North Weald Market could lose up to 100 stalls under Google data centre plan for airfield

North Weald Market could be losing as many as 100 stalls after a major land deal between Google and the local council to build a new data centre at its airfield base.

The hugely popular market, which operates every Saturday and on bank holiday Mondays, currently has around 300 stalls selling clothing, homewares, food and other items.

However, an £88 million land sale to Google means that market space at North Weald Airfield will be converted into parking for a new data centre over a temporary five-year period.

Epping Forest District Council (EFDC), which owns the land, has stated that there will be an effective net reduction in the area allocated for the outdoor market and its car parking. If the plans are approved, the market’s trading area will be reduced by nearly 1 hectare (2.47 acres).

The council says this will result in a reduction in the number of market stalls. It did not say exactly how many will be affected, but it said there would be a reduction of about 31%, which amounts to almost 100 of the approximately 300 stalls it currently has.

The council has also said that parking space will decrease by about 10%, but it does not expect any difference in the number of visitors or road traffic to the airfield on Saturdays.

This has led to concerns about traffic congestion, notably at the Canes Lane roundabout, which have not been addressed as part of EFDC’s plans for the site.

No physical development is proposed, and existing access and traffic management arrangements will remain unchanged.

In a statement as part of the submission to the application, North Weald Parish Council said the application to allow the 2.3 hectares (5.68 acres) of land for additional parking on the airfield for the market is “intrinsically linked” to the number of vehicles using the market and the impact on the surrounding roads.

It said: “It would be incredibly short-sighted and irresponsible not to adequately consider the impact on the highway.

“Reducing the market size will not in itself reduce the number of people (and thus mainly vehicles) attending.

“The market reduction will take a considerable number of months to bed in to affect a reduction in the number of vehicles visiting the site, which is the main concern of the parish council.

“In the meantime and short term, this will mean the same number of vehicles visiting the market.

“Whilst the applicant has in place a programme of additional signage, this does not fully address the issue of the Canes Lane roundabout, which becomes gridlocked, and causes the majority of local issues. This needs to be addressed.”

The parish council added that a five-year temporary permission was too long and suggested that two or three years should be the maximum timeframe, should permission be granted. After this timeframe, if necessary, the applicant should be able to submit a further application for review.

A report in support of the application said: “This application is necessary to preserve the future operation of North Weald Market on the site since part of the airfield that is used for market day parking has been sold to Google and there is a live proposal for the site’s redevelopment for a data centre use under application.

“The application is submitted on a temporary basis, given the employment allocation on the site, and to provide flexibility to the site owner and to allow the council to consider the implications of this change.

“Given that there would be no adverse impacts from this proposal and it would help preserve economic development within the district by facilitating the retention of North Weald Market at the airfield, it is requested that temporary planning permission is granted.”

EFDC says the new parking area will ensure no interruption to the market when Google takes over the land in December.

A spokesperson for the district council said: “North Weald Airfield is going from strength to strength. The Google data centre is a case in point. The new parking area is part of our ongoing investment to maintain the market.

“Construction of the permanent home for Terra Verde Services is going well and we remain committed to aviation. The brand new aviation control tower is nearing completion, with the iconic Hurricane gate guardian currently in the process of relocation.

“For anyone who remains in doubt, come along, see for yourself and bag a bargain. North Weald Market is open every Saturday throughout the year and bank holiday Mondays.”