Planning appeal decision
Woodlands, 39 Wood Avenue, Hockley, SS5 5NU
Planning appeal 3353380 at Woodlands, 39 Wood Avenue, Hockley, SS5 5NU (Rochford District Council) was dismissed on 12 June 2025 by Inspector Grierson E, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether the development would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the revised National Planning Policy Framework and relevant development plan policies.
a replacement dwelling
- Authority
- Rochford District Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Grierson E
- Postcode
- SS5 5NU
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- whether the development would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the revised National Planning Policy Framework and relevant development plan policies
- would the harm by reason of inappropriateness and any other harm be clearly outweighed by other considerations so as to amount to the very special circumstances required to justify the proposal
What decided it
The proposed replacement dwelling would be substantially larger than the existing building and would cause significant spatial and visual harm to Green Belt openness, and the other considerations do not clearly outweigh this harm to justify very special circumstances.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy DM21
- 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 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


More decisions in Rochford
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2025
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- Allowed9 July 202660048639 College Gardens, Rochford, SS4 1YL
- Dismissed4 June 20266006133The Barns, Blounts Farm, Murrels Lane, SS5 6AB
- Dismissed5 May 20266001653St. Mary’s House, Rectory Road, Hawkwell, SS5 4LL
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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