PEOPLE living close to the proposed site of the new scout hut and community hall in Epping have spoken of their fears that private partygoers could make their lives a misery.

The Flux's Lane hut is home to the first Theydon Garnon Scouts as well as a number of community clubs and is in dire need of repair.

The Guardian reported last month that the troop had submitted plans to build a new hut, but while the scouts are excited some residents are worried.

Andrew Brookes and his wife Deborah live across the road from the site and have already moved house once after anti-social partygoers made their lives a misery.

Mr Brookes said: "We would rather have the scouts there than anything else, we're both police officers and we would much rather see the kids doing something worthwhile, the scouts themselves are no trouble.

"We are concerned that renting out the hall at night weill mean that we have to put up with loud music drunken people and cars parked all along the grass verge in front of our home.

"We used to live in Hornchurch and the council decided to rent out a place across the road from us, it got so bad that I was arresting people in my own front garden, we came here to escape that and the idea that it could happen again is very upsetting."

He added that the scout leaders had promised not to remove any trees on the plot, which act as a sound barrier to the nearby M25.

But to Mr Brookes horror, when he looked at the online plans for the hut, not only is the current wooden structure to be replaced witha large brick building, but at least ten trees will face the chop.

He said: "This was after the public consultation period closed. When the neighbours were invited down to view the plans I specifically asked if they would be cutting down trees, and the scout leaders said no. I just think it's a bit sneaky, and it would be such a shame to lose them."

Neighbour, Peter Smith agreed, saying: "Some of those trees were put here when they built the M25, to provide us with a visual barrier and noise protection from the motorway, if they go the noise will definately affect us.

"We did have problems before when they used to hire out the hall, they were told to end the parties at a specific time but they never did, it was the usual, slamming doors, cars parked on both sides of the road, loud voices, loud music - we're all very concerned about it."

But Theydon Garnon Scout leader Trevor King said they had no plans to fell trees.

He said: "One of our trees fell down of it's own accord and so we had to have a tree survey- from a safety point of view, it's just coincidence that the district council's planning department asked us to do one too."

"What we're doing is tree management not treee felling- it can't make that clear enough. We want to keep the trees, if you think about the nature of scouting it's important to keep the wildlife and the rural areas to help us practice and learn new skills."

When asked by the Guardian about late night revellers, Mr King added: "We have had the hall rented out for private parties before, but they're mostly children's parties in the afternoon, we've had one or two anniversary parties but in the four years I've been here, I've never heard a serious complaint about noise."

The plans will be discussed by the district council planning committee on August 12.