®Planning appeal decision
Land Adjacent Starlight, Patricia Drive, Fobbing, Essex, SS17 9HR
Planning appeal 6003035 at Land Adjacent Starlight, Patricia Drive, Fobbing, Essex, SS17 9HR (Thurrock Borough Council) was dismissed on 17 April 2026 by Inspector Smith J, 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.
Outline planning permission for construction of 4 self and custom dwellinghouses in a phased manner with all matters reserved
- Authority
- Thurrock Borough Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Smith J
- Postcode
- SS17 9HR
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 on the openness and purposes of the Green Belt
- the effect on highway safety
- 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 proposal is inappropriate development in the Green Belt that would cause significant harm to openness and purposes, combined with unresolved highway safety concerns, and the benefits from housing and self-build provision do not clearly outweigh these harms to constitute very special circumstances.
The substantial weight given to harm to the Green Belt and openness, combined with significant weight to highway safety concerns, was not clearly outweighed by the moderate weight attributed to benefits from housing supply and self-build provision, resulting in a conclusion that very special circumstances do not exist.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy CSSP4Policy PMD6Policy PMD9Policy PMD2
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11Paragraph 63Paragraph 73Paragraph 110Paragraph 115Paragraph 116Paragraph 154Paragraph 155
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 Thurrock
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2026
- Allowed5 October 20266008794Milo, South Avenue, Langdon Hills, SS16 6JG
- Dismissed29 September 20266009919Land Rear of Ewen House, High Road, Fobbing, SS17 9JH
- Allowed9 July 20266003807Former London Brigade Sports & Social Club, Purfleet Road, Aveley, Thurrock, RM15 4DT
- Dismissed8 June 20266005261The Laurels, Print Shop And Office Lower Dunton Road, Horndon On The Hill, SS17 8QD
- Dismissed5 June 20266004979The Eves, Malvina Close, Horndon On The Hill, SS17 8QG
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.