®Planning appeal decision
Land South of Archers Field Close, Burnt Mills Industrial Estate, Basildon, Essex, SS13 1DN
Planning appeal 3357445 at Land South of Archers Field Close, Burnt Mills Industrial Estate, Basildon, Essex, SS13 1DN (Essex County Council) was dismissed on 1 September 2025 by Inspector Lewis D, following an inquiry. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: The effect of the development and more specifically the two 50m chimney stacks on the visual amenity of the surrounding residential environment and the townscape of the area.
an Energy Recovery Facility, ancillary office block and associated infrastructure
- Authority
- Essex County Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Inquiry
- Development
- minerals-waste · Minor general industry/storage/warehousing
- Inspector
- Lewis D
- Postcode
- SS13 1DN
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- The effect of the development and more specifically the two 50m chimney stacks on the visual amenity of the surrounding residential environment and the townscape of the area.
- Whether the proposed development is an acceptable use of land at Burnt Mills Industrial Estate, considering the environmental impacts on public health and well-being and the perception of harm by the local community.
- The effect of the development on sustainable waste management facilities in the County, in the context of local and national policy objectives.
What decided it
The substantial and permanent visual harm caused by the two 50m chimney stacks to nearby residential areas outweighed the benefits of the scheme.
The substantial and permanent visual harm from the stacks, reinforced by moderate adverse weight from public perception of harm, outweighed the significant but uncertain benefits of sustainable waste management, energy generation, co-location and economic activity, tipping the balance against the proposal.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy 4Policy 10Policy 11Policy 12Policy 1Policy 3Policy BAS E6Policy BAS E7Policy BAS E10Policy BAS C1
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 135Paragraph 139Paragraph 201Paragraph 212Paragraph 168Paragraph 85
- Judgments
- Smith v First Secretary of State [2005] EWCA Civ 859; West Midlands Probation Committee v SSE and Walsall MBC [1997] JPL 323
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
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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.