®Planning appeal decision
Oakleigh House, Hamlet Hill, Roydon, Essex, CM19 5JZ
Planning appeal 3259460 at Oakleigh House, Hamlet Hill, Roydon, Essex, CM19 5JZ (Epping Forest District Council) was allowed in part (a split decision) on 22 July 2021 by Inspector Merrett R, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether the development would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt for the purposes of the National Planning Policy Framework and development plan policy.
Without planning permission the construction of a vehicular access from the highway on to the Land, including the erection of gates and fencing and the laying of hardstanding
- Authority
- Epping Forest District Council
- Appeal type
- enforcement · Enforcement Notice
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- other · Householder developments
- Inspector
- Merrett R
- Postcode
- CM19 5JZ
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- whether the development would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt for the purposes of the National Planning Policy Framework and development plan policy
- the effect of the development on the openness of the Green Belt
- highway safety issues
- if the development is inappropriate, whether the harm to the Green Belt by way of inappropriateness, and any other harm, would be clearly outweighed by other considerations so as to amount to the very special circumstances necessary to justify the development
What decided it
The gates and fencing, being visually harsh and incongruous features prominently sited in relation to the highway, cause harm to the openness of the Green Belt and visual amenity, with no design considerations or very special circumstances cited to justify their retention, whereas the access and hardstanding do not result in inappropriate development or material harm to openness.
the absence of harm to highway safety does not weigh in favour of the appeal; the harm to the Green Belt and visual amenity from the gates and fencing outweighs any other considerations, but the access and hardstanding, being acceptable in Green Belt and highway safety terms, are permitted
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy ST4 of the Epping Forest District Local Plan and Alterations 2006Policy GB2A of the LPPolicy DM 4 of the emerging DLPPolicy DM 3 of the emerging DLPPolicy DM 9 of the emerging DLP
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 137Paragraph 138Paragraph 147Paragraph 150
How the Inspector dealt with each one is set out in the app, in order: the development plan, national policy, housing land supply, other considerations and the planning balance, beside the letter.
See how each was appliedThe decision letter
Town Planner Pro holds this letter. The Appeals plan opens it and every other letter we hold, all of them searchable, with the main issues and what decided each case picked out. We do not show letters on the free site because they carry people’s names and addresses.
With an account
What an account adds to this decision
More decisions in Epping Forest District Council
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2021
- Dismissed28 October 20266011400Larksmead Nursery, St Leonards Road, Nazeing, EN9 2HQ
- Allowed27 October 20266008413Sparks Farm, Nine Ashes Road, Nine Ashes, CM4 0JZ
- Dismissed26 October 20266008699Denver Lodge, Waltham Road, Nazeing, EN9 2EB
- Dismissed23 October 20266013055Millers Farm, Epping Road, Roydon, Harlow, CM19 5DD
- Dismissed21 October 20266010759Spains Hall, Spains Hall Road, Willingale, Ongar, CM5 0QE
The main issues, what decided it, the planning balance and the policies and judgments listed as cited are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro and are our summary, not the Inspector’s words; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.