Fiddlers Farm, Fiddlers Hill, Fordham Heath, COLCHESTER, CO3 9TU

described on the application form as ‘Demolition of barn and erection of a dwellinghouse

Authority: Colchester Borough Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: residential · Minor Dwellings
Inspector: Gunn J

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

whether the proposal is consistent with the objectives of local and national policy with regards to location of housing
the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area, including its effect on designated heritage assets
the effect of the proposal on the Ancient Woodland, known as Fiddlers Wood
the effect of the proposal on protected habitats
whether the proposal would make a sufficient contribution toward infrastructure provision

What decided it

The proposal conflicts with the adopted development plan and neighbourhood plan spatial strategy by locating new housing outside the village settlement boundary in the countryside where there is a presumption against development, and this conflict is not outweighed by any material considerations.

Framework references: 180, 202

Plan policies cited: Policy SG1, Policy SP3, Policy SS5, Policy VSB1, Policy OV1, Policy OV2, Policy DM16, Policy SP6, Policy DM2

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.