®Planning appeal decision
Ridge House Hoe Lane, Nazeing, Waltham Abbey, EN9 2RJ
Planning appeal 3368372 at Ridge House Hoe Lane, Nazeing, Waltham Abbey, EN9 2RJ (Epping Forest District Council) was dismissed on 13 October 2025 by Inspector Catcheside E, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the site is suitable for residential development, having regard to its location, land use, and the amount of development proposed, with particular consideration to: the effect of the proposal on the integrity of the Epping Forest Special Area of Conservation; whether the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt; and whether any harm would be clearly outweighed by other considerations so as to amount to very special circumstances.
erection of five new detached dwellings
- Authority
- Epping Forest District Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Catcheside E
- Postcode
- EN9 2RJ
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether the site is suitable for residential development, having regard to its location, land use, and the amount of development proposed, with particular consideration to: the effect of the proposal on the integrity of the Epping Forest Special Area of Conservation; whether the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt; and whether any harm would be clearly outweighed by other considerations so as to amount to very special circumstances
What decided it
The absence of a mechanism to secure mitigation for the EFSAC at the permission in principle stage, combined with the substantial harm to Green Belt openness, meant that the very special circumstances necessary to justify the development did not exist and the proposal constituted habitats development precluded by Article 5B of the Order.
The benefits of housing delivery and efficient use of previously developed land (ascribed significant and moderate weight respectively) did not clearly outweigh the substantial harm to the Green Belt by way of inappropriateness and loss of openness (ascribed substantial weight), and the harm to the EFSAC integrity could not be overcome in the absence of secured mitigation.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy DM2Policy DM4
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11Paragraph 143Paragraph 154Paragraph 155
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 Epping Forest District Council
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2025
- Dismissed28 October 20266011400Larksmead Nursery, St Leonards Road, Nazeing, EN9 2HQ
- Allowed27 October 20266008413Sparks Farm, Nine Ashes Road, Nine Ashes, CM4 0JZ
- Dismissed26 October 20266008699Denver Lodge, Waltham Road, Nazeing, EN9 2EB
- Dismissed23 October 20266013055Millers Farm, Epping Road, Roydon, Harlow, CM19 5DD
- Dismissed21 October 20266010759Spains Hall, Spains Hall Road, Willingale, Ongar, CM5 0QE
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.