The Land North of Homefield and West of Tillingham Road, Southminster , CM0 7DT

outline application for a residential development of up to 220 dwellings and associated infrastructure, public open space, and highways access

Authority: Maldon District Council
Appeal type: major · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Hearing
Development: residential · Major dwellings
Inspector: Cragg D

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

the effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the area
the effect of the proposed development on the setting of nearby grade II listed buildings Sheepcote and Home Farmhouse and the special interest and significance of the Cropmark site SW of Oldmoor scheduled ancient monument

What decided it

The very substantial harm to the character and appearance of the area, combined with heritage harm, was found to significantly and demonstrably outweigh the substantial package of public benefits under the paragraph 11(d)(ii) balance.

The substantial benefits of the scheme (housing delivery, affordable housing, economic and biodiversity gains) were outweighed by the very substantial harm to character and appearance and the less-than-substantial heritage harm, such that adverse impacts significantly and demonstrably outweighed the benefits and the appeal was dismissed

Framework references: 11, 58, 66, 110, 115, 212

Plan policies cited: Policy S1, Policy S2, Policy S8, Policy D1, Policy D2, Policy D3, Policy H1, Policy H2, Policy N2, Policy N3, Policy T1, Policy I1

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.