In December 1963 The County Planning Architect, Area Planning Officer and Epping Urban Council Surveyor all recommended outline planning permission be granted to build on the 15 � acre site at Theydon Grove. Epping Council turned this recommendation down. The officers had told the council that adoption of the plan would result not only in a general improvement of the layout of the estate, but also the entrance to the town. But the council decided against the plan because it would have meant building slightly beyond - towards the railway - the limit of the residential area laid down on the town map. Instead the council approved a second application by Dean Homesteads Ltd of Theydon Bois to build on almost the whole of the site, with the exception of the pond.

In 1964 the developers demolished the great house, leaving only the lakes and the lodge house. It is now the estate of the same name, behind which are two large fields which still have the remains of a boating lake and another smaller lake with an island in the middle.

Theydon Grove itself was designed by Robin Hiscock who was employed by Ambrose (estate agents). Robin was a son of the Town Clerk and living at the top of Kendall Avenue at the time of being commissioned to design the new estate in 1963. The estate was to be Georgian in style similar in manner to the building occupied by Coles the Tailors. The estate took approximately five years to build and due to bankruptcy of various developers had three separate building firms.

Phase 1 was the started by Dean Homesteads, a builder who installed the estate roads etc and built the houses which face Stonards Hill. These houses were built with parapet roofs. This builder went into liquidation.

Phase 2 was continued by Dean�s of Abridge with the son, Roger overseeing the work. Long delays were experienced whilst the sewer pipes were enlarged to overcome earlier problems. Deposits of �100.00 were required to reserve houses on this phase which started from number 87 Theydon Grove. Again the houses down past Esso Island and those down to the lodge were completed with parapet roofs. The first few houses of this phase were completed in January 1966 with the houses in the curved terraces being squared off internally. As on phase one, this builder also went into liquidation.

Phase 3 was continued by Treble Builders and included Wedgewood Close. The roof design for this phase was altered by the builder with over hanging eaves to gain access to the fourth bedroom from the landing. This phase, and therefore the whole estate was completed in approximately 1969.