®Planning appeal decision
MOAT FARM, CHELMSFORD ROAD, rawreth, Essex, SS11 8SJ
to demolish existing outbuildings and change of use from motor vehicle repair, storage, breaking, sales, painting, sales of parts, build specialist vehicles and storage of salvage vehicles into residential and construct detached dwelling, revised proposal
- Authority
- Rochford District Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Bennett T
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- whether the proposed development passes the sequential test in relation to flood risk
- the effect of the proposal on ecology with particular regard to great crested newts
What decided it
The proposal failed to pass the sequential test for flood risk and did not demonstrate an acceptable effect on great crested newts, and these policy conflicts were not outweighed by the limited benefits of one additional dwelling.
The proposal's moderate benefits in housing supply and visual enhancement were substantially outweighed by the failure to pass the sequential test and the unresolved ecology concerns regarding protected species; the normal planning balance applied (not the tilted balance) because flood risk policies provided a strong reason for refusal.
Framework references: 11
Plan policies cited: Policy ENV3 of the Rochford District Council Core Strategy (2011), Policy ENV1 of the Rochford District Council Core Strategy (2011), Policy DM27 of the Development Management Plan (2014)
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.