District Statutory Development Plan and I urge all other towns and
parishes to get their act in sorted out because CIL would bring them a lot
more money if they did have a proper neighbourhood plan that was made. I
very much. Do we have any questions? Councillor Holly Whitford. Thank you Chairman, not a question,
just a comment to congratulate the town council on winning the referendum and getting this plan
Cllr Holly Whitbread - 1:18:43
through and the hard work over many years. I was first a town councillor in 2015 which feels like
a long long time ago and that's when work on the neighbourhood plan began and it will be a benefit
to the residents of Eppin in terms of seal contribution but also in those applications
where we can determine the importance of the local character of Epping and its distinct qualities.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Members, can we agree to adopt the...
Councillor Dadd.
Ah, Councillor Dadd.
Cllr Alan Lion - 1:19:13
Thank you.
As the other town that has a neighbourhood plan, and I was actually chairman of the group
that produced it for Onge Town Council, I'll congratulate Epping on the work that they
have done and I have to say that we have found that on the neighbourhood plan policies have
actually been very useful to make sure that we've got the right character as far as we possibly can
housing mix and so on and congratulations to you thank you thank you thank you right
oh Councillor Williamson just coming back very briefly I think
Cllr Ken Williamson - 1:19:47
Bolton and Bobingworth beat all of us yeah thank you
Thank you very much.
Cllr Alan Lion - 1:19:54
Right, members, can we agree to adopt
the Epping Town neighbourhood plan?
Thank you.
We got there in the end.
Okay, we're now onto item 13.

13 Council Procedure Rules - Notice Period for Public Questions

Item 13 on the agenda is the council procedure rules,
notice period for public questions,
which can be found on pages 67 -68 of the agenda.
I remember this coming up, so Councillor Dadd,
can I ask you to present the report?
Thank you, Chairman.
Yes, I think currently the notice period
Cllr Mary Dadd - 1:20:30
for public questions of Council has been four working days,
which means for the Friday,
and things have moved on since then.
And although it's quite clear
that officers do need time to come back,
We discussed it with the officers and it was felt that these three working days, so it
would be 12 noon, three days before, which would be on the Monday, would be sufficient
time to get most questions answered and be better for the public.
So I hope that you'll...
What the Constitution Working Group said was that we would leave it to the revised wording back to...
Sorry, I've lost my place here.
Where is it? So I think that the revised wording is actually in your agenda now. Is that right?
Yeah, so we recommend that please. Thank you.
Thank you very much. Do we have any questions? Councillor Owen.
Cllr Alan Lion - 1:21:43
Cllr Michael Owen - 1:21:47
Thank you, Chairman. Firstly, I welcome this change. Can you give any colour around the three working days?
Obviously you need an officer response, but I quickly googled and I think some other councils are less than three.
So could you just give us some context around why it wasn't two or one and the three number
came up but I'll be supporting this change.
Cllr Mary Dadd - 1:22:02
Well that was the advice that we had from officers because of the difficulty sometimes
in the questions but perhaps our officers can actually explain a bit more.
Thank you.
Yes, thank you Councillor Dutt.
but I think most councils that I'm aware of,
Barbara Beardwell - 1:22:20
it is three days, sometimes noon,
sometimes midnight the night before.
And I think that gives officers time to consider
the question and give her an informed response.
I'm not aware personally of any councils
that allow shorter notice.
So I think that the change from,
and in fact before the weekend to midday on Monday,
in fact gives people the weekend to look at the questions but it still gives
officers time to give a considered response or prepare the consider the
Cllr Alan Lion - 1:23:01
response okay any other questions okay so can we agree the proposals for
reduction in the notice period for public questions to council cabinet or

14 Motions

overview and scrutiny thank you very much item 14 motions mr. Woodhull do we
have any motions not tonight chairman thank you very much item 15 is report of

15 Overview and Scrutiny Committee

overview and scrutiny committee may I ask councilman I've had to present his
report thank you thank you mr. chairman and firstly may I thank members who
Cllr Jaymey McIvor - 1:23:38
attended the overview and scrutiny meeting and to all of the officers that came in person.
