Morgan's Farm, Chelmsford Road, , High Ongar, Ongar,, Essex, CM4 0LG

demolition of the existing buildings and erection of 3 no. 4-bed, single storey dwellings

Authority: Epping Forest District Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: residential · Minor Dwellings
Inspector: Smith A

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

Whether or not the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt
Whether or not the site represents a suitable location for housing development, having particular regard to the accessibility of facilities and services
The effect of the proposal upon the character and appearance of the rural area, including consideration of its effects upon the settings and thereby the significance of the Grade II Listed Spurriers and the Locally Listed The Maltings
If the proposal is found to be inappropriate development in the Green Belt, whether or not the harm by reason of inappropriateness, and any other harm, would be clearly outweighed by other considerations so as to amount to the very special circumstances necessary to justify it

What decided it

The substantial harm to Green Belt openness from inappropriate development, combined with the site's unsuitability for housing due to poor accessibility and the limited harm to rural character, could not be outweighed by the modest benefits of three additional dwellings and economic activity.

Framework references: 11

Plan policies cited: Policy DM4, Policy SP1, Policy T1, Policy DM7, Policy DM22

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.