®Planning appeal decision
246 Heath Road, Chadwell St Mary, Grays, Essex, RM16 3AP
Planning appeal 3328213 at 246 Heath Road, Chadwell St Mary, Grays, Essex, RM16 3AP (Thurrock Borough Council) was dismissed on 14 May 2024 by Inspector Szymanski D, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: the effect of the proposal upon biodiversity.
Replacement of existing dwellings, Nos 246 and 246a with one 5 bedroom house with 2 bay garage and formation of landscaped garden including acoustic bund and new tree planting
- Authority
- Thurrock Borough Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Szymanski D
- Postcode
- RM16 3AP
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- the effect of the proposal upon biodiversity
- whether or not the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt and the effect upon openness
- if the proposal would be inappropriate development, whether the harm by reason of inappropriateness, and any other harm, is clearly outweighed by other considerations, and if so, would this amount to the very special circumstances required to justify the proposal
What decided it
The undemonstrated potential for unacceptable harm to protected species (bats) combined with substantial harm to Green Belt openness and inappropriateness, which the benefits of the scheme could not clearly outweigh.
The substantial harm to the Green Belt and potential unacceptable harm to bats, to which substantial weight must be given, outweighed the significant benefits of high-quality design, renewable energy, biodiversity net gain, and moderate housing supply benefits; the tilted balance did not apply because Green Belt protection policies provide a clear reason for refusal.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy CSSP4Policy PMD6
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11Paragraph 142Paragraph 152Paragraph 153Paragraph 154Paragraph 155Paragraph 180Paragraph 185Paragraph 186
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
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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.