®Planning appeal decision
246 Heath Road, Chadwell St Mary, GRAYS, Essex, RM16 3AP
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
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.
Framework references: 11, 142, 152, 153, 154, 155, 180, 185, 186
Plan policies cited: Policy CSSP4, Policy PMD6
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.