The Laurels, Print Shop And Office Lower Dunton Road, Horndon On The Hill, SS17 8QD

demolition of the existing conservatory and outbuildings and erect extension to house and 2 new build dwellings and associated landscaping

Authority: Thurrock
Appeal type: Planning
Procedure: Written
Development: residential
Postcode: SS17 8QD

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

whether the proposal meets the definition of a custom / self-build development and therefore the requirements of the BNG exemption
whether the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt, having regard to the National Planning Policy Framework and relevant development plan policies, including the effect of the proposal on the openness of the Green Belt
the effect of the proposal on the safety of the highway network

What decided it

The proposal's failure to secure exemption from the mandatory biodiversity net gain requirement through a planning obligation, combined with insufficient information to demonstrate BNG compliance, fundamentally undermined the statutory framework and amounted to substantial harm that outweighed the housing benefits.

Framework references: 11, 116, 125, 142, 153, 154, 155

Plan policies cited: Policy CSSP4, Policy PMD6, Policy PMD2

Read the decision letter on the Inspectorate’s site

The main issues and the deciding factor are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.

What an account adds

Draw a red line around your site and the appraisal follows.

Heritage. Listed buildings by grade and distance, conservation areas, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, heritage at risk.
Landscape and environment. Green belt, national parks and national landscapes, SSSIs, ancient woodland, SPA, SAC and Ramsar sites, nutrient catchments.
Flooding. Flood zones 2 and 3, surface water, and both again with climate change.
Transport. The 800 metre station catchment and service frequency, bus stops with their weekday frequency, the cycle network, and the Framework’s transport tests measured for the site.

Then the development plan position, the housing land supply as an Inspector last accepted it, and every appeal decided around the site with its letter.

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