Planning appeal decision
Messengers Nursery , Nursery Road , Waltham Abbey, EN9 2JF
Planning appeal 3329327 at Messengers Nursery , Nursery Road , Waltham Abbey, EN9 2JF (Epping Forest District Council) was allowed in part (a split decision) on 7 March 2024 by Inspector Perkins L, following an inquiry. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether it was too late for the Council to take enforcement action due to the time limits set out in section 171B of the 1990 Act, ie the ground (d) appeal.
Without planning permission:- Change of use of the yard area to a mixed use comprising storage and distribution of shelving and racking, stationing of portable buildings and containers, storage and parking of non-agricultural commercial vehicles, storage of non-agricultural equipment and vehicles, and erection of a storage building for non-agricultural purposes to facilitate use
- Authority
- Epping Forest District Council
- Appeal type
- enforcement · Enforcement Notice
- Procedure
- Inquiry
- Development
- employment-industrial · Change of use
- Inspector
- Perkins L
- Postcode
- EN9 2JF
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- whether it was too late for the Council to take enforcement action due to the time limits set out in section 171B of the 1990 Act, ie the ground (d) appeal
- if the above ground of appeal is not successful, whether planning permission ought to be granted for the breach of planning control alleged, ie the ground (a) appeal
- whether the period for compliance with the notice falls short of what should reasonably be allowed, ie the ground (g) appeal
- whether the appeal development is inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the National Planning Policy Framework and any relevant development plan policies
- the effect of the appeal development on the living conditions of neighbouring occupiers, with particular regard to noise
- if the development is inappropriate development in the Green Belt, whether any harm by reason of inappropriateness, and any other harm, is clearly outweighed by other considerations, so as to amount to the very special circumstances required to justify the appeal development
What decided it
The Green Belt harm from inappropriate development and loss of openness, combined with harm to neighbours' living conditions from noise, was not clearly outweighed by the other considerations, so very special circumstances did not exist to justify the development.
the harm from inappropriateness, loss of openness and harm to living conditions from noise was not clearly outweighed by the other considerations (economic benefits, fallback positions, comparator permissions), so very special circumstances did not exist and the balance tipped against the development
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy SP5Policy DM3Policy DM4Policy DM9Policy DM21Policy E1
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 155Paragraph 154Paragraph 85Paragraph 56
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


More decisions in Epping Forest District Council
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2024
- Dismissed28 October 20266011400Larksmead Nursery, St Leonards Road, Nazeing, EN9 2HQ
- Allowed27 October 20266008413Sparks Farm, Nine Ashes Road, Nine Ashes, CM4 0JZ
- Dismissed26 October 20266008699Denver Lodge, Waltham Road, Nazeing, EN9 2EB
- Dismissed23 October 20266013055Millers Farm, Epping Road, Roydon, Harlow, CM19 5DD
- Dismissed21 October 20266010759Spains Hall, Spains Hall Road, Willingale, Ongar, CM5 0QE
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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