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Dismissed21 April 20263377665

St Marys Church, Church Street, Steeple Bumpstead, Essex, CB9 7DG

Planning appeal 3377665 at St Marys Church, Church Street, Steeple Bumpstead, Essex, CB9 7DG (Braintree District Council) was dismissed on 21 April 2026 by Inspector Gilbert-Wooldridge T, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: the effect of the development on the character and appearance of the area.

described on the application form as a temporary storage shed adjacent to the church in the closed churchyard

Authority
Braintree District Council
Appeal type
minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure
Written Representations
Development
community-institutional · Other minor developments
Inspector
Gilbert-Wooldridge T
Postcode
CB9 7DG

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

  • the effect of the development on the character and appearance of the area
  • the effect of the development on the significance of Steeple Bumpstead Conservation Area and the listed buildings (Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin Grade I, Lock Up Grade II, Retaining Wall on North Side of Churchyard Grade II)

What decided it

The modest public benefits of providing storage for the church do not outweigh the less than substantial but not insignificant harm to the conservation area and listed buildings, particularly where less harmful alternative locations within the churchyard appear available.

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies
Policy SP7Policy LPP47Policy LPP52Policy SB3Policy LPP53Policy LPP57
National Planning Policy Framework
Paragraph 131Paragraph 212Paragraph 213Paragraph 215

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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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.

In the app this decision sits on the map beside every appeal around it, with its letter to read and the main issues, policies and judgments cited picked out.