®Planning appeal decision
Land Adjacent to Epping Road and School Road, Toot Hill, CM5 9SQ
Planning appeal 3376859 at Land Adjacent to Epping Road and School Road, Toot Hill, CM5 9SQ (Epping Forest District Council) was dismissed on 30 March 2026 by Inspector Catcheside E, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: the effect of the proposal on the setting and significance of nearby listed buildings and non-designated heritage assets.
outline planning application (all matters reserved except for access points to the development proposed) for 10 dwellings, parking, landscaping, associated infrastructure and demolition
- Authority
- Epping Forest District Council
- Appeal type
- major · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Major dwellings
- Inspector
- Catcheside E
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- the effect of the proposal on the setting and significance of nearby listed buildings and non-designated heritage assets
- whether or not the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt and its effect on the openness of the Green Belt
- if the development would be inappropriate, whether the harm to the Green Belt by reason of inappropriateness, and any other harm, is clearly outweighed by other considerations so as to amount to the very special circumstances necessary to justify it
What decided it
The harm caused to the setting and significance of the Grade II listed building 3 and 5 Epping Road, combined with the substantial harm to the Green Belt through inappropriate development and loss of openness, was not clearly outweighed by the public benefits of the proposal, and very special circumstances did not exist to justify the development.
The substantial harm to the Green Belt by reason of inappropriateness and loss of openness, together with less than substantial harm to the setting and significance of the Grade II listed building, was not clearly outweighed by the social, economic, and environmental public benefits of delivering ten dwellings, and the very special circumstances necessary to justify inappropriate Green Belt development did not exist.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy SP5Policy DM4Policy DM7Policy DM9
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11Paragraph 110Paragraph 115Paragraph 143Paragraph 154Paragraph 155Paragraph 156Paragraph 158
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 2026
- 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.