A PLAN to develop 60 houses in Fyfield has left one farmer and his wife in despair, after beating similar proposals twice before.
The latest plan, which would see premises on the Fyfield Business Park converted into 60 homes, has only been made possible by recent changes in planning law.
Farmer Andrew Carmichael, whose family have worked the land since the 1950s, has this week said he will have to leave if the development goes ahead.
The 75-year-old, who works in London, told the Gazette: "We have had to fight this many times before but now I think they will succeed.
"First they wanted to build 120 houses, then it was 90 homes – each time we managed to beat them on the grounds they were building on green belt land.
"Then they decided to build the business park – something which we also opposed but unfortunately they succeeded."
Mr Carmichael, who lives at the farm with his wife Susie, took over when his mother died in 2007 and says access and drainage are the key reasons behind their opposition.
He said: "Access to the site onto the A414 is incredibly dangerous.
"The B184 is not suitable for the increase in traffic and there have been many accidents there – including a former employee who was killed, and my mother who had an accident there.
"Their land drains directly into ditches on my land – it has flooded before. On top of that they have their own mini sewer plant draining into them."
He added: "If they plan to have domestic use of the premises then they have to link up with a proper sewer system, I can't see the ditches coping.
"The development isn't right for the area – the infrastructure just doesn't exist and it is building on green belt land."
The veterinarian explained some of the history surrounding the business park development.
He said: "In 1946 my father worked for May and Baker who owned the farm. They had built an agricultural research centre on the site where the business park now stands. In 1954 my father bought the farm off May and Baker, who kept the agricultural research centre."
Boarded Barns farm, which has existed in one form or another since 1613, now shares access with the business centre, which was built on the site of the research centre, along with drainage.
An Epping Forest District Council spokesman said: "This is an unusual development, it is not a planning application as such.
"It comes under class J of the general permitted development order and is called a prior notification.
"Basically the land owner is notifying the council of the intention to change the use of the buildings. The council has until next Wednesday (November 13) to respond.
"We don't have powers to object to the conversion as such. An application for planning permission would be necessary if the existing buildings were being demolished and replaced but they are not.
"Our remit is limited to issues of highways, contaminated land and flooding."
Comments should be e-mailed to appcomment@eppingforestdc .gov.uk.
