®Planning appeal decision
Bowercombe, Great Burches Road, Thundersley Benfleet, Essex, SS7 3NA
Planning appeal 3314995 at Bowercombe, Great Burches Road, Thundersley Benfleet, Essex, SS7 3NA (Castle Point Borough Council) was dismissed on 16 January 2025 by Inspector Clarke B, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether the proposal represents an inappropriate development in the Green Belt.
the erection of a single-storey detached dwelling, with rooms in the roof and a basement, layout landscaping and parking
- Authority
- Castle Point Borough Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Clarke B
- Postcode
- SS7 3NA
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- whether the proposal represents an inappropriate development in the Green Belt
- the effect of the development upon the openness of the Green Belt
- whether appropriate living conditions would be secured for the future occupiers of the development, with particular regard to light and outlook
- whether any 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 required to justify the proposal
What decided it
The substantial harm to the Green Belt by reason of inappropriateness and erosion of openness is not clearly outweighed by other considerations, and therefore very special circumstances do not exist to justify the development.
The substantial harm to the Green Belt by reason of inappropriateness and erosion of openness was not clearly outweighed by other considerations (fallback position, design character, housing supply, and economic benefits), which carried only moderate or limited weight, and therefore very special circumstances do not exist.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy GB4 of the Castle Point Local Plan (1998)Policy EC2 of the Local Plan
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11Paragraph 142Paragraph 153Paragraph 154Paragraph 155
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 appliedThe decision letter
Town Planner Pro holds this letter. The Appeals plan opens it and every other letter we hold, all of them searchable, with the main issues and what decided each case picked out. We do not show letters on the free site because they carry people’s names and addresses.
With an account
What an account adds to this decision
More decisions in Castle Point
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2025
- Dismissed6 October 202660095891 Mount Zion, Castle Lane, Hadleigh, SS7 2AR
- Allowed14 September 20266007184Land South Of Daws Heath Road, Thundersley, SS7 2TA
- Dismissed27 May 20266002484Daxhamen Bassenthwaite Road, Thundersley, Benfleet, Essex, SS7 3JG
- Quashed On Legal Grounds30 April 20263335033Mount View , Rhoda Road, Benfleet, Essex, SS7 1HZ
- Allowed6 February 20266001753Homestead, Canvey Road, Canvey Island, Essex, SS8 0QD
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.