Land at Greenacres, Bassetts Lane, Willingale, Ongar, CM5 0QL

Without planning permission, the material change of use of the land to a residential caravan site

Authority: Epping Forest District Council
Appeal type: enforcement · Enforcement Notice
Procedure: Hearing
Development: caravan-gypsy · Minor traveller and caravan pitches
Inspector: Lewis D

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

whether the matters stated in the alleged breach of planning control have occurred as a matter of fact, namely the creation of a residential caravan site
if so, whether the caravan site constitutes the breach of planning control described in the notice, namely a material change in the use of the land

What decided it

The appeal site had not become a physically distinct and separate planning unit from the wider Greenacres site, so the alleged material change of use to a residential caravan site was not established.

Judgments cited: Miller-Mead v Minister of Housing and Local Government [1963] 2 QB 196; Burdle v Secretary of State for the Environment [1972] 3 All ER 240

Read the decision letter on the Inspectorate’s site

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What an account adds

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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.

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