I was really, really pleased to see that and I sincerely hope that's something we can continue
to do. I'm a huge fan of in -person meetings, not online meetings. I know the world has
moved on but I think here in Epping Forest we benefit from officers being present here
in the meetings. I also thank the members of the cabinet that were there that gave very
full and detailed answers to the committee's queries. It was a very, very long agenda and
much of the items towards the end of the meeting did require the exclusion of public and press.
I would like to put on record that that was on the advice of officers. That was not my
decision as chairman. I would sooner have those discussions with full public viewing.
The committee has a significant work programme and one thing I will be pleased to know is
that the future agendas will not be quite as heavy as this one. I am concerned that
the more heavier the agenda is and the fruitful discussion does mean that some of the very
important significant decisions which do require exclusion of public and press in the previous
meetings case, I don't necessarily think get the thorough nature of scrutiny three
hours into a meeting.
I think there is perhaps some creativity to be done about whether or not some of those
items could be dealt with at the start of the meeting, particularly as some of them
more of significant public spend matters for this council.
Something that is really important
that I want to bring members attention to
is that it was brought to my attention
through pre -meetings that officer time is very restricted
and resources are limited into looking into certain items
that I would like to see added to the work programme.
Now, I do feel that there is nothing more important
than a scrutiny function.
So I will be calling on the council
to make that time available because I appreciate that officers are pressured, but I also appreciate
that the public expects us to do that. If members of a committee wish to see certain
items in detail, then I think that is something that we have a function to do. I think members
will also hopefully be pleased that my approach to scrutiny will also be to make it very public.
I want to encourage members of the public to tell us what they want us to scrutinise.
We are here to represent them and it's all very well having people having opinions
We all see as councillors our residents have opinions sometimes often ill -informed. Well, that's not their fault
That's our fault for not informing them. But I also think that for every ill -informed
unfair comment made about this council
There is an idea and a bud and that should be planted and that should grow and it will do so in this
chamber and at that committee. I also want to urge all members who are not
members of the overview and scrutiny committee to please come to overview and
scrutiny. I am a chairman that will not leave the meeting until everyone that
wants to speak has an opportunity to speak and you know what if you want to
hog the mic and you want to speak loads that's also fine I'm not looking at you
Councillor Bromwich I didn't mean to do that I don't know why I don't know why
my eyes looked over to the member for Northall Bassett I couldn't possibly say
will I. But on a serious note, I want members to come. Obviously you're not able to vote,
the committee will do that, but if you come to the meeting and you want to speak about
something, you will be heard and your residents will be heard through you. And just to give
you a flavour of some of the things that members of the public have asked me to have considered
for our work programme, which I of course will summarise briefly for you, Chairman,
and also make sure that the committee have that decision ultimately. There is query and
concern about getting to the nitty -gritty and the facts of the Bell Hotel expenditure
of the legal matters. I think that is an important thing and I think there's too many figures
being flown around. It doesn't help. We need to see that in detail and that will be possible
once the matter is completely concluded. The Council's communication department, how we
can improve certain aspects of that. Also, the recent matters to do with planning special
measures, we want to see what our council's long -term plan is to make sure
we get out of that situation, ultimately protect our green belt. The green belt is
so important to the people of Epping Forest. The council's response
to the Casey report, now this is something I'm very very interested to
see the committee have access to information on. Baroness Casey made it
very clear in the grooming gang report that grooming gangs operate here in
Epping Forest. We need to make sure this council is doing everything it can with
the powers it has in order to respond to that.
And that'd be something I'll be looking to add
to the work programme.
They want civic pride to be looked into.
I think we've heard some great work that's being done
by Councillor Sunge when it comes to fly tipping.
