Planning appeal decision
Hainault Hall, Lambourne Road, Chigwell, Essex, IG7 6JU
Planning appeal 3340918 at Hainault Hall, Lambourne Road, Chigwell, Essex, IG7 6JU (Epping Forest District Council) was allowed on 24 June 2026 by Inspector Howell M, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the development would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the Framework and any relevant development plan policies.
without planning permission, the installation of a swimming pool
- Authority
- Epping Forest District Council
- Appeal type
- enforcement · Enforcement Notice
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- leisure-sport · Householder developments
- Inspector
- Howell M
- Postcode
- IG7 6JU
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether the development would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the Framework and any relevant development plan policies
- The effect of the development on the openness of the Green Belt and the purposes of including land within it
- The effect of the development on the living conditions of the occupants of Maypole Drive, Lambourne Road and Crosby Court having regard to outlook, privacy, light, noise and disturbance
What decided it
The swimming pool, as an engineering operation located within an established residential garden area and largely below ground level, preserves the openness of the Green Belt and falls within the exception in Policy DM4(d)(ii) and paragraph 154(h)(ii) of the Framework, and does not adversely affect neighbours' living conditions.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy DM4Policy DM9Policy D9(iii)
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 142Paragraph 154
- Judgments
- R (Gleeson Developments Limited) v Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (2014)
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
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What an account adds to this decision


More decisions in Epping Forest District Council
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2026
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- 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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