Planning appeal decision
Hopkiln House, Mumfords Hill, Wethersfield, CM7 4AW
Planning appeal 3280787 at Hopkiln House, Mumfords Hill, Wethersfield, CM7 4AW (Braintree District Council) was dismissed on 4 February 2022 by Inspector Smith A, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: The effect upon the rural economy.
extensions to existing barn and conversion to a single dwellinghouse
- Authority
- Braintree District Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Smith A
- Postcode
- CM7 4AW
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- The effect upon the rural economy
- The effect upon the character and appearance of the existing barn and its surroundings
- Whether or not the site represents an appropriate location for housing, having particular regard to access to facilities and services
What decided it
The considerable harms to character and appearance and the site's unsuitability as a location for housing due to isolation from facilities and services, combined with policy conflicts, outweighed the modest benefits of one additional dwelling unit.
The modest benefits of one additional housing unit, construction employment, and local economic support were outweighed by the considerable harms to character and appearance of the barn and its surroundings and the site's unsuitability as an appropriate location for housing due to poor accessibility to facilities and services.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy RLP38Policy RLP90Policy CS5Policy CS7Policy CS8Policy SP7Policy LPP42Policy LPP55
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11
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
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With an account
What an account adds to this decision


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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.
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