Basildon Approves Five Green Belt Dwellings on Previously Developed Land
Planning permission from Basildon Borough Council for five new dwellings in the Metropolitan Green Belt near Wickford, Essex, by demonstrating the site constituted previously developed land and maximising development potential within the Green Belt openness test.
PLANNING APPROVALSBASILDONESSEXGREEN BELT APPROVALS
Andrew Ransome
7/7/20262 min read
In 2020, I secured planning permission from Basildon Council for five new dwellings in the Metropolitan Green Belt near Wickford, Essex — replacing an existing dwelling and a series of single-storey outbuildings scattered across the site.
The case was resolved by demonstrating that the site constituted previously developed land, one of the NPPF's specific exceptions to the Green Belt's general prohibition on new buildings, and by designing a courtyard scheme that preserved or improved the openness of the Green Belt.
Green Belt - Redevelopment on Previously Developed Land
Planning permission was obtained from Basildon Council for five new dwellings on a site in the Metropolitan Green Belt near Wickford, Essex.
The site comprised a detached two-storey house and several single-storey outbuildings scattered across its grounds — a combination that raised the prospect of utilising the NPPF's exception for the redevelopment of previously developed land within the Green Belt.
Under the NPPF, new buildings in the Green Belt are inappropriate development and will only be approved in very special circumstances.
However, one of the defined exceptions is the redevelopment of previously developed land where the proposal would not have a greater impact on the openness of the Green Belt than the existing development.
In this case, a thorough analysis was undertaken to demonstrate that the proposed five-dwelling scheme would not increase the overall visual impact on the openness of the Green Belt — and that in key respects the new arrangement would be an improvement on the existing spread of development across the site.
The design response reinforced this argument directly. Rather than distributing the five new homes across the plot in the same way as the existing buildings, the scheme concentrated them into a coherent courtyard arrangement centred on the replacement principal dwelling — echoing the historic form of a farmhouse with associated outbuildings.
This reduced the spread of built form, created views through and around the site, and maximised the amount of unencumbered open land visible from the surrounding countryside.
Materials were drawn from the local vernacular, ensuring the new buildings sat comfortably within the wider Green Belt landscape.
Basildon Council approved the application, confirming the proposals were acceptable in Green Belt terms.
Planning Application Advice
If you have a site in the Green Belt with existing buildings and want to understand its development potential, I can advise on whether the previously developed land exception applies and how to maximise the number of dwellings that can be justified. Contact me to discuss your site.
Andrew Ransome MRTPI - Email: andrew@andrewransome.co.uk
About me
Andrew Ransome is a Planning Director and a Chartered Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI), with more than two decades of experience in town planning.
He specialises in delivering strategic planning solutions for complex developments across both rural and urban environments, helping clients navigate planning challenges and unlock development opportunities. Connect with Andrew on Linkedin.
Planning Successes in Basildon
Planning Application Information
Get in touch for planning advice: Email: andrew@andrewransome.co.uk
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