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Dismissed4 April 20253351475

Crowsheath Farm, Hawkswood Road, Downham, Essex, CM11 1JT

Planning appeal 3351475 at Crowsheath Farm, Hawkswood Road, Downham, Essex, CM11 1JT (Chelmsford Borough Council) was dismissed on 4 April 2025 by Inspector Warder S, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the Framework and relevant development plan policies.

retention of car park and access

Authority
Chelmsford Borough Council
Appeal type
major · Planning Appeal
Procedure
Written Representations
Development
other · Other Major Developments
Inspector
Warder S
Postcode
CM11 1JT

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

  • whether the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the Framework and relevant development plan policies
  • the effect of the proposal on the openness and purposes of the Green Belt
  • the effect of the proposal on biodiversity
  • 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 substantial harm to Green Belt openness and purposes caused by inappropriate development was not clearly outweighed by the limited benefits of improved security and additional parking, and very special circumstances were not demonstrated.

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies
Policy S1Policy S11Policy DM10Policy DM16Policy DM23
National Planning Policy Framework
Paragraph 153Paragraph 154

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 applied

The decision letter

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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.

In the app this decision sits on the map beside every appeal around it, with its letter to read and the main issues, policies and judgments cited picked out.