Green Belt Infill Dwelling Approved at Basildon Council

In 2022, I secured a successful planning appeal win for the erection of a single dwelling and double garage within the Metropolitan Green Belt near Billericay in Basildon District.

Basildon Council had refused permission, taking the view that the proposal constituted inappropriate development in the Green Belt.

The Planning Issue

The main planning issue was therefore whether the proposal fell within the exception for limited infilling in a village under paragraph 149(e) of the National Planning Policy Framework.

As planning consultant, I built a strong case establishing that this site form part of a village for the purposes of the NPPF.

I drew on planning precedent, as well as Basilson Council's own settlement hierarchy review and supporting evidence base, which identified the area as a plotland settlement within the village.

I then demonstrated that the proposed dwelling, sited between existing residential properties on either side, with a plot size commensurate with neighbouring plots, would represent limited infilling.

The Council themselves acknowledged during the appeal process that the site sat between existing residential dwellings and that the development should be considered as infill.

The Inspector agreed, concluding that the development was not inappropriate development and therefore no very special circumstances test was required.

Planning Appeal Advice

If you have a development project and you have received a planning refusal, contact me for practical advice on whether an appeal is the right option and how to proceed.

Andrew Ransome MRTPI Email: andrew@adpltd.co.uk | Tel: 01206 242070

About me

Andrew Ransome is the planning director at ADP and is a chartered member of the RTPI, with over 22 years of town planning experience.

Andrew has extensive experience offering strategic planning solutions to challenging projects in both rural and urban settings. Follow him on Linkedin.

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