Colchester City Council Approves Planning Permission for a Holiday Let
Planning permission from Colchester City Council for a holiday let in a conservation area in the city centre.
PLANNING APPROVALSCOLCHESTERESSEX
Andrew Ransome
7/27/20262 min read
In 2025, Colchester City Council approved planning permission for a holiday let in a Grade II listed building in a Colchester Conservation Area, following a refused residential application and a dismissed planning appeal.
The Inspector had accepted the principle of development but the appeal was dismissed on a technical RAMS issue. A focused resubmission resolving that single outstanding point secured the approval.
Holiday-Let Planning Approval in Colchester City Council
I secured planning permission from Colchester City Council for a new holiday let on Long Wyre Street in Colchester Conservation Area. The new holiday-let formed from the rear ground floor space of a Grade II listed building.
The journey to approval was more complex than it needed to be.
The original application had sought holiday-let use of the spac, but the Council refused it on the grounds that the unit failed to meet residential internal space standards and private amenity requirements for permanent residential accommodation.
An appeal was lodged.
The Planning Inspector accepted that the principle of development was sound — the unit was suitable for some form of accommodation use — but dismissed the appeal because the applicant had not addressed the Recreational Avoidance and Mitigation Strategy (RAMS) requirement.
RAMS is an Essex-wide mitigation framework designed to manage the recreational pressure that new residential development places on coastal Special Protection Areas.
A resubmission was then promptly prepared on that basis, addressing the single outstanding technical point directly.
Colchester City Council approved the holiday let application.
Planning Application Advice
If an appeal has been dismissed, all may not be lost - sometimes a focused resubmission can overcome any issues raised. Contact me to discuss your situation.
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 Approvals in Colchester
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Get in touch for planning advice: Email: andrew@andrewransome.co.uk
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