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 dates60,366Searchable applications
402Recorded as pending
80%Approval rate · 52,069 approved or refused records
10,496Refused applications
41,573 approved · 10,496 refused · 3,135 withdrawn. Received dates in our records: 29 Jan 1996 to 29 Oct 2026. Most recent record check: 3 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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Under ConsultationEPF/1743/26
Certificate of Lawful Development for proposed dormer.
71, Gladstone Road, Buckhurst Hill, IG9 5SW
Received 11 Sept 2026 - Under ConsultationEPF/1741/26
Conversion of existing cartlodge to create a three bedroom dwelling – revision to proposal for conversion of an existing outbuilding into a one-bedroom bungalow LPA ref: EPF/2504/25
Forest Heights, Norwood End, Fyfield, Ongar, CM5 0RW
Received 11 Sept 2026 - Recommendation MadeEPF/1742/26
Change of use from agricultural land to a dog walking field including access, fencing, visitor parking area, wooden weather shelter and dog climbing frame.
Land at Hooks Marsh, Fishers Green Lane, Waltham Abbey, EN9 2ED
Received 11 Sept 2026 - Decision MadeEPF/1744/26
Variation of Condition 2 Plan Numbers of EPF/1098/24 (Proposed two storey side extension).
71, Gladstone Road, Buckhurst Hill, IG9 5SW
Received 11 Sept 2026 - Decision MadeEPF/1745/26
Installation of defibrillator and bleed kit cabinet to external wall of Nationwide Building Society branch.
218, High Street, Epping, CM16 4AR
Received 11 Sept 2026 - Under ConsultationEPF/1746/26
Redevelopment to include partial demolition, alterations and extensions to existing Drama School Building to provide a Performing Arts Centre (with 340-seat auditorium), and associated parking and works.
Chigwell School, High Road, Chigwell, IG7 6DP
Received 11 Sept 2026 - Decision MadeEPF/1750/26
Demolition of the existing bin store area and construction of a larger bin store area.
Cassis Court, Chigwell Lane, Loughton, IG10 3UA
Received 14 Sept 2026 - Decision MadeEPF/1747/26
Conversion of garage into a habitable room and erection of single storey side and rear extensions.
30, London Road, Stanford Rivers, Ongar, CM5 9QA
Received 14 Sept 2026 - Under ConsultationEPF/1748/26
Demolition of existing outbuilding and replacement summerhouse/games room ancillary to the main dwelling.’
Well Cottage, Epping Road, Nazeing, EN9 2DH
Received 14 Sept 2026 - Decision MadeEPF/1749/26
First and second floor rear extension
181, Princes Road, Buckhurst Hill, IG9 5DJ
Received 14 Sept 2026 - Decision MadeEPF/1751/26
Prior approval for change of use of agricultural building to C3 dwellinghouse.
Berwick Hall, Berwick Lane, Abbess Beauchamp And Berners Roding, Ongar, CM5 0JS
Received 14 Sept 2026 - Under ConsultationEPF/1752/26
Certificate of Lawful Development for proposed garden room.
180, The Broadway, Loughton, IG10 3SS
Received 14 Sept 2026 - Under ConsultationEPF/1753/26
Outline planning application with all matters reserved except means of access from Parsloe Road for a residential development (Use Class C3) to include open space, landscaping, drainage, play space and all associated works and infrastructure.
Land at Jack's Hatch, South of Parsloe Road, Harlow
Received 14 Sept 2026 - Decision MadeEPF/1754/26
Approval of Details reserved by Conditions No. 10 - External finishes and No. 15 Details of surface materials of EPF/0292/21 (Erection of 38 residential dwellings with access from Forest Drive, and provision of associated open space, services and landscaping).
Land North of Forest Drive, Theydon Bois, Essex, CM16 7HH
Received 14 Sept 2026 - Under ConsultationEPF/1755/26
Erection of a detached dwelling house and detached garage with associated landscaping.
Knoll House, Bury Road, Waltham Abbey, E4 7QL
Received 14 Sept 2026 - Under ConsultationEPF/1757/26
Outdoor swimming pool.
Scathes, Matching Green, Matching, Harlow, CM17 0PR
Received 14 Sept 2026 - Decision MadeEPF/1758/26
Approval of Details Reserved by Conditions No. 4 surface water disposal and No. 17 cycle parking of EPF/2578/25 (Erection of one-storey upward extensions to both residential blocks to provide 5no. 2 bed units and part-retrospective permission for associated parking).
1-23 St Winifreds Close, Chigwell, IG7 5PU
Received 14 Sept 2026 - Under ConsultationEPF/1756/26
Approval of Details Reserved by Conditions No. 4 details of levels, No. 5 external finishes, No.9 foul and surface water disposal, No. 11 details of retained landscaping, No. 12 details of hard and doft landscaping and No. 13 Tree Protection Plan of EPF/0160/24 (Demolition of Existing Cottages and Erection of Replacement Dwelling at 1+2 Shoeluck Cottages, Church Lane, Abridge, Essex RM4 1AB).
Shoeluck Cottages, Church Lane, Lambourne, RM4 1AB
Received 14 Sept 2026 - Under ConsultationEPF/1759/26
Approval of Details Reserved by Condition 2 Tree Protection Plan, Arboricultural Method Statement and site monitoring schedule of EPF/0491/20 (Reserved matters application following outline consent for Health Centre building containing 60 no. extra care apartments & communal facilities with associated car parking & landscaping. (Revised application to EPF/1876/19)).
Playing Field, Hillhouse, Waltham Abbey, EN9 3EH
Received 15 Sept 2026 - Under ConsultationEPF/1760/26
Stable building (Revised application to EPF/1139/26).
Gables, Church Lane, Sheering, Harlow, CM22 7NR
Received 15 Sept 2026 - Decision MadeEPF/1761/26
Approval of Details Reserved by Condition No. 5 electric vehicle charging points of EPF/0641/25 (Erection of one detached residential dwelling including parking, landscaping, drainage and associated infrastructure).
21, Ivy Chimneys, Epping, CM16 4EL
Received 15 Sept 2026 - Under ConsultationEPF/1764/26
Retrospective planning application for the continued use of land for the storage of topsoil, including associated soil bunds at Embley’s Farm.
Embleys Farm, Binder Loams Ltd, Fyfield Road, Moreton, Ongar, CM5 0HY
Received 15 Sept 2026 - Decision MadeEPF/1762/26
Application to discharge Requirement 11 (Stage 5a) - Contaminated Land Strategy by National Grid Electricity Transmission plc for an Order Granting Development Consent for the North London Reinforcement Project for the uprating of an existing 275kV transmission line of approximately 14km in length from Waltham Cross substation to Tottenham substation to enable it to run at a voltage of 400kV, together with associated development.
Waltham Cross to Tottenham Substation, near to Highbridge Street, Waltham Abbey
Received 15 Sept 2026 - Decision MadeEPF/1765/26
Certificate of Lawful Development for proposed hip to gable loft conversion with rear dormer and 3 rooflights to front and single storey rear extension.
61 Shooters Drive, Nazeing, Waltham Abbey, EN9 2QB
Received 15 Sept 2026
Records are ordered by application ID, not submission date. Use search to find a particular address or proposal.
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Set up an area alertResearching a proposal in Epping Forest District Council
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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.
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