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Allowed26 May 20233310483

Land Rear of 248 Hart Road, Thundersley, Benfleet, Essex, SS7 3UQ

Planning appeal 3310483 at Land Rear of 248 Hart Road, Thundersley, Benfleet, Essex, SS7 3UQ (Castle Point Borough Council) was allowed on 26 May 2023 by Inspector Thompson P, following a hearing. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: the effect of the proposal on the openness of the Green Belt and purposes of including land within the Green Belt.

46 dwellings with open space, playspace, landscaping, access and associated infrastructure

Authority
Castle Point Borough Council
Appeal type
major · Planning Appeal
Procedure
Hearing
Development
residential · Major dwellings
Inspector
Thompson P
Postcode
SS7 3UQ

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

  • the effect of the proposal on the openness of the Green Belt and purposes of including land within the Green Belt
  • the effect of the proposal on the integrity of the features of European nature conservation sites at the Essex Coast
  • other matters relevant to proposed development
  • whether the harm by reason of inappropriateness, and any other harm, is clearly outweighed by other considerations. If so, would this amount to the very special circumstances required to justify the proposal

What decided it

The severe and persistent unmet need for affordable housing, to which very substantial weight was attributed, clearly outweighed the limited harm to the Green Belt, amounting to very special circumstances.

The limited Green Belt harm (to which substantial weight attaches by definition) was clearly outweighed by other considerations, principally very substantial weight given to the delivery of 44 affordable homes plus moderate/limited weight to biodiversity, economic and environmental benefits, so very special circumstances existed and the balance tipped in favour of allowing the appeal.

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies
Policy EC13
National Planning Policy Framework
Paragraph 148Paragraph 57

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 applied

The decision letter

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More decisions in Castle Point

The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2023

  1. Dismissed6 October 20266009589
    1 Mount Zion, Castle Lane, Hadleigh, SS7 2AR
  2. Allowed14 September 20266007184
    Land South Of Daws Heath Road, Thundersley, SS7 2TA
  3. Notice varied and upheld4 September 20263350293
    The Hideaway, 23A Malyon Court Close, Benfleet, Essex, SS7 1TX
  4. Dismissed8 June 20266005397
    Land Rear of 60 Church Road, Benfleet, SS7 4BP
  5. Allowed5 June 20266005421
    127 Moreland Avenue, Thundersley, SS7 4JJ

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.