Councillors have voted to refuse plans to build a Next distribution centre in Waltham Abbey.

An Extraordinary Council Meeting was held last night (June 24) to deliberate on the proposals to build a five-hectare distribution warehouse, multi-storey car park and photo studio, in land north of Dowling Way.

The proposals, submitted by High Street fashion giant Next, were originally recommended for approval by council officers, however the district’s development management committee refused the plans, leading to concessions on size and further pledges to fund local schemes by Next.

The updated plans again rejected by councillors by a vote of 25 to 10, with zero abstentions.

Councillors Sam Kane and Simon Heap withdrew from the vote following complaints made about comments they had made online about the scheme.
Both contended they were not predetermined to refuse the development, but wished the vote to go ahead without any questions over the impartiality.

Councillors John Philip and Chris Whitbread missed the meeting as they were self-isolating as per Covid-19 regulations.

As part of the development, which would have represented a £40 investment by Next, the company had agreed to also stump up £1.2 million for a bus service, £300,00 for a community centre, £100,000 for cycle and walking paths and a further £206,000 for environmental initiatives.

Since the application had been submitted more than 450 neighbours had responded raising concerns over: traffic, air quality, wildlife impacts, and noise.

Speaking at the meeting, resident Liam Lakes claimed councillors who had campaigned against a proposed Clean Air Zone (CAZ) driving charge in the district in the run up to the local elections in May would be hypocritical to vote in favour of the development.

“A high traffic development such as this, on the outskirts of the SAC would make the CAZ road charging scheme inevitable. You cannot claim to be against the CAZ and for this development”, he said.

Dominic O’Rourke, property director of Next, argued the influx of more than 1,000 vehicles per day – travelling to and from the site – was actually a relatively low number in context of current traffic

He said: “The forecast 2021 background traffic on Dowding Way is circa 18,800. The proposed development will increase the quantum of traffic movements on Dowding Way by only circa seven per cent in each of the morning and evening commuter peaks and by only circa five per cent when considering the whole day. This is less than two vehicles per minute during peak hours.”

Cllr Chris Pond contented the application could not be grante on the basis of it contravened with national law, namely the Habitats Regulations 2017 which protect the forest as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC).

He said: “Members this is a zonking huge building. The building itself covers five hectares, that is an enormous building and it is probably the second largest building planned in Epping Forest.

“The lorry movements we are told will have a magnitude of 1,00 a day. That is 350,000 extra vehicle movements in a year. And that is all within a quarter of a mile of the SAC and we are deluding ourselves if we believe there will be no adverse effect.”

Cllr Holly Whitbread, who voted to allow the centre to be built, said ‘good arguments’ had been provided for both sides.

She added: “This is a site allocated within our local plan, it’s a draft allocation, it was always agreed there was going to be employment land here… I think it’s a really positive thing bring around 500 jobs into our district, into Waltham Abbey, and a huge amount of investment.

“From that investment comes further opportunity, because we have a really good, positive company, coming into our area which could look at investing elsewhere.”