Nine Ashes Farm plans to go before Epping Forest District Council (From This Is Local London)

Nine Ashes Farm plans to go before Epping Forest District Council

2:30pm Friday 19th March 2010 in

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A DEVELOPER'S “last chance” plan to convert an old dairy farm into office and warehouse space has drawn anger from a village community.

Residents in Nine Ashes, near Ongar, have objected en mass to Stuart Harding's plans for Nine Ashes Farm, but his application is recommended for approval by Epping Forest District Council.

Rod Higginbotham, 60, of Nine Ashes Road, said: “We have so many lorries already it's just crazy, why do we want any more? It's going to be totally out of keeping with the area.

“I've lived here 17 years. It used to be dairy farm, and one of the things they've said is there will be the same amount of traffic as when it was a farm. That farm had one milk tanker, the rest of the equipment was kept at a separate site. They've said there'll be 82 vehicles a day.”

John Laying, 73, said:“The only reason people come down here is as a rat run for the M11. The roads can't stand it as it is, they haven't been repaired in years. If we get more lorries coming off the A414 that's a lot more vehicles and the traffic is already treacherous.”

The latest plans for Nine Ashes Farm are the latest in a long string of applications which have included a change of use to light industry and the construction of ten houses.

Mr Laying said he had agreed with the housing plan adding: “We all said 'that's ideal for the area' and that got refused. They had designs and they were lovely, you'd want to live there yourself, I can't understand it.”

The most recent application has received objections from High Ongar Parish Council and 34 residents.

Elizabeth Rofe, of Nine Ashes Road, said: “Everyone's up in arms. The roads just can't take it and it'll be an accident waiting to happen. Children are dropped off in this area and there's two bus stops there. I'm just disgusted.”

Mr Harding's agent Charlie Biss said: “The idea is to use the existing buildings for something more appropriate. Epping Forest encourages employment and the best way forward is to keep the buildings for employment.

“There are objections because people don't want them, but what else can you do? Those buildings aren't going to go away. We tried to get housing there five years ago and that was rejected. It's an application of last resort, really. We've tried everything.”

The application will be decided next Wednesday, March 24, at 7.30pm at the Civic Offices, in Epping High Street.