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Allowed23 January 20243306710

Lane West of Battlesbridge, Rettendon, Wickford, Essex, SS11 7RJ

Planning appeal 3306710 at Lane West of Battlesbridge, Rettendon, Wickford, Essex, SS11 7RJ (Chelmsford Borough Council) was allowed on 23 January 2024 by Inspector Sylvester G, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: The effect of the proposed development on the openness and purposes of the Green Belt.

the construction of a battery energy storage system and ancillary development

Authority
Chelmsford Borough Council
Appeal type
major · Planning Appeal
Procedure
Written Representations
Development
utilities-energy · Other Major Developments
Inspector
Sylvester G
Postcode
SS11 7RJ

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

  • The effect of the proposed development on the openness and purposes of the Green Belt
  • The effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the area
  • Whether any harm by reason of inappropriateness, and any other harm, would be clearly outweighed by other considerations so as to amount to the very special circumstances required to justify the proposal

What decided it

The demonstrable national need for battery energy storage in close proximity to Rayleigh Substation to deliver essential grid balancing and reactive power capabilities, combined with robust evidence that no suitable sites exist outside the Green Belt, constituted very special circumstances that clearly outweighed the substantial harm to Green Belt openness and moderate harm to character and appearance.

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies
Policy S11Policy DM6Policy DM19
National Planning Policy Framework
Paragraph 142Paragraph 143Paragraph 152Paragraph 153

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.

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The decision letter

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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.

In the app this decision sits on the map beside every appeal around it, with its letter to read and the main issues, policies and judgments cited picked out.