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Planning appeal decision

Dismissed27 October 20253357828

4 Cowdray Avenue, Colchester, CO1 1UT

Planning appeal 3357828 at 4 Cowdray Avenue, Colchester, CO1 1UT (Colchester Borough Council) was dismissed on 27 October 2025 by Inspector Griffin E, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the Council's refusal to issue a certificate of lawfulness was well founded.

Certificate of lawful use for large House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) Sui Generis use

Authority
Colchester Borough Council
Appeal type
ldc · Lawful Development Certificate
Procedure
Written Representations
Development
residential · Change of use
Inspector
Griffin E
Postcode
CO1 1UT

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

  • Whether the Council's refusal to issue a certificate of lawfulness was well founded

What decided it

The appellant failed to provide sufficient evidence to demonstrate, on the balance of probabilities, that the material change of use to large HMO (Sui Generis) occurred on or before 14 June 2014 and continued for at least 10 years without significant interruption.

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More decisions in Colchester City Council

The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2025

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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.

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