Epping Forest District facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Epping Forest Epping Forest District
Non-metropolitan district
Ongar, one of the towns of the district
Epping Forest shown within Essex
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Constituent country	England
Region	East of England
Non-metropolitan county	Essex
Status	Non-metropolitan district
Admin HQ	Epping
Incorporated	1 April 1974
Government
• Type	Non-metropolitan district council
• Body	Epping Forest District Council
Area
• Total	130.88 sq mi (338.99 km2)
Area rank	125th (of 326)
Population  (2005 est.)
• Total	131,689
• Rank	170th (of 326)
• Density	1,006.145/sq mi (388.475/km2)
• Ethnicity	95.4% White 2.7% S.Asian 1.3% Black 0.6% Mixed Race
Time zone	UTC0 (GMT)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+1 (BST)
ONS code	22UH (ONS) E07000072 (GSS)
OS grid reference	TL455025

The Epping Forest District is a special area in Essex, England. It's named after the famous ancient woodland called Epping Forest, which covers a big part of the district. The main office for the local government is in the town of Epping.

This district also includes other towns like Loughton, Ongar, and Waltham Abbey. There are also many villages and countryside areas. Epping Forest District is located in the western part of Essex, right next to the north-eastern edge of London. It shares borders with several other districts and London boroughs.

History of Epping Forest District

The Epping Forest District was created on April 1, 1974. This happened because of a law called the Local Government Act 1972. Before this, the area was made up of several smaller districts that were then combined.

These older districts included:

• Chigwell Urban District (which had Loughton and Buckhurst Hill)
• Most of the Epping and Ongar Rural District
• Epping Urban District
• Waltham Holy Cross Urban District

The new district was given the name Epping Forest because of the ancient woodland. This forest is also named after the town of Epping.

Since 1974, there have been a few small changes to the district's border with Greater London. For example, in 1994, an area that is now Enfield Island Village became part of the London Borough of Enfield. In 1995, a small area near Grange Hill and Roding Valley stations moved to the London Borough of Redbridge.

How Epping Forest District is Governed

Epping Forest District Council
Type
Type	Non-metropolitan district
Leadership
Chair	Darshan Sunger, Conservative Since 25 May 2023
Leader	Chris Whitbread, Conservative Since 22 May 2012
Chief Executive	Georgina Blakemore Since 1 April 2019
Structure
Seats	58
Political groups	Administration (34)      Conservatives (34) Opposition (24)      Loughton RA (13)      Liberal Democrats (6)      Independent (3)      Green (2)
Elections
Last election	4 May 2023
Next election	2024
Meeting place
Civic Offices, 323 High Street, Epping, CM16 4BZ

The Epping Forest District Council is in charge of local services. These include things like collecting trash, managing local parks, and planning new buildings. Services for the wider county, like schools and major roads, are handled by Essex County Council.

The district is also divided into smaller areas called civil parishes. These have their own local councils that deal with very local issues.

Political Control of the Council

The Conservative Party has been in control of the council since 2006. This means they have the most councillors and lead the decisions made.

The first election for the council was in 1973. Here's how political control has changed over the years:

Leaders of the Council

The leader of the council is like the head of the local government. Here are the leaders since 2001:

Council Members and Parties

After the election in 2023, the council is made up of 58 councillors from different political groups:

The next election for the council is planned for 2024.

Council Buildings

The main office for the Epping Forest District Council is called the Civic Offices. It's located at 323 High Street in Epping.

When the council first started, it used four different buildings. These were in Loughton, Epping, and Waltham Abbey. Later, a large new building was added next to the original office in Epping. This new Civic Offices building was finished in 1992. It is now considered a special historic building.

Geography of Epping Forest District

The north-east part of the district is mostly countryside. It has small villages like Chipping Ongar. This area is not very crowded, even though it's close to London. The south-west part of the district is more like a suburb. This is where Loughton, the biggest town, is located.

The district has many different types of buildings and landscapes. Loughton is next to the Epping Forest woodland. Other areas have farms, rivers, and golf courses. The River Roding flows through the eastern part of the district. The Lea Valley is in the west.

Even though towns like Buckhurst Hill, Chigwell, and Waltham Abbey are not in Greater London, they are considered part of the "Greater London Built-up Area" by the government.

Epping Forest District is surrounded by other districts. These include Harlow, Uttlesford, Chelmsford, and Brentwood in Essex. It also borders East Hertfordshire and Broxbourne in Hertfordshire. To the south, it touches the London boroughs of Havering, Redbridge, Waltham Forest, and Enfield.

