The Keepers

Protecting Epping District’s Green Belt Through Evidence, Transparency, and Community Action

Keep Epping District Green, or The Keepers, as we have become known,  are a volunteer-run community group protecting the local green belt from inappropriate and unsustainable development.  We  'Keepers' raise awareness and fund independent professional evidence so that local people can engage effectively and lawfully with the planning system. 

Support our work and become a 'Keeper'

Commissioning independent professional evidence to challenge inappropriate development proposals is essential but costly. 

All work is overseen by local volunteers who  have made financial contributions. The Keepers  are concerned about their community and have 'skin in the game'. 

No volunteer in the group is paid.  'Keepers' are encouraged to share and discuss their own  professional expertise and/or local insight with the wider group.  

We are seeking 50 founding Keepers - donors of £200 each - to fund independent planning and transport consultants' reports on Stewards Green Fields: technical work required to protect our Green Belt and all district residents' quality of life. 

Our independent transport review is already underway, and so far we have raised £3,300. You can also donate smaller or larger amounts. 

Please donate using a BACS transfer:

Name: Keep Epping District Green

Use your surname as the reference

Sort code: 40-17-08

Account Number: 82679981

Please also complete the donation form (button below) so we know who you are and keep you updated.

Donations are voluntary and non-refundable. They do not buy influence over the group’s priorities and are ringfenced to fund only our mission.

Why this matters

Epping District is already experiencing severe pressure on its road network, essential services, and environment. Traffic congestion and gridlock are now regular occurrences, access to healthcare and schools is increasingly constrained, and flooding and road deterioration are becoming more frequent.

These conditions exist now, before more approved green belt developments are built. Decisions about releasing more green belt land must therefore be grounded in reality, not in optimistic assumptions.

The challenges facing Epping District are complex and cumulative. We set these issues out in detail, based on observable conditions and planning considerations.

What we do

We  focus on practical, evidence-based work:

• Work with like-minded organisations to monitor planning proposals affecting the green belt

• Raise funds to commission independent consultants’ reports on urban developments

• Share robust evidence that residents and community groups can use

• Promote informed and constructive engagement with planners and the planning process

• We are independent, non-party-political, and non-commercial

Our First Campaign: Stewards Green Fields

Stewards Green Fields, the land north of Stewards Green Road and east of The Orchards in South Epping, is now the subject of a live outline planning application from developer Pigeon (EPF/1737/26). It proposes up to 400 homes, an 80-bed care home and up to 80 assisted-living units, plus a local centre, on green belt land already surrounded by roads and services under severe strain.

The council's consultation closes on 13 October 2026. Comments received after that date will still be considered up to the decision, but the sooner you object, the better.

Our independent transport review looks at SGF alongside other development already planned nearby, not in isolation. That includes:

• sites already approved, including 400+ homes on the SEMPA land (South Epping Masterplan Area: Stewards Green and Ivy Chimneys roads)

• new and pending applications for many hundreds more homes, including Stonards Hill, Old Pastures, Fluxs Lane, Mill Mound Fields, Theydon Bois Station and other sites

Taken together, these developments would put significant cumulative pressure on roads, schools, healthcare and nature across the whole district. Developer-commissioned transport studies routinely fail to provide cumulative assessment, and The Keepers  exists to fund it.

EFDC's Conservation Team has also recognised the heritage value of the Stewards Green estate, and has confirmed this will inform its assessment of the application.

What happens next?

Our immediate focus is stopping EPF/1737/26. Once the SGF evidence is complete, The Keepers will turn to other active applications across the district. If you're worried about a different site, sign up for our newsletter to hear when we're mobilising.