SOMERSON HOUSE, New Road, Aldham, CO6 3PN

the demolition of existing cart lodge and annex and erection of a two-bedroom annexe for purposes ancillary to the residential use of the existing dwelling

Authority: Colchester Borough Council
Appeal type: householder · Householder (HAS)
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: residential · Householder developments
Inspector: McHugh I

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

Whether the appeal proposal is tantamount to the creation of two separate dwellings
Whether the appeal site is an acceptable location for the proposed development

What decided it

The proposal conflicts with Policy DM13 as it is tantamount to creating two separate dwellings rather than an ancillary annexe, and the countryside location conflicts with the Development Plan's requirement to direct housing to sustainable locations.

Plan policies cited: Policy DM13, Policy SG1, Policy OV1, Policy OV2

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.

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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.
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