Welcome to the consultation website for the North Weald Airfield Strategic Masterplan. This website will keep you up to date with the consultation programme, Strategic Masterplan updates and how you can get involved and share your feedback.

Project Overview

Epping Forest District Council is currently producing a Strategic Masterplan for the employment site at North Weald airfield. Land at North Weald Airfield has been identified as a New Employment Site in Epping Forest District Council’s emerging Local Plan. Find out more at www.efdclocalplan.org Once endorsed by the Council, the Strategic Masterplan will guide future applications for development at the site.

Epping Forest District Council is currently consulting key stakeholders and the local community on the emerging proposals for the site. The aim of this engagement is to inform people of the Strategic Masterplan process, understand local aspirations and considerations for the site and to gather feedback on the emerging proposals. All feedback gathered will help inform and shape the Strategic Masterplan as it is developed.

We are currently in the very beginning stages of engagement. Once this informal stage of consultation is completed, it will be followed by a six-week statutory consultation on the draft Strategic Masterplan in Summer 2021.

Background

In August 2019, Epping Forest District Council as landowners appointed Project Managers Turner & Townsend and Planning Consultants, Masterplanners and Environmental Consultants RPS to prepare the draft Strategic Masterplan.

Since then, Public Engagement Consultants Soundings have been brought on board to lead consultation and engagement with key stakeholders and the local community.

The Site
North Weald Airfield is located north east of London in North Weald Bassett in Epping Forest, Essex.

The airfield is an operational aerodrome and was an important fighter station during the Battle of Britain and is the home of North Weald Airfield Museum.

North Weald’s identity is tied to the historic presence of the of the Royal Air Force in the village.

North Weald Airfield Strategic Masterplan Site Location

North Weald Airfield Strategic Masterplan Site Location

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The Emerging Epping Forest District Local Plan

Land at North Weald Airfield is identified as New Employment Site Allocation NWB.E4 in the emerging Local Plan for:

  • 10ha of additional Business, General Industrial and Storage or Distribution floorspace
  • Retention and expansion of aviation uses
  • New access from Epping Road
  • Phased development with planned trajectory of 5ha by 2022/23 to 2026/27 and a further 5ha by 2027/28 to 2031/32

Excerpt from emerging Local Plan

Excerpt from emerging Local Plan

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    The Strategic Masterplan Vision and Objectives are:

  • Provide significant local employment and entrepreneurial opportunities.

  • Be ambitious and sustainable using new technology and infrastructure and make the best possible use of the local environment.

  • Support the continuation of and further development of the airfield, including maintaining it’s runway, control tower and weather station facilities, providing hangarage and other facilities.

  • Bring forward heritage and museum developments that fully reflect and celebrate the local history of the airfield and it’s importance to the local community.

North Weald Airfield Gate Hurricane replica

North Weald Airfield Gate Hurricane replica

Employment site allocation of the North Weald Airfield Masterplan Area

Employment site allocation of the North Weald Airfield Masterplan Area

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Consultation & Engagement

In November and December 2020, we held a digital exhibition and asked the local community and residents to provide feedback on the Emerging Masterplan as part of public consultation.

The consultation period has now closed, but you can still view the digital exhibition and FAQs by clicking on the links below.

Click here to view the digital exhibition

We will share a report of the consultation findings and next steps on our website in the coming weeks.

In the meantime, if you have any questions do not hesitate to get in touch with us using the contact details below:

T. +44 (0)20 7729 0770
E. northwealdairfield@soundingsoffice.com

Timeline

Below is the timeline and process for preparing the Strategic Masterplan for North Weald Airfield

First stages of research and masterplanning and optioneering
AUGUST 2020 – Ongoing
Defining the baseline context, identifying site considerations and preparing environmental surveys
JUNE 2020 – OCTOBER 2020
Identification and testing of options for the Strategic Masterplan
Consultation and engagement to inform draft masterplan
OCTOBER 2020 – NOVEMBER 2020
Key stakeholder group meetings
NOVEMBER 2020
Deliver printed and digital flyer locally to inform of engagement
NOVEMBER 2020
Digital exhibition sharing emerging Strategic Masterplan
NOVEMBER 2020
Drop-in Sessions and engagement with key stakeholder groups during public exhibition
JANUARY 2021
Developing masterplan in response to community feedback
MARCH 2021
Cabinet endorsement of a draft Masterplan for statutory consultation
Statutory Consultation
MAY 2021 – JUNE 2021
If agreed by cabinet, a six week public statutory consultation will be undertaken
AUGUST 2021
Cabinet to endorse the Strategic Masterplan as a material planning consideration to guide future development at the site

News & Updates

15 Feburary 2021

Thank you to everyone who took time to view the digital exhibition at the end of last year and share feedback with us. The public consultation closed 17 December 2020, all feedback is now being reviewed and considered by the project team. A full report on the consultation and next steps will be shared on our website in the coming weeks.

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26 November 2020

Digital exhibition is now live! Have your say on the future of North Weald Airfield.

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26 November 2020

See our Frequently Asked Questions page.

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Contact Us

If you would like to hear more about the project or simply like to be kept updated with the North Weald Airfield Strategic Masterplan, please contact Zakia or Claire at Soundings using the details below:



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020 7729 1705


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    Please let us know how you would like to be kept informed.






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    Please note that leaving your contact details is entirely optional and consent can be withdrawn at any time. For further details ask for our fair processing notice or contact DPO@soundingsoffice.com.





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