Understanding planning · 13 min read
Planning application documents: what to read first
Understand planning application documents, officer reports and decision notices. Use a reading checklist, document table and worked example to inspect a case.
England · Local authority
Epping Forest planning applications
PlanningTrack collects planning applications and decisions from the public planning register of Epping Forest District Council. Also known as EFDC.Search an address, application reference or proposal. Official Epping Forest website
Collected application statistics
Collected records · All available dates59,804Searchable applications
395Recorded as pending
80%Approval rate · 51,559 approved or refused records
10,402Refused applications
41,157 approved · 10,402 refused · 3,117 withdrawn. Received dates in our records: 29 Jan 1996 to 29 Oct 2026. Most recent record check: 2 Nov 2026. Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.
Local planning information
Council sources checked 14 Sept 2026Planning information Planning and buildingLocal plan Planning and buildingPre-application advice Planning and buildingArticle 4 directions Planning and building
Conservation areas and Article 4 directions
Explore published planning boundaries and follow their source records for designation details. Coverage varies: an empty map does not mean there are no restrictions. Check the council’s current maps and documents before relying on a boundary.
Conservation areas25 mapped area records
Article 4 direction areasNo boundary records available in this collection
Interactive planning map loads with JavaScript. Dataset sources are linked below.
Download Article 4 coverage for all authorities (CSV)
Data downloaded 14 Sept 2026. Display boundaries are simplified and indicative. Map record counts are not a complete count of designations or directions.
Sources: Planning Data conservation areas and Article 4 direction areas. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
More application records
- Decision MadeEPF/1466/26
Approval of Details Reserved by Condition 26 Types and Colours of External Finishes of EPF/1356/24 (Residential development of 36 dwellings including affordable housing, access from Stanford Rivers Road, associated estate roads, parking, open space and enhanced landscaping).
Land Known As The Paddocks, Stanford Rivers Road, Ongar, CM5 9BT
Received 29 Jul 2026 - Under ConsultationEPF/1467/26
TPO/EPF/10/09 T2: Oak - Crown reduce by up to 4m, as specified. NB: The permitted specification of works is detailed in the conditions below.
Oak Farm, Mott Street, Waltham Abbey, IG10 4AP
Received 29 Jul 2026 - Under ConsultationEPF/1468/26
Retrospective reinstatement of the northern vehicular access from Sedge Green to serve as the access and egress for Units 12–31 Leaside Industrial Park (formerly Sedge Gate Nursery).
Sedge Gate Nursery, Sedge Green, Nazeing, Waltham Abbey, EN9 2PA
Received 30 Jul 2026 - Decision MadeEPF/1470/26
Certificate of Lawful Development for proposed demolition of existing conservatory and construction of single storey rear extension.
Green Leas, High Ongar Road, Ongar, CM5 9LZ
Received 30 Jul 2026 - Decision MadeEPF/1469/26
Approval of Details Reserved by Conditions 4 Levels, 5 Types and Colours of External Finishes, 9 Foul and Surface Water, 10 Archaeology and 14 (Part A) Contaminated Land of EPF/0779/25 (Erection of 1. No x 3-bed chalet bungalow with associated vehicle parking, cycle and bin storage, EV charging and landscaping).
Land at Silver Street, Waltham Abbey, EN9 1RJ
Received 30 Jul 2026 - Under ConsultationEPF/1471/26
Grade II listed building consent for removal of telephone cable and replace with fibre broadband line.
Wantz Farm, Chelmsford Road, High Ongar, Ongar, CM5 9LX
Received 30 Jul 2026 - Decision MadeEPF/1472/26
Approval of Details Reserved by Condition 30 Flood Alleviation Scheme of EPF/1769/24 (The erection of 42no residential dwellings together with highway, car parking and associated works).
Development Land, Oak Hill Road, Stapleford Abbotts, RM4 1JL
Received 30 Jul 2026 - Decision MadeEPF/1473/26
Prior Notification Agricultural for commercial polytunnel and ancillary water storage tank.
Land fronting Ongar Road adjacent access road to Bundish Hall Farm.
Received 30 Jul 2026 - Decision MadeEPF/1474/26
Demolition of existing front porch and construction of an enlarged front porch to the principal elevation.
Maltings, 251 Nine Ashes Road, High Ongar, Ongar, CM4 0LA
Received 31 Jul 2026 - Decision MadeEPF/1475/26
Dropped curb.
4 Victoria Cottages, Horseshoe Hill, Waltham Abbey, EN9 3SP
Received 31 Jul 2026 - Decision MadeEPF/1477/26
Certificate of Lawful Development for proposed loft conversion with rear dormer, Juliet balconies and front rooflights.
