Finchingfield Nurseries, Bardfield Road, Finchingfield, CM7 4LL

demolition of office building and construction of dwelling

Authority: Braintree District Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: residential · Minor Dwellings
Inspector: Smith A

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

The effect upon the character and appearance of the area

What decided it

The considerable harm to the character and appearance of the area caused by the proposed dwelling's greater height, scale, visual prominence and domesticating influence in the rural location outweighed the modest benefits of providing one additional housing unit.

The modest benefits of one additional housing unit, effective use of previously developed land, construction phase jobs, and potential energy performance improvements did not outweigh the considerable harm to character and appearance and the associated policy conflicts identified.

Plan policies cited: RLP2, RLP80, RLP90, RLP15, RLP100, CS5, CS8, LPP1, LPP50, LPP55, LPP71

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.

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