®Planning appeal decision
Phillips Farm, Highwood Road, Highwood, CM1 3PX
Planning appeal 6007350 at Phillips Farm, Highwood Road, Highwood, CM1 3PX (Chelmsford City Council) was dismissed on 28 July 2026 by Inspector F. Bradley, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether the proposal is inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the National Planning Policy Framework and relevant development plan policies with particular regard to openness.
an outline application with all matters reserved for the development of 2 self build dwellings
- Authority
- Chelmsford City Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning
- Procedure
- Written
- Development
- residential
- Inspector
- F. Bradley
- Postcode
- CM1 3PX
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- whether the proposal is inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the National Planning Policy Framework and relevant development plan policies with particular regard to openness
- 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 site is not in a sustainable location as future occupants would be reliant on private cars to meet their day-to-day needs, failing criterion (c) of paragraph 155, and the limited benefits do not clearly outweigh the substantial harm to Green Belt openness required to be justified by very special circumstances.
the limited benefits of housing supply, economic benefits and biodiversity enhancements did not clearly outweigh the substantial weight given to Green Belt harm, such that very special circumstances were not established
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy S11Policy DM6
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 142Paragraph 143Paragraph 153Paragraph 154Paragraph 155Paragraph 110Paragraph 115Paragraph 11
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
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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.