Planning refusals are inconsistent, says developer

A developer said a council's decision to reject plans for 480 homes was "inconsistent" and "failed to properly evaluate" the benefits of the proposals.

Uttlesford District Council turned down plans for 300 homes in Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex, and 180 in nearby Birchanger that were put forward by City and Country.

The developer's Tim Sargeant said he was "extremely disappointed" by the council's decision, and questioned whether the current planning system was "capable of delivering the homes the country needs".

The council said its planning committee had concluded the proposals "did not meet the planning balance" between the local development plan, national policy and other considerations.

The proposals included 50% affordable housing, with a nursery, a cafe, a shop and care home included in the Stansted Mountfitchet plans and "extensive" cycle routes in Birchanger.

They were discussed and refused at the council's planning committee meeting on 10 June, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Committee members said the proposals conflicted with the council's spatial strategy for growth and represented inappropriate green belt development.

Sargeant said the refusal undermined recommendations from the council's officers and "extensive technical evidence", labelling it "inconsistent" with both local evidence and national planning policy.

He said the committee had failed to "properly evaluate and weigh the numerous other enhancements that these applications possess" and its decision "threatens the delivery of urgently needed homes".

The council said it had notified the secretary of state "in accordance with regulations" and, if it was called in for further determination, the authority would "participate fully in that process and provide all relevant information to support an informed and transparent determination".

Do you have a story suggestion for Essex? Contact us below.

Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.