Planning appeal decision
Land Between Ash Cottage and High Prospect, Top Road, Woodham Walter, Essex, CM9 6RQ
Planning appeal 3341022 at Land Between Ash Cottage and High Prospect, Top Road, Woodham Walter, Essex, CM9 6RQ (Maldon District Council) was dismissed on 22 November 2024 by Inspector Major R, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether the appeal site is an appropriate location for the proposed development, having particular regard to the development plan's spatial strategy.
outline application for up to 6 dwellings and garages
- Authority
- Maldon District Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Major R
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- whether the appeal site is an appropriate location for the proposed development, having particular regard to the development plan's spatial strategy
- the effect of the development upon the character and appearance of the area
What decided it
The appeal site represents an unsustainable location for residential development due to the settlement's very limited services and facilities and poor public transport connectivity, combined with the harmful impact on the rural character and appearance of the area.
The modest benefits of housing delivery, affordable housing provision, and economic benefits were outweighed by the clear conflict with the development plan's spatial strategy policies and the harmful impact on character and appearance; the Council's demonstrated 6.3 years' housing land supply meant the tilted balance did not apply.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy S1Policy S2Policy S8Policy T1Policy T2Policy D1Policy H4
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 70Paragraph 82
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.
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