Somerson House New Road, Aldham, COLCHESTER, CO6 3PN

described in the application form as a “demolition of existing cartlodge and annex and the erection of a two bedroom annex of similar footprint for purposes ancillary to the residential use of the dwelling

Authority: Colchester Borough Council
Appeal type: householder · Householder (HAS)
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: residential · Other minor developments
Inspector: Shrimplin R

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

The effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the surroundings, in the context of planning policies for the area, specifically the effect on the character and appearance of the Conservation Area and on the setting of a nearby listed building

What decided it

The proposed building would cause actual harm to the quality of the surroundings in the Conservation Area and seriously undermine policies aimed at achieving sustainable development, with limited benefits clearly outweighed by this harm.

Framework references: 12, 16

Plan policies cited: Policy SP1, Policy SP7

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.