Latest news with #EppingForestDistrictCouncil
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Swimmer safety fears over bid to dump soil in lake
Plans to dump huge amounts of soil into a popular lake have sparked outcry, with swimmers fearing it could pose a contamination risk. Waste management company Hersus wanted to offload the dirt in Luxborough Lake in Chigwell, Essex. The firm said changing the water depth from 35m (115ft) to 6m (20ft) would make the beauty spot more accessible. Buckhurst Hill Parish Council objected to the application, stating there was "no credible evidence" of water sports benefitting from the lake's depth being reduced. A total of 850,000 cubic metres of soil would be tipped into the 25-acre (10ha) lake, under plans submitted to Epping Forest District Council. Concerns have been raised about where the dirt would come from and its impact on the ecosystem. Swimmer Martin Powers said: "It's not just about our fears of losing our beautiful swimming place. What are they going to dump in here?" His fears were echoed by resident John Bothwell, who accused Hersus of having no intention to enhance the lake. "This is the last decent lane to walk down in Chigwell," he said. "People come down here with their dogs, walking, runners, cyclists and horse riders, and if it gets its way that'll be all totally disrupted." Buckhurst Hill Parish Council said: "While the applicant claims to have the noble goal of an environmentally and disability-friendly recreational facility open to the public, they have not established why 850,000 cubic meters is necessary to achieve that vision." The lake was created by workers who dug out a gravel pit during construction of the M11, the Local Democracy Reporting Service wrote. Hersus said its plan required ongoing tests to verify all material entering the water was clean and naturally occurring. "Retaining open-water swimming, as well as other water sports, is at the core of the proposal," it stressed. "By shallowing the lake, it will be possible to provide opportunities for open-water swimming to those of all levels." Hersus's application also sought to change the use of the site to an outdoor sport and recreation centre. "This will help secure the future of the lake as a destination for sport and recreation," it added. Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. Call for council to be abolished over lake dispute Calls to protect saltmarshes as vital carbon stores Forest is worth £1.9bn over 50 years, report says Epping Forest District Council
BBC News
07-05-2025
- BBC News
Epping fly-tip blocks road at blind bend
Police attend large fly-tip dumped at blind bend Essex Police said it became aware of the fly-tip in Rye Hill Road, Epping, on Tuesday evening Contractors have had to clear up a large amount of building waste that was fly-tipped at the bend of a country lane. The rubbish was dumped in Rye Hill Road, Epping, and was reported to Essex Police at about 21:00 BST on Tuesday. The force said "inquiries are ongoing", while Epping Forest District Council said a contractor was clearing the site. The waste covered a stretch about 30m long (98ft) and contained wooden planks, scraps of loose metal and construction materials.
BBC News
23-04-2025
- General
- BBC News
Council apologises for wailing Epping car park alarm
A council has apologised after a fire alarm rang for more than six hours next to a retirement home on Easter alarm at Cottis Yard multi-storey car park in Epping, Essex, has sounded on several occasions over the past few months, according to one neighbour, Maureen Cannon, 92, who lives in the Bakers' Villas retirement complex, has a perforated eardrum and said she hid in her bathroom to get away from the Epping Forest District Council spokesperson apologised for the disturbance, first reported by Everything Epping Forest, saying: "The alarm should not have been going off for as long as it did." Describing the noise, Ms Cannon said: "It was terribly loud... I suppose that's what it's meant to do... distract you."Janet Hedges, 78, said: "It does go right through you, because it wakes you up and you think 'Ooh, what's happened?'"People come in and try and calm you down."Eileen Kelly, 92, said the alarm sounded for "a long while", adding that she thought it was supposed to indicate an emergency."It does affect you because you wonder what it is: 'Why is it going off? Have we got some trouble somewhere?'" she said. Robert Born, 67, who lives about 200 yards (180m) away on Buttercross Lane, said the alarm had blared "six or seven times" over the last nine months."It hasn't got an automatic cut-out. It has gone on for 11 hours continuously once, but normally it's about one to two hours," he said there had been a "far worse" incident previously when the alarm started late on a Friday evening."[Of] course, everyone has gone home from the council," he said."The car park is still merrily ringing away at eight o' clock the next morning."You can't go outside when this thing's going on, because it's going through your head." This month, the council took back ownership of the car park from Qualis, a company that it owns.A council spokesperson said the authority had been "working hard" to fix the alarm system, reducing the number of instances it went off and trying to "respond in a timely manner" whenever it did. Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
