Plans to build a modern house through a 17th century, grade II listed wall have been submitted to the council.

In the late 1600s John Archer built Coopersale House on Houblons Hill, roughly one miles north east of where Epping Underground Station now sits.

To the west of the £4,5m house - which is now in private hands having been occupied by a religious order during WWI - is a large walled garden.

Once used as both a place of entertainment and to grow fresh produce for the family, now owners Bradleigh Investments want to build a house into the crumbling walls.

In a heritage statement written on behalf of the company, Dr Chris Miele, senior partner at Montagu Evans, said: "The walled garden is a substantial and extensive structure of considerable interest, and in our judgment has sufficient visual quality and historic interest to merit designation in its own right at grade II, quite apart from its significant relationship with the grade II listed Coopersale House.

"A costed condition survey, submitted as part of the application, puts the cost of repair at £175,000, this is in addition to the significant costs of landscaping required to reinstate characteristic features of the historic garden."

The proposed house would be set partly below the current ground level, with its highest point lower than the garden wall.

It would be topped by a sedum roof and made from materials that aim to match the wall.

If the applicant is to win the approval of councillors and obtain permission to start the £3.55m project, it must be more convincing than it was in 2014, when officers giving pre-application advice said: "The proposed dwelling would be an alien feature within a historic walled garden and there would also be demonstrable harm to the open character of the Green Belt.”