Parish council objects to second storage location for London taxis A North Weald Bassett parish councillor is calling on the district council to take "immediate enforcement action" against a company which has moved dozens of London taxis onto open land in North Weald without planning permission. GB Taxi Services has submitted a planning application for permission to temporarily store the vehicles which are not required because of the COVID-19 pandemic on land at Chase Farm, off Vicarage Lane, North Weald, until July next year. The applicant has confirmed that vehicles have been moved onto the site since April. It follows a previous application, which is still to be determined by Epping Forest District Council, for more than 200 taxis to be stored at Weald Place Farm, off Duck Lane in Thornwood. Parish councillor Sheila Jackman, speaking at Monday's parish council planning committee meeting which voted to object to the Chase Farm application, said: "I think it's completely unacceptable. We objected to the other one (Weald Place Farm) and I would object most strongly to this one. "It's most unfair on the residents looking out on ranks and ranks of taxis when they had open fields before." She added: "When we had the first application we put it to the district council that we didn't agree and for enforcement action (to be taken). I feel very, very strongly that we object to this on the grounds of overlooking and the green belt." Councillor Anne Grigg said: "They are asking for a temporary time period for a year. I don't want them there at all. We don't think any time should be granted and Epping Forest District Council should take enforcement action immediately." Council chairman Alan Buckley said planning consent should have been obtained for both sites before the taxis were moved onto the land. He said: "They've not got permission, it's all retrospective. My personal view is that we should refuse it as out of hand." Local resident David Sisson told the meeting he could see "a field full of taxis" from his property. He said the first taxis arrived on the Chase Farm site in April, since when many more have been taken onto the land. He expressed concern about potential vandalism. He told councillors: "It's quite a sight, especially as planning permission hasn't been granted for all of them to be here. "We believe they have been moved there from Thornwood because of vandalism. We have already had some of the taxis here vandalised. "If someone was to set fire to one of them, what on earth would happen? It's just frightening."
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