A controversial decision to release restrictions on college land being developed in Loughton was making our headlines five years ago this week.

Disused college land has been opened up to new housing developments, despite accusations that the move is a “monumental error” hitting young families hardest.

At a meeting of Epping Forest District Council, the majority of councillors voted to remove ‘covenants’ – restrictions on what can be built – from land at Epping Forest College in Borders Lane, Loughton.

The 11 acres of land had been reserved for education or healthcare use, but the college is now free to sell it to housing developers.

It plans to use the money raised for a new sports centre, open to the community.

The Conservative-backed move faced opposition from the Loughton Residents’ Association (LRA), Green Party and Liberal Democrats, with some claiming the land would be better used for a new primary school.

However, Conservative councillor John Philip said: “This is a decision that we looked at in great depth, this is a decision where we asked the education authority whether they wanted the land – they did not.

“Given that… we had no option but to say it makes sense to release these covenants.”

LRA councillor Chris Pond claimed there will be a rising need for primary school places in the coming years, and called for potentially three acres to be saved for a new school.

He said: “There are simply no other sites in Loughton where a new primary school could be built, without taking green belt land or much needed and much valued local open spaces.

“County councillor Valerie Metcalfe and I are so worried about this situation … in our view it would be a monumental error of judgement on EFDC’s part to release the covenant on all the land, and not to protect at least part of it.”

The lack of public consultation over the move was criticised at the meeting, with fellow LRA councillor Leon Girling making a passionate plea for others to consider families with young children.

“It infuriates a lot of people who are listening… they really do not feel that young families are getting their voice heard,” he said.

Despite county council projections saying there are enough school places in Loughton for the next 10 years, Cllr Girling said councillors should consider the whole of Epping Forest in their decision.

He said: “What does it say in Epping, what does it say in North Weald, what does it say over in Chigwell?

“They are all the same, they can’t take any more intake of pupils.

“We need more schools but we are running out of land to put them on.”

Despite the opposition a large majority of councillors voted to remove the covenants and the college will be free to sell the land, with councillor Howard Kauffman estimating 200 to 250 new homes could be created in multiple-storey blocks.