THE M11 could see new changes as 780 new homes have been agreed. Plans have been drawn up to create an exit slip road for the southbound carriageway traffic at junction 5, near Loughton reports the Local Democracy Reporter.

It comes after plans to build 780 new homes near North Weald were granted by Epping Forest District council’s planning committee on April 8. It is hoped that the plans will reduce the amount of southbound traffic needing to come off at junction 7, where there is already concern about the level of traffic it is being expected to handle.

There are fears roads around the village – including junction 7 of the M11 and the A414 – will not be able to cope with the increased traffic development would generate. National Highways – which manages the M11 – also has an objection to a plans over the impact the 780 home plan could have on the motorway.

Approval from Epping Forest District Council planning committee is on condition that mitigations are secured. However, there are also concerns over other developments in the area, including the Google Data Centre granted permission late last year as well as the as yet unresolved application for 1340-homes at Latton Priory site rejected by Harlow Council in February.

There are also concerns that more needs to be done to keep traffic moving in the area. Planning committee member Councillor Mary Dadd said: “I’m really worried about the amount of congestion that will be on the A414 due to this. It is already bad on a Saturday morning with the North Weald market.

“And I also feel that that it would be worth having a conversation with Essex Highways and National Highways about opening M11 junction 5 in all directions. Because we have far too much traffic who can’t come off at Loughton who come through Epping and A414 and down through Ongar and Stanford Rivers.”

Will Kauffman said: “I just can’t quite contemplate how, if say Latton Priory comes forward and we don’t know how that’s going to play and we’ve got the Google scheme coming forward and this scheme, maybe we do need to really have a think about a junction further down going both ways.”

Essex County Council says the M11 is the responsibility of National Highways. National Highways has been approached for comment.