Planning appeal decision
Land Opposite Blackberry House, Toot Hill Road, Ongar, CM5 9QP
Planning appeal 3289669 at Land Opposite Blackberry House, Toot Hill Road, Ongar, CM5 9QP (Epping Forest District Council) was dismissed on 21 November 2022 by Inspector Morrison J, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the appeal scheme would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt.
a net zero carbon house of exceptional quality and design, with landscape and ecological site enhancements within the Green Belt
- Authority
- Epping Forest District Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Morrison J
- Postcode
- CM5 9QP
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether the appeal scheme would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt
- The effect of the appeal scheme on the openness of the Green Belt
- If the appeal scheme would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt, whether the harm by reason 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 it
What decided it
The substantial weight that must be given to harm to the Green Belt—comprising both inappropriateness and loss of openness—could not be clearly outweighed by the moderate weight afforded to environmental sustainability and biodiversity benefits.
The substantial harm to the Green Belt from inappropriateness and loss of openness was not clearly outweighed by the moderate weight given to environmental sustainability credentials, biodiversity net gain, and acceptable design, such that very special circumstances were not demonstrated
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- CP1NC1CP6GB2AGB7ADBE2DBE4DBE9
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 57Paragraph 149Paragraph 80Paragraph 11Paragraph 13
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 2022
- 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.
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