6 Lilac House London Road, Stanford Rivers, Ongar, Essex, CM5 9PH

new dwelling within residential curtilage of Lilac House and associated car parking

Authority: Epping Forest District Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: residential · Minor Dwellings
Inspector: Wallace J

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

the effect of the proposal on the integrity of the Epping Forest Special Area of Conservation (SAC)
whether the proposed development would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the National Planning Policy Framework and any relevant development plan policies including the effect on openness
the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area

What decided it

The proposal would have a likely significant adverse effect on the integrity of the Epping Forest SAC which could not be adequately mitigated due to an incomplete Unilateral Undertaking and uncertainty regarding the requirement for recreational disturbance contributions.

Although the proposal would be acceptable on Green Belt and character grounds and would provide housing benefits, the likely significant adverse effect on the SAC integrity with no secured mitigation measures provided a clear reason for refusal that outweighed other considerations.

Framework references: 11, 142, 153, 154, 154g

Plan policies cited: Policy DM2, Policy DM22, Policy DM4C(vi), Policy DM9

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.

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