®Planning appeal decision
The Cuckoos, 34 Curtis Mill Lane, Stapleford Abbotts, Essex, RM4 1HS
Planning appeal 3345568 at The Cuckoos, 34 Curtis Mill Lane, Stapleford Abbotts, Essex, RM4 1HS (Epping Forest District Council) was dismissed on 3 February 2025 by Inspector Pearce J, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt for the purposes of development plan policy and the Framework.
a single storey dwelling
- Authority
- Epping Forest District Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Pearce J
- Postcode
- RM4 1HS
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- whether the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt for the purposes of development plan policy and the Framework
- the effect of the proposed development on the integrity of the Epping Forest Special Area of Conservation
- if it is inappropriate, whether the harm to the Green Belt by reason of inappropriateness, and any other harm, would be clearly outweighed by other considerations so as to amount to the very special circumstances necessary to justify the development
What decided it
The harmful effect on the integrity of the Epping Forest Special Area of Conservation, which provided a strong reason for refusal under paragraph 11(d) of the Framework and outweighed the limited housing delivery benefits.
The positive contribution to housing delivery and associated social and economic benefits were outweighed by the harmful effect on the Epping Forest Special Area of Conservation, which engaged the strong reason for refusal in paragraph 11(d) of the Framework.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy SP5Policy DM4Policy DM2Policy DM22
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11Paragraph 154Paragraph 154 g)
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.