Land Rear of De Vigier Avenue, Saffron Walden

outline planning permission with all matters reserved except for access for the erection of up to 12 dwellings with associated landscaping, parking and supporting infrastructure

Authority: Uttlesford District Council
Appeal type: major · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: residential · Major dwellings
Inspector: Wallace J

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

the effect of the proposed development on biodiversity with particular regard to calcareous grassland and common lizard
the need to secure contributions towards off-site highway improvements, education, affordable housing, public open space and biodiversity

What decided it

The Council's inability to demonstrate a five-year housing land supply engaged the tilted balance under paragraph 11(d)(ii) of the Framework, and the limited adverse impacts of the development did not significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits of housing supply and biodiversity enhancement.

The proposal conflicts with the development plan but benefits from the presumption in favour of sustainable development under paragraph 11(d)(ii) of the Framework; the limited adverse impacts do not significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits of housing delivery, economic benefits and biodiversity net gain, and the appeal is allowed.

Framework references: 57, 98, 130, 179, 11

Plan policies cited: ULP Policy S7, ULP Policy GEN7, ULP Policy GEN2, ULP Policy GEN6, ULP Policy GEN1, SWNP Policy SW2

Read the decision letter on the Inspectorate’s site

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.

What an account adds

Draw a red line around your site and the appraisal follows.

Heritage. Listed buildings by grade and distance, conservation areas, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, heritage at risk.
Landscape and environment. Green belt, national parks and national landscapes, SSSIs, ancient woodland, SPA, SAC and Ramsar sites, nutrient catchments.
Flooding. Flood zones 2 and 3, surface water, and both again with climate change.
Transport. The 800 metre station catchment and service frequency, bus stops with their weekday frequency, the cycle network, and the Framework’s transport tests measured for the site.

Then the development plan position, the housing land supply as an Inspector last accepted it, and every appeal decided around the site with its letter.

Every English appeal since 2016, with the letter behind it wherever the Inspectorate published one. Searched by meaning as well as by words, with the key case law counted live across the letters.

Casework that chases the deadlines. Applications, appeals and conditions with their statutory dates.

The judgement stays yours. The tool gathers the material and dates it.