Montrose Birchwood Road, Cock Clarks, CHELMSFORD, CM3 6RF

a pond on a former equestrian site

Authority: Maldon District Council
Appeal type: major · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: leisure-sport · Other Major Developments
Inspector: Owen A

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

the effect of the development on the character and appearance of the area
its effect on the living conditions of nearby occupiers in terms of disturbance

What decided it

The development would significantly harm the character and appearance of the area through the creation of substantial earth bunds which would appear as alien engineered features in the open countryside, and this conflict with the development plan was not outweighed by ecological benefits or the absence of harm to living conditions.

Plan policies cited: Policy D1, Policy S1, Policy S8, Policy H4

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.

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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.
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