®Planning appeal decision
Forest Cottages, High Road, Thornwood, Epping, Essex, CM16 6LP
proposal for the development of the site to provide 5no. new dwellings in place of the existing 2no dwellings
- Authority
- Epping Forest District Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Sabu R
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- whether the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the National Planning Policy Framework and relevant development plan policies including the effect of the proposal on the openness of the Green Belt
- the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area
- the effect of the proposal on the visual amenity of nearby trees
- the effect of the proposal on highway safety
- the effect of the proposal on Epping Forest Special Area of Conservation (EFSAC)
- whether any harm by reason of inappropriateness, and any other harm, would be clearly outweighed by other considerations, so as to amount to the very special circumstances required to justify the proposal
What decided it
The substantial weight necessarily attached to Green Belt harm, combined with significant weight attached to harm to character and appearance, trees, and highway safety, was not outweighed by the limited weight of housing supply benefit, such that very special circumstances were not demonstrated.
The substantial harm to Green Belt openness and significant harm to character and appearance, trees and highway safety were not outweighed by the limited benefit of 3 additional dwellings to housing supply, such that very special circumstances were not demonstrated.
Framework references: 154, 154g
Plan policies cited: Policy SP5, Policy DM4, Policy DM2, Policy DM3, Policy DM9, Policy DM5, Policy T1, Policy DM22
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.