But as we've also heard from my colleague, Councillor Keller
there is clearly more work to be done on that.
And finally, and this has already been raised
by members this evening,
the customer service element to this council.
So every meeting we have KPIs and reporting about the numbers of calls,
the speed in which the calls are answered, the satisfaction.
What we very rarely hear about is the qualitative feedback,
so not the numerical KPIs, but the actual real -life experiences
of people that have given up phoning our council,
people that are not digitally included.
So I want to see us shift our focus.
We must continue to be on our quantitative data and our KPIs,
but I also want to see our committee really look into the qualitative feedback of residents,
that feedback that is real, that raw feedback that doesn't get shown up in a spreadsheet,
the life behind the person with a housing query. We need to hear this and I want that
committee to hear it. And finally, Mr Chairman, I want to, and this was a very, very interesting
point that has been raised and brought to my attention, former staff of this council
that have ideas. They are now our residents, they are now free from responsibility of officers,
but they hold affection for this council, they hold affection for Epping Forest and
seeing this community thrive. And if they want to whistle -blow something from their
time here, and also if they want to share their expertise and learned experience, perhaps
by moving to another authority but they continue to reside here, I want those very informed
residents to have the opportunity to contribute to Ovi and Scrutiny too.
So, Mr Chairman, our next meeting is on the 8th of September.
I really hope many members will attend.
I look forward to that agenda, but also I want to just sort of plea with members to
go back to your communities, ask your communities what do you want Overview and Scrutiny to
look at, and I can assure you as Chairman of that committee it will be certainly considered
and sincerely, I hope, looked at.
Thank you, Mr Chairman.
I'm very happy to take questions.
Thank you very much, Councillor MacGillan.
Councillor Isby.
Thank you, Mr Chairman.
Cllr Alan Lion - 1:30:37
As you are well aware, we have faced unprecedented issues in Chigua over the last few weeks because
Cllr Kaz Rizvi - 1:30:42
of Thames Water and the disruption that it's caused our residents.
We've had a heatwave which has left 3 ,500 households without proper water supply, proper
water pressures.
it's left some of the most vulnerable people in our community without washing up water,
without bathing water and without the ability to even flush the toilet.
So it is a disgrace Thames Water, our shambolic.
In Chigwell we have been leading the case on behalf of our residents and as we heard
earlier on we had successfully at my request managed to summon Thames Water to a meeting
on an emergency basis which, Mr Chairman, I'm grateful to you for giving up your time
alongside Councillors Braha and Sunger and Councillor Lee Scott to join on.
So we are proactively chasing Thames Water to answer some of the difficult questions
that our residents need answers to. Can I go on record to invite the
scrutiny chairman for the primary scrutiny committee of this council to invite Thames
Water to provide some of those answers to our residents from Chigwell and beyond the district
deserve. Thank you very much Councillor Isby. Councillor Morgan, Louise Morgan, Lisa Morgan.
Cllr Alan Lion - 1:32:00
Cllr Lisa Morgan - 1:32:04
Councillor Isby has already highlighted my first point which I would be very supportive
of Thames Water coming and also the fact that Thames Water are the biggest polluter in our
area and that's one of the questions we really need to get answers to in this and it's really
Council and the Chigwa ones actually spoke to Thames Water so I'd like to get an update
on that because residents asked me off, quite happy to pass them across. But with the pollution
involved I would really, really like them to be held accountable. Thank you very much
Councillor McArthur if we can put that forward.
Councillor Sunga.
Cllr Darshan Sunger - 1:32:45
May I also add to that, Chairman, that residents of Chigwa were up in arms and the Chair of
overview and scrutiny has just said that. Listen to your communities, listen to your
residents. They've been shouting and screaming as we wrote to the chair of the overview and
scrutiny. I'm not sure whether or not you got that email or not, Councillor McIver,
because it has been some time and we had to resort to actually doing our own homework
with Councillor Risby having to summon Thames Water to a virtual meeting we had today. So
perhaps you'd like to comment whether you received an email a few weeks ago. I think,
Chairman, you may have also sent that email to the Chairman of the Unscrewing.
