Policy information sourced from the Combined Policies of Epping Forest District Local Plan (1998) and Alterations (2006).

TC1 Town Centre Hierarchy

Applications within town centres for retail and other appropriate uses, including extensions to existing stores, will be determined in accordance with the hierarchy which exists in the district:

  1. Principal:
    • Epping;
    • Loughton High Road;
    • Waltham Abbey
  2. Smaller:
    • Loughton Broadway;
    • Chipping Ongar
  3. District:
    • Buckhurst Hill - Queens Road (east)
  4. Local:
    • Abridge
    • Buckhurst Hill – Loughton Way, Lower Queens Road, Queens Road west, Station Way
    • Chigwell - Brook Parade, Limes Farm, Manor Road
    • Coopersale - Parklands
    • Chipping Ongar – Lower High Street, St Peters Avenue, Fyfield Road
    • Epping – Lindsey Street
    • Loughton – Borders Lane, Goldings Hill/Lower Road, Pyrles Lane, Roding Road/Valley Hill
    • Nazeing – Nazeingbury Parade
    • North Weald – High Road
    • Theydon Bois – Coppice Row/Forest Drive
    • Waltham Abbey – Highbridge Retail Park, Ninefields, Roundhills, Upshire Road

The Council will, in principle, permit proposals which should sustain or improve the vitality and viability of any of the centres, and which will either maintain or not adversely affect their position in the above hierarchy. Larger-scale development is therefore only appropriate in the principal centres. Proposals for retail and other town centre uses on edge-of-centre or out-of-centre sites will be assessed in terms of (1) whether they adversely affect the vitality and viability of existing centres within the district; and (2) all other plan policies.

For more information, please see the Combined Policies document