Now you see it,
April 2015
I was delighted when a planning application which involved raising the height of a residential property (neighbouring) was denied with the below ‘open to public‘ response. The ethos of the policies referenced felt to me like those so ‘loudly’ promoted by the council and building companies in the early phases of Chafford Hundred’s ‘new’ development; some of the core reasons I decided to purchase a property here coming up to 20 years ago.
now you don’t!
November 2015
The same residential property, new application. This third application proposing to build outwards with the construction being in full public view was approved. Upon asking why the same policies did not cover what in my opinion is a construction that contributes negatively to the character of the area, Thurrock Development Management team chose not to directly answer…. Somewhat frustrating!
“Policy PMD2 of the adopted Core Strategy states that the Council requires all design proposals to respond to the sensitivity of the site and its surroundings, to fully investigate the magnitude of change that would result from the proposals, and mitigate against negative impacts. Amongst other criteria, this policy states that development must contribute positively to the character of the area in which it is proposed, and to surrounding areas that may be affected by it. It should seek to contribute positively to local views, townscape, heritage assets and natural features, and contribute to the creation of a positive sense of place. Policy CSTP22 (Thurrock Design) indicates that development proposals must demonstrate high quality design founded on a thorough understanding of, and positive response to, the local context.
The National Planning Policy Framework seeks a high quality design in all proposals for new development.”
Thurrock Unplanned 