®Planning appeal decision
Land to the South of Copthorne Gardens, Emerson Park, RM11 3DL
Planning appeal 3307017 at Land to the South of Copthorne Gardens, Emerson Park, RM11 3DL (London Borough of Havering) was dismissed on 23 June 2023 by Inspector Cowley R, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the site is suitable for the proposed residential development, having regard to its location, the proposed land use and the amount of development, with particular regard to: whether the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt; the effect on openness of the Green Belt; the effect on character and appearance of the area; the effect on ecological and biodiversity value of the site; and if inappropriate, whether any harm would be clearly outweighed by other considerations so as to amount to very special circumstances.
Permission in principle for 5 to 9 self-build plots
- Authority
- London Borough of Havering
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Cowley R
- Postcode
- RM11 3DL
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether the site is suitable for the proposed residential development, having regard to its location, the proposed land use and the amount of development, with particular regard to: whether the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt; the effect on openness of the Green Belt; the effect on character and appearance of the area; the effect on ecological and biodiversity value of the site; and if inappropriate, whether any harm would be clearly outweighed by other considerations so as to amount to very special circumstances
What decided it
The substantial harm to the openness and purposes of the Green Belt, which is not clearly outweighed by the modest benefits of housing delivery and self-build provision.
The substantial harm to the Green Belt and harm to character and appearance were not clearly outweighed by the moderate weight afforded to housing supply benefits and limited weight afforded to self-build and housing mix benefits, so very special circumstances do not exist.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy G2 of The London Plan March 2021Policy 3 of the Havering Local Plan 2016-2031 Adopted November 2021Policy 26 of the Local PlanPolicy 27 of the Local PlanPolicy 30 of the Local PlanChapter 8 of the London Plan
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 149Paragraph 147Paragraph 148Paragraph 130Paragraph 174Paragraph 180Paragraph 11
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
Town Planner Pro holds this letter. The Appeals plan opens it and every other letter we hold, all of them searchable, with the main issues and what decided each case picked out. We do not show letters on the free site because they carry people’s names and addresses.
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.