Perhaps you'd like to comment on that. Thank you.
Councillor MacGillivray.
Thank you, Mr Chairman. I haven't had sight of that email, but it's obviously very important.
Cllr Jaymey McIvor - 1:33:31
And can I just say to all members, with regards to external organisations, I think it's a very, very important thing that this Council holds them to account.
And by the way, none other than Essex Highways, who I think should sit in this Chamber and hear from members.
but as the very esteemed previous chairman of Ovi and Scrutiny,
Councillor Helen Kane, who I'm very fond of,
who members certainly across the Chamber are fond of as a former chairman too,
will recognise that the minute we start inviting external organisations in,
every minute spent analysing what they are doing
is one less minute spent analysing what we are doing as an organisation.
I think it's very important we get the balance,
and I agree the behaviour of Thames Ward is unacceptable,
I've had similar problems in my own ward,
but also the pollution of the river roading, which goes right through my county division.
This has been going on for years and years and still nothing has been done. So I think there is
a place for overview and scrutiny to scrutinise external organisations, but I want us to be very
cautious because I can see a long list. TfL, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Essex Highways,
the Planning Advisory Service, you could just list so many organisations. There are also some
very good organisations. I look no further than Northfield Airfield and
the Hartson Essex Air Ambulance, the Chairman of Essex County Council's chosen charity this
year, a charity that we are all very fond of. I would love them to come in here and
get a big round of applause from Oviun Scrutiny for the work that they are doing. So there
is a balance to be had when it comes to external organisations, but clearly the behaviour of
that particular organisation is something for Oviun Scrutiny to look, consider, and
the members of that committee to consider and please do make that case. But I would
suggest that under the urgency of the matter that you should make sure that the Member
of Parliament for Epping Forest is fighting that for you in Parliament at the earliest
opportunity.
Cllr Kaz Rizvi - 1:35:31
Thank you for allowing me to come back Mr Chairman. Just for Councillor McIvor's information,
we did have a representative from our Member of Parliament join on from the meeting. In
And keeping with his monologue, which he started off his report with, it would be very, very
helpful if he was to dignify myself, my ward colleagues and members across Chigwa with
at least a response to our email from 9th July.
And that would help to build some trust or confidence from us as members, writing to
him as our ONS Chairman.
Thank you.
Cllr Alan Lion - 1:36:05
I might add that there is a member of this Council who also works for Thames Water and
has actually replied to one of our emails. Thank you.
Councillor Dadd, did you want to raise anything?
Cllr Mary Dadd - 1:36:17
Sorry. Yes, thank you to Councillor McIver
for his list about scrutiny.
I just wanted to actually raise the point about the green belt
and to remind him that there is a task and finish panel
which has already sat, actually,
which is looking at how we can better protect the Greenbelt,
especially the best and most versatile agricultural land.
And that was actually approved at scrutiny a couple of months ago
and we'll be reporting back as soon as we can.
And other things to do with the S62A,
I know that Councillor Williamson has got his advisory panel working
and there's lots of other feed -in from Chairman and Vice -Chairman of Planning and so on and
I'm sure that the other feed -ins will be appreciated and I hope that puts his mind at rest a bit.
Thank you.
Thank you very much, Councillor De Vincenzo.
Cllr Alan Lion - 1:37:21
Okay, we can go on to Item 16 which is Joint Arrangements and External Organisations and

16 Joint Arrangements & External Organisations

Members will have received a report
from Councillor Stephen Murray
regarding the Roding Valley Nature Reserve.
I hope you've all read it.
Do any members have any reports
that they'd like to present this evening?
No reports.
Thank you very much.
So item 17 is the exclusion of public and press.
