®Planning appeal decision
Land At Lodge Road , Bicknacre, Woodham Ferrers, Essex, CM3 4HL
18 affordable dwellings with public children’s play area and habitat creation
- Authority
- Chelmsford Borough Council
- Appeal type
- major · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Major dwellings
- Inspector
- Savage K
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether the proposal represents a suitable location for housing, having regard to policies relating to development in Designated Rural Areas, in particular affordable housing
- The design of the proposal and its effect on the character and appearance of the area
- The effect of the proposal on designated heritage assets
- The effect of the proposal on trees
- The effect of the proposal on protected nature sites
What decided it
The failure to demonstrate a specific local housing need in accordance with Policy DM2(B)(i), combined with significant harm to character and appearance and less than substantial harm to the setting of a listed building, meant the benefits of affordable housing delivery could not outweigh the totality of harm and development plan conflict.
The significant benefit of delivering 18 affordable housing units to address pressing borough-wide need was outweighed by less than substantial harm to the significance of the listed building (to which great weight must be given), significant harm to character and appearance, and conflict with the spatial strategy of the development plan safeguarding the countryside.
Framework references: 11
Plan policies cited: Policy S11, Policy DM2, Policy DM8, Policy DM13, Policy DM17, Policy DM23, Policy DM24
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.