The Epping Forest District Local Councils' Liaison Committee met on 18 September 2025, and confirmed Councillor Louise Mead as Chairman of the Committee for the municipal year. Councillors discussed issues raised by local councils, including a review of the new planning committee structure, the Community Infrastructure Levy, and a green belt review update.

Appointment of Vice-Chairman

The committee appointed a Vice-Chairman for the municipal year.

Issues Raised by Local Councils

The committee discussed a range of issues raised by local councils.

Planning Committee Structure Review

A review of the new planning committee structure introduced in late 2024 has been delayed. The review was originally intended to take place after nine months, but Portfolio Holders, in agreement with senior Planning Management, decided to delay it until at least 12 months from the start of the new Committee Structure. This was to allow for the outcome of the consultation on the National Reform of Planning Committee and National Scheme of Delegation.

The committee heard that an update on the new Committee Structure will be given to Place Scrutiny Committee on 14 October. Town and Parish councils will be invited to comment when any committee update review takes place.

Community Infrastructure Levy

The committee discussed the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), a locally set charge on new developments that the council can choose to introduce. The levy is based on the size and type of development and is mandatory to pay and non-negotiable once set. Funds raised would be distributed by the district council to provide infrastructure required to support new development within the local area, such as roads, transport facilities, flood defences, education facilities, medical facilities, sporting and recreation facilities, and open spaces.

The CIL will not replace the council's current methods of obtaining infrastructure and funding through planning obligations¹. It provides an additional mechanism to obtain financial contributions towards new and improved infrastructure.

The levy may be payable on development which creates a new or additional internal area, where the gross internal area of new build is 100 square metres or more. Development which is less than 100 square metres, but which involves the creation of a new house or flat, may also be liable to pay the levy. Some developments may be eligible for discretionary relief or exemption from the levy, including residential annexes and extensions, social housing, charitable development, and houses and flats which are built by 'self-builders'.

The council specifies in the Charging Schedule what types of development are liable to pay the levy and the relevant rates for these development types. When setting levy rates, the council will need to ensure that they do not render new development within the district financially unviable, while also ensuring that the levy will provide sufficient funds to support the delivery of new and improved infrastructure.

The consultation on the proposed draft charges has just finished and the responses will be taken into consideration and reported to Cabinet. An examination hearing will be set and if the CIL is agreed, the council is expecting adoption in early 2026. In summary, CIL must be spent on infrastructure to support growth, 15-25% must be passed to the parish/town council where the development takes place and the remainder to be held by Epping Forest District Council to be spent on infrastructure.

Green Belt Review Update

The updated National Policy Planning Framework (NPPF) of December 2024 introduced a new category of land within the Green Belt, Grey Belt land². Following on from this the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) made available £70,000 grants for Local Authorities to conduct Green Belt reviews and to identify which land within Authorities Green Belts could also be classified as Grey Belt land. Epping Forest District Council and Harlow Council jointly applied for, and were awarded at the end of February 2025, £140,000 to conduct a joint Green Belt review.

After discussions regarding a procurement process, Epping Forest District Council and Harlow Council jointly decided to directly approach Ove Arup at the beginning of May 2025 with a brief to conduct a Green Belt review. Arup responded with a proposal and after further discussions provided a final updated proposal for a Green Belt review in July 2025.

Epping Forest District Council and Harlow agreed to the proposal and a contract commissioning Arup to conduct a Green Belt review has been sent to Arup in mid-August 2025 for their agreement and signature. Epping Forest District Council, as the lead Council on the project, is now awaiting a response from Arup.

