Marriages Mill – Refusal of Outline Planning Permission

REFUSAL OF OUTLINE PLANNING PERMISSION

LOCATION: Land North Of Cranham Road Little Waltham Chelmsford Essex

PROPOSAL: Demolition of existing building and erection of a flour and feed mill (Use Class B2) including storage, alterations to the access, parking, landscaping and associated ancillary development.

APPLICATION NO: 16/01394/OUT

The Council has given consideration to the application and plans as specified above, and hereby gives notice of its decision to REFUSE OUTLINE PLANNING PERMISSION for the following reasons:
Reason  1 The site lies within the Rural Area beyond the Green Belt where Policy DC2 of the Adopted Core Strategy and Development Control Policies Development Plan Document states that the countryside will be protected for its intrinsic character and beauty.  Policy CP5 of the Core Strategy and Development Control Policies Development Plan Document seeks to contain urban growth by defining the physical limit of the urban areas of Chelmsford, South Woodham Ferrers and the Defined Settlements.
The proposal for a new flour mill does not fall within the categories of development supported within the Rural Area beyond the Green Belt.  Therefore the proposal amounts to an unacceptable form of development, contrary to the above policies. The proposed mill proposal would be a significant intrusion into the context of the rural setting, harmful to the character and appearance of the countryside.

Reason  2 Policy CP1 seeks to secure sustainable development. The City Council’s Spatial Strategy for the period to 2021 is set out within Policy CP2 which provides the framework for sustainable development.
The site is located within the Rural Area beyond the Metropolitan Green Belt.  The site is not allocated for development within the adopted Development Plan Documents and lies outside of any Defined Settlement.
The adverse impacts of the proposed development would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits, when balancing the material considerations of the proposal. The development is, therefore, harmful as it does not comply with the Council’s development plan which is a reflection of sustainable WEB PBCS090 16/01394/OUT REOUTZ
development through the simultaneous fulfilment of the social, economic and environmental needs of the Council’s administrative area, consistent with the planning policy requirements of the National Planning Policy Framework.

Reason  3 The application does not provide sufficient information to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the local Highway Authority that the impact of the development on the highway network, will not have unacceptable consequences in terms of highway safety and efficiency.
Positive and Proactive Statement

The Local Planning Authority provided advice to the applicant before the application was submitted. The local planning authority has identified matters of concern with the proposal and the report clearly sets out why the development fails to comply with the adopted development plan. The report also explains why the proposal is contrary to the objectives of the National Planning Policy Framework to deliver sustainable development.