The district’s MP has reassured residents who expressed their concerns living near contaminated land where a new housing development taking place.

Epping Forest MP and House of Commons Speaker candidate Dame Eleanor Laing visited the Waltham Abbey site on Friday, September 20.

Contamination issues was previously raised by residents following the site's previous industrial use one-time by agro-chemicals firm Pan Britannica Industries Ltd.

The site was then developed by Tesco to create a supermarket store on Sewardstone Road.

Retirement homebuilder McCarthy and Stone are currently constructing 52 one and two-bedroom retirement apartments that will be named Lionheart Court.

Epping Forest Guardian:

Epping Forest MP Dame Eleanor Laing (R) and area sales manager James Luton (C)hears what McCarthy and Stone regional managing director Andrew Wickett (L) has to say

Dame Eleanor, who met McCarthy and Stone regional managing director Andrew Wickett and area sales manager James Luton, said: "Several of my constituents who live near Tesco in Waltham Abbey have been in touch with me about their concerns over the alleged contamination which might have been present on the site of the new residential development.

"I share their concerns so I have had an on-site meeting with the developers and I am happy to be able to assure people who live nearby that the historic contamination which was inevitably on the site, as it had been an industrial site for some time, has been dealt with and within the next few weeks will be entirely cleared up.

"The good news is that although they have been living close to a contaminated site up until now, by Christmas the area will be completely clean. It will actually be much cleaner than it was before."

Epping Forest Guardian:

Epping Forest MP Dame Eleanor Laing (C) regional managing director Andrew Wickett (R) and area sales manager James Luton (L)

Dame Eleanor added: "I am also very well aware of the enormous demand in our Epping Forest area for flats and houses for people who want to downsize once their families have left home and when they are going into retirement.

"There is such a huge demand for that type of accommodation and I am so pleased that more families will be able to benefit from the development which is being built beside the Tesco store in Waltham Abbey."