Mill House Farm, Theydon Road, Epping, Essex, CM16 4DL

demolition of existing residential dwelling and associated buildings at Mill House Farm and erection of a replacement dwelling

Authority: Epping Forest 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 proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the Framework and any relevant development plan policies including the effect of the proposal on the openness of the Green Belt
The effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the Bell Common Conservation Area
Whether any harm by reason of inappropriateness, and any other harm, would be clearly outweighed by other considerations, so as to amount to the very special circumstances required to justify the proposal

What decided it

The proposal constitutes inappropriate development in the Green Belt that would harm openness, combined with harm to the conservation area character, and the modest public benefits do not clearly outweigh these harms to establish very special circumstances.

Framework references: 11, 153, 154, 212, 214, 215

Plan policies cited: SP5, DM4, DM7

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.

What an account adds

Draw a red line around your site and the appraisal follows.

Heritage. Listed buildings by grade and distance, conservation areas, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, heritage at risk.
Landscape and environment. Green belt, national parks and national landscapes, SSSIs, ancient woodland, SPA, SAC and Ramsar sites, nutrient catchments.
Flooding. Flood zones 2 and 3, surface water, and both again with climate change.
Transport. The 800 metre station catchment and service frequency, bus stops with their weekday frequency, the cycle network, and the Framework’s transport tests measured for the site.

Then the development plan position, the housing land supply as an Inspector last accepted it, and every appeal decided around the site with its letter.

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