®Planning appeal decision
Land to the West of Old Mead Lane, Old Mead Lane, Elsenham, CM22 6JJ
Planning appeal 6005789 at Land to the West of Old Mead Lane, Old Mead Lane, Elsenham, CM22 6JJ (Uttlesford District Council) was dismissed on 15 July 2026 by Inspector F. Bradley, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether the proposed development would satisfy the requirements of the statutory framework for biodiversity net gain.
the erection of 2no self build and custom dwellings with 2no garages and associated landscaping and biodiversity enhancements
- Authority
- Uttlesford District Council
- Appeal type
- Planning
- Procedure
- Written
- Development
- residential
- Inspector
- F. Bradley
- Postcode
- CM22 6JJ
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- whether the proposed development would satisfy the requirements of the statutory framework for biodiversity net gain
- whether the proposed development is in a suitable location for housing having regard to the relevant development plan policies
- the effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the site and its surroundings
- the effect of the proposal on highway safety and users of public footpaths
What decided it
The failure to secure a mechanism to ensure the dwellings would be self-build homes, resulting in non-compliance with the statutory biodiversity net gain requirements, combined with the unsustainable location in open countryside contrary to the development plan, outweighed the limited housing benefits in the planning balance.
The positive contribution to housing supply and associated social and economic benefits were outweighed by the conflict with development plan policies requiring sustainable locations and the significant weight attaching to the failure to comply with statutory biodiversity net gain provisions.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Core Policy 3Development Policy 1Core Policy 27Core Policies 41 and 52
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11Paragraph 57Paragraph 109Paragraph 116Paragraph 135Paragraph 187
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 Uttlesford District Council
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2026
- Allowed26 October 202660102676 Coopers Villas, Coopers End Road, Takeley, CM22 6PT
- Dismissed13 October 20266009731Land North of Tile House Bungalow, Stebbing Green, Dumow, CM6 3TE
- Dismissed1 October 20266010951Land North of the Bower House, Clatterbury Lane, Clavering, CB11 4QR
- Dismissed3 September 20266008739Orchard View, Gallows Green Road, Great Easton, CM6 3QS
- Dismissed6 August 20266007058Land at Five Acres, Whiteditch Lane, Newport, CB11 3UD
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.