Land land Corner of Corner Road, Ramsden Cray, Wickford, Essex, CM11 2UT

development of two dwellings, hard and soft landscaping and associated parking and infrastructure

Authority: Basildon District Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: residential · Minor Dwellings
Inspector: Harding C

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
the effect of the proposal upon Blackwater Estuary Special Protection Area, Blackwater Estuary Ramsar and Essex Estuaries Special Area of Conservation
the effect of the proposal upon the character and appearance of the area, including existing trees

What decided it

The Council's demonstrable inability to provide a five-year housing land supply (1.88 years) and poor Housing Delivery Test performance (35%) engaged the tilted balance, under which the benefits of housing delivery outweighed the modest localised harm to character and appearance from tree loss.

The modest localised harm to character and appearance from tree loss was outweighed by the moderate benefits of housing delivery on a small/medium site in the context of the Council's significantly below-required housing land supply and delivery position, together with associated economic and social benefits.

Framework references: 11, 143, 153, 154, 155

Plan policies cited: saved Policy BAS GB1 of the Basildon District Local Plan Saved Policies, September 2007, saved BDLP Policy BAS BE12

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.

Every English appeal since 2016, with the letter behind it wherever the Inspectorate published one. Searched by meaning as well as by words, with the key case law counted live across the letters.

Casework that chases the deadlines. Applications, appeals and conditions with their statutory dates.

The judgement stays yours. The tool gathers the material and dates it.