Boatyard on Land at Lime Street, Brightlingsea, Colchester, Essex , CO7 0BH

a new self-build dwelling with permission to use caravan to live on site during construction. Change of use for part of site only from B8 to C3

Authority: Tendring District Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: residential · Change of use
Inspector: Palmer N

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area
its effect on highway safety

What decided it

The proposal would unacceptably harm the character and appearance of the area by introducing residential development into an open rural landscape within a designated Coastal Protection Belt, contrary to the development plan.

The limited benefits of housing supply and biodiversity net gain did not outweigh the harm to character and appearance and the policy conflicts identified

Plan policies cited: Policy LP7, Policy PPL2, Policy PPL3, Policy SP7, Policy SPL3, Policy LP4

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.

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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.
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