Land west of Pennington Lane, Stansted Mountfitchet, CM24 8HZ

outline planning application with all matters reserved except access for up to 168 dwellings (Class C3) including 40% affordable homes, public open space including local equipped area for play, sustainable drainage systems, landscaping and all associated infrastructure and development

Authority: Uttlesford District Council
Appeal type: major · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Inquiry
Development: residential · Major dwellings
Inspector: Price J

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

The effect of the development proposed on the character and appearance of the site and surrounding landscape, including the significance of the Bentfield Green Conservation Area and other nearby designated and non-designated heritage assets in respect of their setting.

What decided it

The substantial landscape and visual harm to the character and appearance of the site and surrounding countryside, compounded by heritage harm, was found to significantly and demonstrably outweigh the significant benefits of the housing scheme.

The significant benefits (housing land supply, affordable and self-build housing, economic benefits, modest biodiversity and health benefits) were outweighed by the substantial landscape and visual harm and less than substantial/limited heritage harm, such that adverse impacts significantly and demonstrably outweighed the benefits when assessed against the Framework taken as a whole.

Framework references: 11, 174, 202, 203, 8, 20, 130

Plan policies cited: GEN2, GEN8, GEN7, ENV3, ENV8, ENV5, GEN6, H9, GEN1, S7, ENV2, ENV1, ENV9

Read the decision letter on the Inspectorate’s site

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.

What an account adds

Draw a red line around your site and the appraisal follows.

Heritage. Listed buildings by grade and distance, conservation areas, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, heritage at risk.
Landscape and environment. Green belt, national parks and national landscapes, SSSIs, ancient woodland, SPA, SAC and Ramsar sites, nutrient catchments.
Flooding. Flood zones 2 and 3, surface water, and both again with climate change.
Transport. The 800 metre station catchment and service frequency, bus stops with their weekday frequency, the cycle network, and the Framework’s transport tests measured for the site.

Then the development plan position, the housing land supply as an Inspector last accepted it, and every appeal decided around the site with its letter.

Every English appeal since 2016, with the letter behind it wherever the Inspectorate published one. Searched by meaning as well as by words, with the key case law counted live across the letters.

Casework that chases the deadlines. Applications, appeals and conditions with their statutory dates.

The judgement stays yours. The tool gathers the material and dates it.