Springwell Nursery & Garden Centre, Walden Road, Little Chesterford, Saffron Walden, CB10 1UE

Authority: Uttlesford District Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: residential · Minor Dwellings
Inspector: Bowden N

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

whether the site represents an appropriate location for housing, having particular regard to access to facilities and services
the effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the area
the effect of the development on the setting of nearby listed buildings
whether the development would result in the loss of an employment site and viability
the effect of the development on flooding
having considered all the above matters, whether the totality of the scheme and any other material considerations warrants a decision other than in accordance with the development plan

What decided it

The identified less than substantial harm to the setting of the three Grade II listed buildings, which engages paragraph 11(d) of the Framework and displaces the presumption in favour of development, combined with the harm to rural character and the unsustainable location, outweighs the modest benefits of housing delivery.

The less than substantial harm to the setting of the three Grade II listed buildings and harm to rural character and appearance, weighed against the modest social, economic and environmental benefits of seven open-market dwellings, tipped decisively against the proposal; the great weight given to heritage conservation was not outweighed by the benefits.

Framework references: 11, 208

Plan policies cited: Policy S7 of the Uttlesford Local Plan 2005, Policy GEN1(e) of the Uttlesford Local Plan 2005, Policy GEN3 of the Uttlesford Local Plan 2005, Policy ENV2 of the Uttlesford Local Plan 2005, Policy RS3 of the Uttlesford Local Plan 2005, Policy GLCNP/1 of the Great and Little Chesterford Neighbourhood Plan, Policy GLCNP/3 of the Great and Little Chesterford Neighbourhood Plan, Policy GLCNP/5 of the Great and Little Chesterford Neighbourhood Plan, Policy GLCNP/8 of the Great and Little Chesterford Neighbourhood Plan

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.