Planning appeal decision
Leighams Farm Leighams Road, Bicknacre, Chelmsford, Essex, CM3 4HF
Planning appeal 3345252 at Leighams Farm Leighams Road, Bicknacre, Chelmsford, Essex, CM3 4HF (Chelmsford Borough Council) was allowed on 20 December 2024 by Inspector Szymanski D, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether condition 6 is relevant to the development permitted, reasonable and necessary, having regard to the intrinsic character and beauty of the rural area.
Conversion of an equine building to B8 commercial storage with external alterations
- Authority
- Chelmsford Borough Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- employment-industrial · Minor general industry/storage/warehousing
- Inspector
- Szymanski D
- Postcode
- CM3 4HF
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether condition 6 is relevant to the development permitted, reasonable and necessary, having regard to the intrinsic character and beauty of the rural area
What decided it
The condition was not relevant to the development permitted because the building was used for equine purposes rather than agriculture, and there was no clear justification under paragraph 57 of the NPPF to restrict permitted development rights beyond those already contained in the GPDO.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy S1Policy S11Policy DM8
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 57
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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With an account
What an account adds to this decision


More decisions in Chelmsford City Council
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2024
- Allowed26 October 2026601463316 Paradise Road, Writtle, Chelmsford, CM1 3HP
- Allowed15 October 20266008937Hawthorns, Broomwood Lane, Ramsden Heath, CM11 1JR
- Dismissed18 September 20266013673Five Gables Cherry Garden Lane, Danbury, Chelmsford, CM3 4QY
- Dismissed15 September 20266006289Land North Of Lyndale, Twitty Fee, Danbury, Chelmsford, CM3 4PG
- Dismissed8 September 20266009587The Meadows (Shopping Centre), High Street, Chelmsford, CM2 6FD
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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