Planning appeal decision
Floral Dene Park Lane, Langham, Colchester, CO4 5NN
Planning appeal 3321183 at Floral Dene Park Lane, Langham, Colchester, CO4 5NN (Colchester Borough Council) was allowed in part (a split decision) on 30 October 2025 by Inspector Griffin E, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the storage container constitutes a building within the meaning of section 55 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.
‘Without the benefit of planning permission, the siting of a storage container on residential land for use as a secure store for household items and tools. (For avoidance of doubt this is the storage container in the photograph attached to this enforcement notice) ("The Activity")
- Authority
- Colchester Borough Council
- Appeal type
- enforcement · Enforcement Notice
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- other · Not Applicable
- Inspector
- Griffin E
- Postcode
- CO4 5NN
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether the storage container constitutes a building within the meaning of section 55 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990
- Whether the use of the storage container is ancillary to the lawful use of the land as garden
What decided it
The storage container satisfies the three-factor test for a building (size, permanence, and degree of attachment) and no planning permission or permitted development rights exist to authorise it.
The decision letter
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With an account
What an account adds to this decision


More decisions in Colchester City Council
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2025
- Notice varied and upheld19 May 2026335829095 Nayland Road , Colchester , CO4 5EN
- Notice varied and upheld25 March 20263361715Elliot Minimarket, 3 St. Botolphs Circus, Colchester, CO2 7EF
- Planning permission granted17 March 202633094353 Firs Chase, West Mersea, Colchester, Essex, CO5 8NG
- Notice varied and upheld6 March 20263364430Lexden Lodge Kindergarten, 26 Lexden Road, Colchester, Essex, CO3 3QD
- Notice varied and upheld12 February 2026333804484 Coggeshall Road, Marks Tey, Colchester, CO6 1LS
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.
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