Epping is preparing for a lively and welcoming weekend as the Epping Town Partnership hosts a MiniFestival, bringing together music, heritage, family activities and community spirit across two fun‑filled days. Residents are encouraged to come out, explore the town, and enjoy a programme designed to celebrate everything that makes Epping special. The festivities begin on Saturday 5th September, with a warm and melodic start as the Coffee Concert at St John’s Church runs from 1

The Epping Society is creating a new guide for people who are new to Epping, or simply want to get to know the town better. Rather than producing a traditional directory of local businesses and services, we want this guide to capture the local knowledge, recommendations and experiences that make Epping such a special place to live. That's where you can help. Share Your Local Knowledge We're asking local people to contribute their favourite places, hidden gems and insi

Step Into Epping’s Story: Join the Blue Plaques Guided Walk This September Epping is a town rich with character, shaped by remarkable people, historic buildings and moments that deserve to be remembered. This September, you’re warmly invited to explore that heritage in a relaxed, engaging and family‑friendly way. On Saturday 5th September 2026, the Epping Society will lead a special Blue Plaques Guided Walk as part of the Epping Town Partnership’s Mini Festival. Over the cour

Essex County Council has released its new 100‑Day Plan, setting out the first steps in what it calls a “new chapter for Essex.” While the document covers a wide range of services, several commitments stand out as particularly important for Epping and the surrounding district—especially when it comes to planning, development, community protection, and the future of our countryside. For years, residents across Epping Forest District have felt the pressure of speculative develop

The Epping Society Stand at the Town Show The Epping Society enjoyed a vibrant and successful day at the Epping Town Show on Sunday 5 July, where glorious sunshine helped draw an excellent crowd of residents and visitors. Our stand welcomed a steady stream of people eager to talk about the issues shaping Epping’s future. We were pleased to be joined during the day by our Member of Parliament, Dr Neil Hudson, and the Town Mayor, Councillor Razia Sharif, both of whom spent time

Old Pastures - Beautiful Historic land. One gone, gone forever. The deadline for public comments on the Old Pastures development — Planning Application EPF/2477/25 — closes on 23 July, and this is a moment Epping cannot afford to ignore. The Epping Society is urging every resident who cares about the character, safety and future of our town to submit objections while there is still time. This consultation is not a formality. It is the community’s last meaningful chance to inf

We are pleased to support this new organisation & publicise this Press Release. Former Financial Times executive launches The Keepers campaign to defend Epping District's green belt “A strongly focussed local approach is needed. We are 'The Keepers' and we are raising funds for Keep Epping District Green," says Kelly Collins, one of the founding donors and volunteers at a stall at the Epping Town Show, last Sunday’s sunny July afternoon at Stonards Hill recreation ground. The

Epping Forest Under Threat The Government’s decision to place Epping Forest District Council (EFDC) into special planning measures is one of the most serious threats to local democracy our district has faced in decades. It is a move that sidelines elected councillors, weakens community oversight, and hands unprecedented power to developers who have long sought to build without meaningful scrutiny. This is not a technical adjustment. It is not a harmless administrative interve

Dr Neil Hudson speaking in the House of Commons (video below) TODAY IN THE CHAMBER: Epping Forest MP, Dr Neil Hudson, challenged the Government over its decision to strip Epping Forest District Council (EFDC) immediately of its ability to decide on major planning applications. Ministers at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) have designated EFDC under Section 62A of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. This removes the Council's power to det

Further to this mornings report by Everything Epping Forest here is an update. the links below take you directly to 2 further articles on the EEF site bringing you right up to date. We understand a further update will be published shortly so stay with us to keep up to date/ Further one added at 1525

At the Epping Society, we’re always keen to support local organisations where we can, especially those working to protect the environment and the special character of our area. We’d like to encourage members and residents to support Epping’s Deer & Wildlife, whose work helps safeguard local wildlife and habitats that are an important part of what makes Epping and its surroundings so special. So why not pop along this Saturday to Hammond and Smith Estate Agents and purchase so

Word is coming in that EFDC has been stripped of its power to make planning decisions on developments with more than 10 houses. 'Everything Epping Forest' has in the last hour posted on it's Facebook page the following. BREAKING: Epping Forest District Council has been stripped of its power to determine major planning applications - including proposed developments with more than 10 properties - after being put into 'planning special measures'. More Soon. If true this is very

Last night (8th June) a packed audience attended a presentation in Epping Hall, by Epping Town Council about the Epping Town Council Neighbourhood Plan (NP). The speaker, Cllr Nigel Avey started by explaining the different roles of the two Councils. He explained that the proposed NP has to fit inside Epping Forest District Council’s Local Plan, set in place in 2023. The NP cannot contradict the LP – and particular concern was expressed about developers hoping to push through

Bumble Footpath - Land under threat from developers Today we launch a petition to let the council and developers know exactly what the local community think. Please sign and share. Epping at Breaking Point: Why Residents Are Demanding a Halt to Further Development Epping is a town under strain. Anyone who lives here can feel it: the GP appointments that take weeks, the roads that clog at the slightest disruption, the parking that has become a daily battle, and the creeping lo

Wates have dropped a flier on residents’ doorsteps announcing a proposed development at Mill Mound Fields, delivered on 22 May 2026 with a response deadline of 6 June — a deliberately tight two‑week window that limits meaningful public engagement. The leaflet calls the site “land South of Stonards Hill”, even though, as the document states, it is “more widely known as MMF and perhaps more correctly ‘land West of Stonards Hill’” . When a consultation begins with mislabelling

Once it is gone, it is gone forever The Epping Society is voicing its strongest opposition yet to the proposed housing development on the land south of Stonards Hill — a scheme we believe would cause irreversible harm to the character, ecology and wellbeing of our town. The developer’s glossy consultation boards may speak of “green communities” and “enhanced landscapes”, but residents know the truth: this is the last major open green buffer on the eastern side of Epping, and

Beautiful historic land under threat A planning application has been submitted for up to 80 homes on land known as “Old Pastures”, south of Stonards Hill Recreation Ground, Epping. This site sits in the Metropolitan Green Belt and has long been part of Epping’s open setting and community life. If you care about protecting Epping’s Green Belt, local character, and already-stretched roads and services, please submit an objection. Individual objections matter: they show the stre

Bumble Footpath in Epping. An area of historic natural beauty gone forever once the heavy equipment start tearing up the land. Epping is facing a crisis that can no longer be ignored. A newly released NHS assessment has confirmed what residents, campaigners and frontline staff have been saying for years: our local health services are already overstretched, under‑resourced, and physically too small to cope with the population we have today — let alone thousands more residents

Many of you will be aware that The Epping Society writes a regular article for the Epping Forest Guardian. If you missed it, here is our last one.

One this is gone, it is gone forever, Please make your views known Old Pastures update 11.5.26 The proposal to build over 80 new homes at Old Pastures in Epping threatens to disrupt the very fabric of this community. This development plan ignores the long-term consequences for residents, the environment, and the town’s infrastructure. It is not just about adding houses; it is about risking the quality of life for current and future generations. The window for objecting to thi