®Planning appeal decision
Stables Retreat, Beslyns Road , Great Bardfield, CM7 4TG
Planning appeal 3298836 at Stables Retreat, Beslyns Road , Great Bardfield, CM7 4TG (Braintree District Council) was dismissed on 25 January 2023 by Inspector Bell-Williamson J, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: the suitability of the location for the proposed dwellings, having regard to development plan policy concerned with development in the countryside; and, related to this, whether future occupants would have adequate access to services and facilities without undue reliance on private vehicle use.
outline planning application, with all matters reserved except scale and access, for the erection of up to 4 dwellings and associated work
- Authority
- Braintree District Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Bell-Williamson J
- Postcode
- CM7 4TG
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- the suitability of the location for the proposed dwellings, having regard to development plan policy concerned with development in the countryside; and, related to this, whether future occupants would have adequate access to services and facilities without undue reliance on private vehicle use
- the effect on the character and appearance of the appeal site and surrounding area, including the effect on trees, hedgerows and the setting of the Great Bardfield Conservation Area
- whether there is sufficient information to assess any effects of the proposal on local ecology and protected species, particularly with regard to the hedgerow to the site's northern boundary
What decided it
The material harm to the setting of the Great Bardfield Conservation Area, which provides a clear reason for refusal under the Framework exception and removes the presumption in favour of sustainable development despite the Council's inability to demonstrate a five-year housing supply.
the harm to the setting of the designated heritage asset, characterised as less than substantial but of considerable importance and weight, was not outweighed by the moderate contribution to housing supply and limited other public benefits
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy LPP1Policy LPP47Policy LPP52Policy LPP63Policy LPP64Policy LPP65Policy LPP66Policy LPP67Policy LPP69
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11Paragraph 74Paragraph 105Paragraph 199Paragraph 200Paragraph 202
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.