Should the project go ahead as per the updated Arup proposal of July 2025 the following schedule of works have been agreed:

• Task 1: Scoping note
• Task 2: Methodology papers
• Task 3a: Stage 1 and Stage 2 reassessments (no site visits, assuming sufficient information is required to undertake desktop assessment)
• Task 3b: Stage 2 site visits (assuming c.130 parcels) (assumes that no site visits would be undertaken for stage 1). Number of site visits to be agreed with the Council in confirming fees.
• Task 4: Consider fundamental importance
• Task 5: Grey Belt identification
• Task 6: Issue draft final Green Belt review report followed by 2x Member workshops – 1 at Epping Forest District Council and 1 at Harlow
• Task 7 Issue final Green Belt review report

The project is scheduled to begin in w/c 15 September 2025 (subject to all interested parties signing the contact) and a final report is due to be issued by the end of March 2026. The timeline for the various agreed tasks within that broad timescale has yet to be decided. There will be a consultation on the methodology papers (Task 2) and a Member workshop at each Epping Forest District Council and Harlow Council on the draft final report (Task 6).

Planning Application Consultation Deadlines

The council was asked why planning applications have been decided before the statutory consultation deadline for Parish and Town Councils has expired, and what can be put in place to stop this. Nigel Richardson, Planning Services Director, said he would provide a verbal answer at the meeting but has requested what case the question relates to in advance of the meeting.

The council was also asked to explain the process as to what happens if a planning application is not decided within the statutory timeframe.

Mayoral Combined County Authority for Greater Essex

The committee discussed the UK Government's plan to create a Mayoral Combined County Authority for Greater Essex by May 2026, with elections taking place that month.

The devolution legislation which creates Mayoral authorities, places most of the power on upper tier authorities, namely Essex County Council, Southend and Thurrock. District's involvement is only at the invitation of these authorities, and so they have no statutory role. The new unitary authorities will each get a seat on the Mayoral authority and will represent its community's views.

A Combined County Authority Returning Officer (CCARO) will be appointed, who will lead and co-ordinate with the appointed local Returning Officer at Epping Forest District Council. Epping Forest District Council will follow the CCARO directions with regards to timings for the verification and count, notice of election, ballot paper colour, poll card delivery timescale, postal vote dispatch, financial matters and fees and staffing.

The publication of Notice of Election will be published no later than 30 March 2026, followed by the close of nomination on the 9th of April 2026. The CCARO will issue the Statement of Persons Nominated which will be published on 10 April. This will officially announce the Mayoral Candidates.

Local Government Reorganisation

The committee discussed Local Government Reorganisation (LGR), and the council was asked if they support the proposal by Essex County Council for the Epping Forest district to join with Harlow, Maldon, Chelmsford and Brentwood to create the Central Essex Unitary, and when they expect the final proposals will be submitted to Government.

The report entitled Local Government Reform in Essex – Support for Business Case has been published in the Council agenda for the 15 September 2025 meeting. The Cabinet on 22 September 2025 will formally endorse one option for submission to the Government.

The Government has indicated within its Local Government Reorganisation interim plan feedback document dated 2nd May 2025 that it would welcome detail on plans for neighbourhood-based governance, the impact on parish councils, and thoughts about formal neighbourhood partnerships and area committees.

The council was asked to set out its position in terms of how it sees the future of Parish and Town Councils as part of LGR, advise if it has received any guidance or feedback from Government about its preferred way forward in terms of local governance, advise if Epping Forest District Council would support a future which includes Parish and Town Councils in their current format, and explain what neighbourhood partnerships and areas committees mean with regard to LGR.

The response given was a personal view, rather than a Council view, as the Council has yet to formally consider the Business Case options which have been developed.

The base position should be that their role remains unaffected and that they will continue to play a vital lead role in delivering community cohesion and important services within the areas. However, LGR represents an opportunity for their role to be developed, and large unitary councils will need parish and town councils to speak for their communities at their local level. Crucially, other than supporting one business case over another, Epping Forest District Council will get no say in this. How the new councils engage and works with parishes is decision that can only be made by the new councils and specifically by their newly elected councillors.