80, Crooked Mile, Waltham Abbey, EN9 1QN
Received 3 Aug 2026 - Decision MadeEPF/1479/26
Permission in Principle for one single storey development.
Bottles Farm, Stondon Road, Marden Ash, Ongar
Received 3 Aug 2026 - Decision MadeEPF/1476/26
Approval of Details Reserved by Condition 8 Types and Colours of External Finishes of EPF/0461/24 (2 x 3 bed semi-detached houses).
Leverton County Gm Junior And Infant School, Honey Lane, Waltham Abbey, EN9 3BE
Received 3 Aug 2026 - Decision MadeEPF/1478/26
Certificate of Lawful Development for proposed loft conversion with rear dormer.
28, Buxton Road, Waltham Abbey, EN9 3PR
Received 3 Aug 2026 - Decision MadeEPF/1480/26
Certificate of Lawful Development for proposed ancillary outbuilding.
Little Marles Cottage, Upland Road, Epping Upland, Epping, CM16 6PE
Received 3 Aug 2026 - Decision MadeEPF/1482/26
Matching Green Conservation Area T1: Sycamore - Crown reduce by up to 1.5m.
Elms Farm Cottage, Matching Green, Matching, Harlow, CM17 0PZ
Received 3 Aug 2026 - Under ConsultationEPF/1483/26
Construction of three self-build dwellings alongside associated development.
Land at Garden Cottage, Mount Road, Epping, CM16 7PP
Received 3 Aug 2026 - Decision MadeEPF/1484/26
Variation of Condition 2 Plan numbers of EPF/1083/26 (Replacement Single Dwelling House).
28, Ollards Grove, Loughton, IG10 4DW
Received 3 Aug 2026 - Decision MadeEPF/1485/26
Part one storey, part two storey, front. side and rear extensions (Amended application to EPF/2123/25).
104, The Drive, Loughton, IG10 1HL
Received 3 Aug 2026 - Decision MadeEPF/1486/26
New outbuilding/ garden room to be used as a home office.
104, The Drive, Loughton, IG10 1HL
Received 3 Aug 2026 - Decision MadeEPF/1487/26
Approval of Details Reserved by Conditions 3 and 4 Details of External Finishes of EPF/2147/25 (Single storey rear extension at lower ground level).
47, Clovelly, York Hill, Loughton, IG10 1HZ
Received 3 Aug 2026 - Decision MadeEPF/1488/26
Prior Approval for Larger Home Extension - Single storey rear extension 6 m x 2.9 m x 2.55 m
The Lotos, Foster Street, Harlow, CM17 9HX
Received 4 Aug 2026 - Decision MadeEPF/1489/26
Proposed two storey side extension, single storey and part two storey rear extension and single storey extension to front elevation.
The Lotos, Foster Street, North Weald Bassett, Harlow, CM17 9HX
Received 4 Aug 2026 - Decision MadeEPF/1491/26
Prior Approval for Change of use from Commercial to provide 9 new residential units.
Unit 19, Fyfield Business and Research Park, Fyfield Road, Ongar, CM5 0FQ
Received 4 Aug 2026
Records are ordered by application ID, not submission date. Use search to find a particular address or proposal.
View all applicationsGet emailed about new planning applications in Epping Forest
Area alerts send a daily or weekly email with new applications and decisions near a postcode, filtered by project type. £29 a month, up to 3 areas. Records are limited to the councils we collect.
Set up an area alertResearching a proposal in Epping Forest District Council
Start with the address or application reference. Open a record to read the proposal, dates and available documents, then check the official register for the latest plans and consultation details. If nothing appears, check coverage before treating the result as a complete planning history.
How to search planning applicationsGuides to planning records
All planning guides
Understanding planning · 13 min read
Planning permission drawings: how to read plans
Read planning drawings, floor plans, elevations and sections. Use labelled diagrams, a drawing comparison table and revision checks to understand a proposal.
UK researchPublished Updated
Property research · 13 min read
Planning approval rates: how to read council statistics
Understand planning approval rates with an interactive calculator, worked examples and comparison table. Check sample sizes, outcomes and coverage before comparing.
UK researchPublished Updated
What these statistics cover
These figures describe applications collected by PlanningTrack for Epping Forest District Council, across all dates currently available. They are a partial dataset, rather than an authority-wide performance measure. The date range does not establish continuous historical coverage.
The approval percentage is approved records divided by approved plus refused records. Pending, withdrawn and unknown outcomes are excluded. No percentage is shown until there is an approved or refused record.
Check collection coverageMore planning authorities in England
- Epsom and Ewell Borough Council
- Erewash Borough Council
- Essex County Council
- Exeter City Council
- Exmoor National Park Authority
- Fareham Borough Council