®Planning appeal decision
1 Ambleside Drive, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, SS1 2UT
Planning appeal 6002178 at 1 Ambleside Drive, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, SS1 2UT (Southend-on-Sea City Council) was dismissed on 16 March 2026 by Inspector Sylvester G, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the development provides satisfactory living conditions for occupants of the HMOs having particular regard to: (i) internal floor space in the ensuite bedrooms and communal areas; (ii) the outlook from the ground floor kitchen; and (iii) the provision of outdoor amenity space for the HMO on the upper floors.
Change of use from 3 residential flats (C3) and 1 commercial unit (E) to 2 Houses in Multiple Occupation (C4) with shared amenities, single storey rear extension, parking, bin and cycle storage to front
- Authority
- Southend-on-Sea City Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Change of use
- Inspector
- Sylvester G
- Postcode
- SS1 2UT
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether the development provides satisfactory living conditions for occupants of the HMOs having particular regard to: (i) internal floor space in the ensuite bedrooms and communal areas; (ii) the outlook from the ground floor kitchen; and (iii) the provision of outdoor amenity space for the HMO on the upper floors
What decided it
The development provides unacceptably poor living conditions for occupants through inadequate shared dining space, oppressive kitchen outlook, and absence of outdoor amenity space for upper floor occupants, which are adverse impacts that significantly and demonstrably outweigh the housing benefits even under the tilted balance.
The housing benefits and economic/social contributions of the development were outweighed by the unacceptably poor living conditions provided to occupants, which are contrary to Framework requirements for well-designed development with high amenity standards, such that the presumption in favour of sustainable development does not apply.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- DMD Policy DM1DMD Policy DM3DMD Policy DM8DMD Policy DM9CS Policy CP4CS Policy KP2
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11Paragraph 73Paragraph 124Paragraph 125Paragraph 129Paragraph 135Paragraph 139
- Judgments
- Holborn Studios Ltd v The Council of the London Borough of Hackney [2017] EWHC 2823 (Admin)
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
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With an account
What an account adds to this decision
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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.