And as there are no items for consideration
of the public and press,
I would like to take this opportunity to wish you a safe journey home, and I declare this
meeting closed at 8 .40.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Cllr Raymond Balcombe
District councillor for Rural East ward
Conservative Party
View profile Cllr Raymond Balcombe
Cllr Roger Baldwin
District councillor for Loughton Forest ward
Loughton Residents Association
View profile Cllr Roger Baldwin
Barbara Beardwell
Monitoring Officer & Strategic Legal Advisor
Epping Forest District Council
View profile Barbara Beardwell
Cllr Tom Bromwich
District councillor for North Weald Bassett ward
Epping Forest Independents Group
View profile Cllr Tom Bromwich
Cllr Rose Brookes
District councillor for Buckhurst Hill East and Whitebridge ward
Loughton Residents Association
View profile Cllr Rose Brookes
Cllr Mary Dadd
District councillor for Ongar ward
Conservative Party
View profile Cllr Mary Dadd
Cllr Phil Dawkins
District councillor for Roydon and Lower Nazeing ward
Reform UK
View profile Cllr Phil Dawkins
Cllr Mandy George
District councillor for Epping West and Rural ward
Liberal Democrats
View profile Cllr Mandy George
Cllr Paul Kelleher
District councillor for Waltham Abbey North ward
Reform UK
View profile Cllr Paul Kelleher
Cllr Alan Lion
District councillor for Grange Hill ward
Conservative Party
View profile Cllr Alan Lion
Cllr Jodie Lucas
District councillor for Waltham Abbey West ward
Conservative Party
View profile Cllr Jodie Lucas
Cllr Craig McCann
District councillor for Chigwell with Lambourne ward
Conservative Party
View profile Cllr Craig McCann
Cllr Jaymey McIvor
District councillor for Ongar ward
Reform UK
View profile Cllr Jaymey McIvor
Cllr Karen McIvor
District councillor for Rural East ward
Reform UK
View profile Cllr Karen McIvor
Cllr Louise Mead
District councillor for Loughton Fairmead ward
Loughton Residents Association
View profile Cllr Louise Mead
Cllr Lisa Morgan
District councillor for Grange Hill ward
Epping Forest Independents Group
View profile Cllr Lisa Morgan
Cllr Chidi Nweke
District councillor for Loughton Roding ward
Loughton Residents Association
View profile Cllr Chidi Nweke
Cllr Michael Owen
District councillor for Loughton Forest ward
Loughton Residents Association
View profile Cllr Michael Owen
Cllr Smruti Patel
District councillor for Buckhurst Hill West ward
Conservative Party
View profile Cllr Smruti Patel
Cllr Sheree Rackham
District councillor for Loughton Roding ward
Loughton Residents Association
View profile Cllr Sheree Rackham
Cllr Kaz Rizvi
District councillor for Chigwell with Lambourne ward
Conservative Party
View profile Cllr Kaz Rizvi
Cllr Geoff Shaw
District councillor for Theydon Bois with Passingford ward
Reform UK
View profile Cllr Geoff Shaw
Andrew Small
Chief Executive
Epping Forest District Council
View profile Andrew Small
Cllr Darshan Sunger
District councillor for Chigwell with Lambourne ward
Conservative Party
View profile Cllr Darshan Sunger
Cllr Chris Whitbread
District councillor for Roydon and Lower Nazeing ward
Conservative Party
View profile Cllr Chris Whitbread
Cllr Holly Whitbread
District councillor for Epping West and Rural ward
Conservative Party
View profile Cllr Holly Whitbread
Cllr Jon Whitehouse
District councillor for Epping East ward
Liberal Democrats
View profile Cllr Jon Whitehouse
Cllr Ken Williamson
District councillor for Buckhurst Hill West ward
Conservative Party
View profile Cllr Ken Williamson
Gary Woodhall
Team Manager - Democratic and Electoral Services
Epping Forest District Council
View profile Gary Woodhall