Town Planner Pro
Free trial
Search appeal decisions

Planning appeal decision

Dismissed14 August 20266006005

Sturtsbury Farm, Middle Street, Nazeing, Waltham Abbey, EN9 2LP

Planning appeal 6006005 at Sturtsbury Farm, Middle Street, Nazeing, Waltham Abbey, EN9 2LP (Epping Forest District Council) was dismissed on 14 August 2026 by Inspector S Simms, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether the proposal is inappropriate development for the purposes of the National Planning Policy Framework and development plan policy.

outline application with all matters reserved except access for demolition of existing buildings and the erection of 5no. family homes, alterations and improvement of the existing access off Middle Street, associated parking, hard and soft landscaping, and biodiversity improvements

Authority
Epping Forest District Council
Appeal type
minor · Planning
Procedure
Written
Development
residential
Inspector
S Simms
Postcode
EN9 2LP

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

  • whether the proposal is inappropriate development for the purposes of the National Planning Policy Framework and development plan policy
  • the effects of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area
  • the effects of the proposal on protected species
  • if the proposal is inappropriate development, whether the harm by reason of inappropriateness, and any other harm, is clearly outweighed by other considerations, so as to amount to very special circumstances

What decided it

The harm to the Green Belt by reason of inappropriateness and the moderate reduction in its openness, together with harm to character and appearance and unresolved impacts on protected species, are not clearly outweighed by the housing supply benefits, so very special circumstances do not exist.

The benefits of housing delivery and support to the local economy were outweighed by the substantial harm to the Green Belt through inappropriate development and moderate reduction in openness, together with harm to character and appearance and potential impacts on protected species.

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies
Policy DM4Policy DM9Policy DM1Policy SP5

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

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.

Appeals plan, £15 a month

With an account

What an account adds to this decision

66 other decided appeals within two kilometres of this site. In the app every dot opens its decision, and its letter wherever one was published, and you can draw your own site to see what has been decided around it.AllowedDismissedSplitThis decision
An appeal decision in the app, with the main issues, policies and judgments cited picked out beside the letter
Every letter, there to read. We pick out the main issues, the policies and the judgments cited, so you can work through the letter faster.
Searching the full text of appeal decision letters in the app
Search inside every letter. By words or by meaning, filtered by authority, outcome, appeal type and procedure, with every locatable decision on the map and the Inspector named on each.
Start your free trial

More decisions in Epping Forest District Council

The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2026

  1. Dismissed28 October 20266011400
    Larksmead Nursery, St Leonards Road, Nazeing, EN9 2HQ
  2. Allowed27 October 20266008413
    Sparks Farm, Nine Ashes Road, Nine Ashes, CM4 0JZ
  3. Dismissed26 October 20266008699
    Denver Lodge, Waltham Road, Nazeing, EN9 2EB
  4. Dismissed23 October 20266013055
    Millers Farm, Epping Road, Roydon, Harlow, CM19 5DD
  5. Dismissed21 October 20266010759
    Spains Hall, Spains Hall Road, Willingale, Ongar, CM5 0QE

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.