A new apartment complex could yet again put a church’s sunlight under threat, councillors have claimed.

At a meeting on Monday (July 4), Loughton Town Council objected to proposals from the Royal Mail group, which hopes to demolish its former office near Morrisons and build a five-storey housing development.

Councillors said the buildings, including a total of 30 apartments, could block sunlight to the Loughton Methodist Church.

Last year, controversial plans for nine flats were refused twice by Epping Forest District Council after critics claimed a similar issue.

Objecting to the plans from Spencer Rose in July last year, a planning consultant from Hobbs Parker said: “The impact on the community facilities in the adjacent Methodist church is unacceptable.

“The additional height and mass… will adversely affect natural light.”

At the meeting on Monday, town councillors said the Royal Mail apartments would be an “overdevelopment” of the site which sits slightly behind other High Street properties.

The blocks would include 10 one-bed, 15 two-bed and five three-bed apartments.

Spaces for 24 cars would be provided, as well as 34 cycle spaces on the ground floor.

The “comprehensive redevelopment” would also include rubbish and recycling areas.

Councillors claimed that due to the height of the blocks, residents would be able to overlook neighbouring buildings and light reaching solar panels on top of Lifeworks could be blocked.

Debating the proposals after receiving three letters of objection and hearing one public speaker, they also said the large development could set an “unwelcome precedent” for the town centre area.

Fears were raised that the narrow access road to the site could lead to vehicles reversing onto the High Road, by a busy bus stop and close to the zebra crossing outside Morrisons.

The town council also said there were too few car parking spaces planned, and said if the district council approves the flats, occupants should not be eligible for residents’ parking schemes in the town.

The proposals will now be debated by the district council.

To comment on the plans, visit www.eppingforestdc.gov.uk/iPlan before July 14.