®Planning appeal decision
Land at Plots 25 and 26 Roydon Lodge Chalet Estate, Roydon, CM19 5EF
Change of use from double leisure plot to mixed use as leisure plot with 2 caravans, sheds, cess pit and associated hard standing and third static caravan for residential occupation by traveller family with storage of a touring caravan
- Authority
- Epping Forest District Council
- Appeal type
- enforcement · Enforcement Notice
- Procedure
- Hearing
- Development
- caravan-gypsy · Change of use
- Inspector
- Lewis D
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- The main issue is whether the harm to the Green Belt by reason of inappropriateness, and any other harm resulting from the development, is clearly outweighed by other considerations to provide the very special circumstances necessary to justify the development.
What decided it
The inability to secure effective planning control over the proposed mixed leisure/residential use through conditions meant adverse effects on the integrity of the Epping Forest Special Area of Conservation could not be ruled out, and this weighed strongly and decisively against the grant of permission alongside the Green Belt harm not being clearly outweighed.
The substantial harm from Green Belt inappropriateness, the very substantial weight given to the unresolved risk to the integrity of the Epping Forest SAC, and smaller harms (openness, character/appearance, unauthorised development, cumulative change) were not clearly outweighed by the considerable weight attached to traveller site need/supply and the moderate weight given to personal circumstances, so very special circumstances did not exist and the appeal was dismissed.
Plan policies cited: Policy GB2A, Policy RST10A, Policy H10A, Policy CP1, Policy CP2, Policy GB7A, Policy U2A, Policy NC1, Policy LL3, Policy DM2, Policy DM 22, Policy SP 2, Policy SP 5, Policy H 4
Judgments cited: Pitman v Secretary of State for the Environment [1989] JPL 831
The main issues and the deciding factor are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.