Council Approves 200-Unit Mixed-Use Development Adjacent to Epping CBD

Epping Forest District Council granted planning permission on July 10 for a mixed-use development at the corner of High Street and Station Road that will deliver 180 flats and 20 townhouses plus ground-floor shops.

The decision arrives as Epping records its lowest vacancy rate in five years for commercial premises along the High Street, with planners citing the need to add homes within walking distance of the Central Line station to ease pressure on surrounding villages.

The approved site lies directly opposite Epping Library and one block from the entrance to Epping Forest, tying into the council’s Town Centre Improvement Scheme that widened pavements and added cycle racks along the Broadway last year.

Scale and timeline of the scheme

Developer Essex Homes Ltd will start work in September 2026 on five blocks ranging from four to six storeys, with completion targeted for late 2029. The project sets aside 40 affordable units at rents capped at 60 per cent of market rate and includes 5,200 square metres of new retail and office space. Average sale prices for the private flats begin at £335,000 for one-bedroom units, according to the planning documents lodged with the council.

Next steps for buyers and neighbours

Residents can inspect the full set of drawings at the planning counter in the Civic Centre on High Street until the end of August. Traffic modelling submitted with the application shows an extra 180 vehicle movements at peak hours, with a new signalised crossing proposed at the Station Road junction. First release of show flats is scheduled for spring 2028.

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