The Oaks, Chelmsford Road , High Ongar, CM5 9NW

Planning appeal 3368723 at The Oaks, Chelmsford Road , High Ongar, CM5 9NW (Epping Forest District Council) was allowed on 1 October 2025 by Inspector Sabu R, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the National Planning Policy Framework and relevant development plan policies.

described as, ‘Creation of first floor. Front extension. New Garage ’

Authority: Epping Forest District Council
Appeal type: householder · Householder (HAS)
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: residential · Householder developments
Inspector: Sabu R
Postcode: CM5 9NW

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
the effect of the proposal on the openness of the Green Belt
whether other considerations clearly outweigh the harm to the Green Belt and any other harm so as to amount to very special circumstances

What decided it

The fallback position of the prior approval scheme and the superior design quality of the proposed development, which would result in less harm to visual openness than the extant permission, amounted to very special circumstances that clearly outweighed the substantial harm to the Green Belt.

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies: SP5DM4
National Planning Policy Framework: Paragraph 154

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 applied

The decision letter

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More decisions in Epping Forest District 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.