Planning appeal decision
Warley Street (East Side) , Great Warley, Brentwood, Essex, CM13 3JZ
Planning appeal 3299803 at Warley Street (East Side) , Great Warley, Brentwood, Essex, CM13 3JZ (Brentwood Borough Council) was allowed in part (a split decision) on 7 February 2023 by Inspector Hand S, following an inquiry. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: The impact of the site on the character and appearance of the area and on the openness of the green belt.
change of use of land to use as a residential caravan site for 7 gypsy/traveller families, each with two caravans, including no more than one static caravan/mobile home, laying of hardstanding and erection of 7 No. utility buildings
- Authority
- Brentwood Borough Council
- Appeal type
- enforcement · Enforcement Notice
- Procedure
- Inquiry
- Development
- caravan-gypsy · Change of use
- Inspector
- Hand S
- Postcode
- CM13 3JZ
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- The impact of the site on the character and appearance of the area and on the openness of the green belt
- Whether the Council can show an up to date 5 year supply of sites for gypsies and travellers, including the impact of the Lisa Smith judgement
- Whether there are any alternative sites available
- The unauthorised nature of the development
- If necessary, the personal circumstances of the occupants
What decided it
The cumulative substantial Green Belt, openness and countryside harm, compounded by intentional unauthorised development, was not clearly outweighed by the lack of a 5-year gypsy site supply, absence of alternative sites, or the occupiers' personal circumstances.
The substantial harms of inappropriate Green Belt development, loss of openness, harm to countryside character and intentional unauthorised development outweighed the lack of a 5-year supply of gypsy sites, absence of alternatives, and the occupiers' personal circumstances, so very special circumstances did not exist and the balance tipped against the appeal.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- HP10HP01HP04
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 174
- Judgments
- Lisa Smith v Secretary of State LUPH&C and others [2022] EWCA Civ 1391; Chichester DC v FSS and others [2004] Civ 1248; Doncaster MBC v SSCLG [2016] EWHC 2876 (Admin)
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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The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2023
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- Dismissed26 August 20266012008Wilwyn, Chelmsford Road, Blackmore, CM4 0DS
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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