®Planning appeal decision
Land north of Dowding Way, Waltham Abbey, EN9 3RU
The erection of 1 no. building for use as a warehouse (Use Class B8) with ancillary accommodation and photo studio (sui generis) with gatehouse, sprinkler tanks and pumphouse, substation, fuel island, vehicle wash, attenuation ponds and associated works, 1 no. multi-storey car park with associated bridge link, along with access and servicing arrangements, landscaping and external amenity areas, roof- mounted photovoltaic array, creation of signalised junction to A121 and shared foot and cycle links including a connection to the Public Right of Way network
- Authority
- Epping Forest District Council
- Appeal type
- major · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Inquiry
- Development
- employment-industrial · Major general industry/storage/warehousing
- Inspector
- Gould G
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- The effects of the development on the openness and purposes of the Green Belt
- The effects of the development on the character and appearance of the area
- Whether the development would make appropriate provision for a DRT bus service
- Whether the harm by reason of the inappropriateness of the development within the Green Belt, 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 harm to the character and appearance of the area from the height, scale and siting of the main building close to the M25, combined with Green Belt harm, was not clearly outweighed by the development's benefits, so very special circumstances were not established.
The Green Belt harm (reduced from substantial to moderate weight) together with very substantial harm to the character and appearance of the area was not clearly outweighed by the moderate, significant and substantial benefits of sustainable transport provision, economic/employment benefits and the absence of harm to the SAC, so very special circumstances did not exist and permission was refused.
Framework references: 48, 126, 130, 137, 138, 147, 148, 149, 150
Plan policies cited: Policy GB2A, Policy GB7A, Policy DBE1, Policy DBE4, Policy NC1, Policy ST1, Policy ST2, Policy ST3, Policy T1, Policy E1, Policy P3, Policy DM9, Policy DM2, Policy DM22
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.