Transport in Epping Forest District

You can get around Epping Forest District in many ways, including by train, car, bike, and even boat!

Train Travel

The only National Rail station directly in the district is Roydon railway station. It's on the border with East Hertfordshire. Other nearby stations like Sawbridgeworth railway station and Waltham Cross railway station also serve the district. These stations connect to places like London Liverpool Street and Cambridge.

The London Underground Central line runs through the southern part of Epping Forest. Stations like Epping, Theydon Bois, Debden, and Loughton are in the district. This line connects the district directly to East London, The City, and the West End.

There's also a special old part of the Central line. It used to run between Epping and Chipping Ongar. Now, it's a heritage railway called the Epping Ongar Railway.

Road Travel

Two major motorways meet in the district: the M25 and the M11 motorway.

• The M25 goes around London. It connects to places like Brentwood and Heathrow Airport.
• The M11 goes north towards Stansted Airport and Cambridge. It goes south towards East London.

Other important roads in the district include the A414 (connecting Harlow and Chelmsford) and the A104 Epping New Road. Most local roads are managed by Essex County Council. The M11 and M25 motorways are managed by National Highways.

Cycling Paths

National Cycle Network Route 1 passes through the district. It connects to other cycle routes in Hertfordshire and London. There are also paths along the River Lee and River Stort. The City of London Corporation manages many shared paths in Epping Forest itself.

Air Travel

North Weald Airfield is located in the district and is open for small planes. Flying started here during the First World War in 1916. Stapleford Aerodrome is also in the district and has a flight training center. For bigger flights, Stansted Airport is nearby in the next district.

Rivers for Boats

The Lee Navigation and River Stort are rivers where boats can travel. They form the eastern border of the district. These rivers are managed by the Canal and River Trust. They connect to London's canals, like the Regent's Canal.

Nature Reserves and Wildlife Areas

The Lower Forest, Epping Forest

Epping Forest District has many beautiful places where nature is protected. The Epping Forest District Council looks after nine local nature reserves (LNRs):

• Chigwell Row Wood LNR
• Church Lane Flood Meadow LNR
• Home Mead LNR
• Linder's Field LNR
• Nazeing Triangle LNR
• Roding Valley Meadows LNR
• Roughtalley's Wood LNR
• Thornwood Flood Meadow LNR
• Weald Common Flood Meadows LNR

Roding Valley Meadows is the oldest and largest local nature reserve in the district. It was created in 1986 and covers 56 hectares.

There are also seven Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) in the district. These are areas that are especially important for their wildlife or geology. They include parts of Epping Forest and Roding Valley Meadows.

The Essex Wildlife Trust also manages some nature sites in the area. These include Gernon Bushes Nature Reserve and parts of Hunsdon Mead.

A large part of Epping Forest itself is within the district. The City of London Corporation has owned and protected this forest since 1878.

Elections and Wards

Local Elections

The Epping Forest District Council has 58 councillors. These councillors represent 32 different areas called wards. Each ward elects one, two, or three councillors.

Elections for the council happen three out of every four years. About a third of the councillors are elected each time for a four-year period. In the fourth year, there are no district council elections. Instead, there are elections for the Essex County Council.

The wards in the district are:

New ward boundaries are being planned and will be used for the 2024 elections.

County Council Elections

In the most recent county council elections in 2021, seven councillors were elected from the Epping Forest area. Six of them were from the Conservative Party, and one was from the Loughton Residents Association.

Parliamentary Constituencies

The district is part of three different areas for the UK Parliament. These are called constituencies. Each constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) to represent them in the national government.

• Epping Forest constituency covers most of the western part of the district. This includes towns like Buckhurst Hill, Loughton, and Epping.
• Brentwood and Ongar constituency mostly covers the eastern part of the district. This includes the town of Ongar.
• Harlow constituency includes villages like Roydon and Lower Nazeing.

Parishes of Epping Forest District

Civil parishes in Epping Forest District. The forest itself today spans from Epping Upland to the Greater London border

The Epping Forest District is divided into 28 smaller areas called civil parishes. Many of these parishes have their own local councils, called parish councils. The parish councils for Epping, Loughton, Ongar, and Waltham Abbey are called "town councils." Some smaller parishes share a council, like Moreton, Bobbingworth, and the Lavers Parish Council.

Images for kids

• 

  The Civic Offices in Epping, where the council meets.

See also

In Spanish: Distrito de Epping Forest para niños