Elm Cottage & Land Between Comingmak & Newton, Maldon Road, Witham, Essex, CM8 1HN

the erection of 5 No. dwellings replacing a single dwelling (Elm Cottage) and access and parking

Authority: Braintree District Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: residential · Minor Dwellings
Inspector: Barnes D

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

the effects of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the surrounding area
the living standards of the future occupiers

What decided it

The unacceptable harm to living standards from restricted bedroom outlook combined with unacceptable harm to character and appearance significantly and demonstrably outweighed the housing delivery benefits.

the benefits of delivering 4 additional dwellings and efficient land re-use were outweighed by the unacceptable adverse impacts of poor design quality and inadequate living standards for future occupiers

Framework references: 11

Plan policies cited: Policy LPP35, Policy LPP52, Policy LPP47

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.