Neighbourhood Area Committees are the Government's approach and so unsurprisingly all Business Cases will include proposals for these. The Business Case for 3 anticipates that parish and town councils will be members of these and have a voice in shaping their communities. What powers are given to these Committees can only be a decision for the new councils and Epping Forest District Council has no ability to dictate structures or powers on the new organisations. But the belief is that for large unitary councils to work, the Neighbourhood Area Committees need to be effective, properly constituted and have representation by key stakeholders with real power, budgets and influence.

Given the Government's clear direction, it is anticipated that Neighbourhood Partnerships and Area Committees are the same thing. Running up to shadow authority elections in May 2027 it is important that all candidates understand the key role that towns and parishes play in their communities. More details of individual proposals can be found on the Greater Essex LGR website.

Future of Council Assets

The council was asked how it sees the future of its assets as part of any Unitary authority, if it has plans to devolve any ownership or management of assets or services to Parish and Town Councils, and if so, how this will take place, and will it come with any supporting funding.

The council said that it would be open to conversations around transfer of assets that solely benefit local residents within parish areas, but this is not the same as a blanket commitment to transfer. Epping Forest District Council must act responsibly and must have one eye on not fettering the future opportunities, policies or plans of the new council. Realistically, opportunities for devolving assets are likely to be limited and there is no real prospect, at this stage, of transferring net income producing assets, such as car parks. It was suggested that this is a conversation for slightly later in the process when it is clearer about who Epping Forest District Council will be joining with. It should also be noted that there will be a rationalisation of assets post LGR and the new councils may seek to divest themselves of surplus assets. There have been good examples in other unitary areas of where parishes and town councils have stepped in to run services utilising surplus assets.

Future of Council Services

The council was asked how it will secure the continuation of some of its best services such as the Youth Council, Play in the Park, Countrycare, etc for residents of the Epping Forest district, given the possible demise of Epping Forest District Council.

The council responded that it would explain the virtues of these services to incoming organisations, but when Epping Forest District Council is abolished its ability to influence will end. It is difficult to see a way to protect these from future decisions and at that point we will have to trust in the new decision makers. It is expected that community voice, and the opinions of key stakeholders will be important in this.

Future of Council Organisations

The council was asked how it sees the future of originations such as Qualis and TVS as part of Local Government Reform.

The council responded that these organisations rely on the councils, current and future, for their contracts. Their ownership will transfer by law to the new councils and these new organisations will need to decide their future roles in service delivery. That said, many councils have their own delivery companies, and it is expected that there will be a review leading to the merger or assimilation of similar companies delivering similar services.

Member Code of Conduct Policies

Lynne Ridley, Epping Forest District Council Corporate and Data Protection Officer, wrote to Parish and Town Councils in January 2025 asking that all Parish and Town Councils submit copies of their Member Code of Conduct policies, advising that Epping Forest District Council was intending to adopt the LGA Model Members Code of Conduct and that Epping Forest District Council wanted to use this opportunity to align Parish and Town Council Code of Conduct Policies simultaneously. Epping Forest District Council adopted the LGA model code of conduct on 8th April 2025, however, there has been no further communication from either Lynne or Epping Forest District Council as to how this may affect Parish and Town Councils, or what action they need to take.

The Monitoring Officer will provide a response at the next meeting in March 2026 owing to the ongoing High Court legal action Epping Forest District Council is progressing.

Communication with Parish and Town Councils

Following feedback given to Epping Forest District Council as part of its Communication Consultation, Clerks were advised by Tom Carne at the Clerks meeting with Councillor Chris Whitbread on 16th May 2025 that the discontent of Parish and Town Councils had been heard loud and clear.

The council was asked to confirm what action has been taken since this time, and how Epping Forest District Council plans to improve communication directly with Parish and Town Councils.

The council responded that all media releases are automatically shared with town and parish council clerks. In addition, a member of the Corporate Communications team has been calling parish and town council clerks individually to build better communications. This work has been interrupted in recent months following the arrests leading to the protest at the Bell Hotel, with Corporate Communications resources redirected accordingly. It is hoped that once the issues around the Bell have been resolved, Corporate Communications will be able to focus back on other priorities such as Town and Parish Councils.