Devon House Anchor Street Chelmsford CM2 0GD

1. 1.Reason 1 The Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 sets a duty for special attention to be paid to the desirability of preserving or enhancing the character or appearance of the Conservation Area and designated heritage assets. Section 16 of the National Planning Policy Framework seeks to protect the historic environment. Strategic Policy S3 and Development Management Policy DM13 of the Local Plan also requires this. The proposed building would appear much deeper than the adjacent blocks, giving the development an apparent bulky form. The dormers would appear cluttered and would dominate the roofscape. The wide, horizontally proportioned opening to the ground floor (subtractive form) for car parking would appear visually uncomfortable due to the weight of development over a void space. The scale and design of the building would appear poorly related to the local development context and would introduce a bulky and less analogous form of development into a central area highly visible to the surrounding buildings defining the open courtyard. This would result in harm to the setting of the listed building and both Conservation Areas which have a relationship to this space. Whilst the harm would be less than substantial, it would amount to a matter of great weight and importance in accordance with paragraph 212 of the National Planning Policy Framework. Th proposal is contrary to Policy DM13 of the Chelmsford Local Plan and Chapter 16 of the National Planning Policy Framework. Reason 2 Paragraph 131 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) sets out the creation of high quality, beautiful and sustainable buildings and places is fundamental to what the planning and development process should achieve. Good design is a key aspect of sustainable development, creates better places in which to live and work and helps make development acceptable to communities. WEB PBCS090 26/00360/FUL REFULZ Paragraph 135 of the NPPF states that planning policies and decisions should ensure that developments: a) will function well and add to the overall quality of the area, not just for the short term but over the lifetime of the development; b) are visually attractive as a result of good architecture, layout and appropriate and effective landscaping; c) are sympathetic to local character and history, including the surrounding built environment and landscape setting, while not preventing or discouraging appropriate innovation or change (such as increased densities); d) establish or maintain a strong sense of place, using the arrangement of streets, spaces, building types and materials to create attractive, welcoming and distinctive places to live, work and visit; e) optimise the potential of the site to accommodate and sustain an appropriate amount and mix of development (including green and other public space) and support local facilities and transport networks; and f) create places that are safe, inclusive and accessible and which promote health and well-being, with a high standard of amenity for existing and future users; and where crime and disorder, and the fear of crime, do not undermine the quality of life or community cohesion and resilience. Policy DM23 requires development to be of high quality and inclusive design that respects the character and appearance of the area in which it is located. Development must be compatible with its surroundings having regard to scale, siting, form, architecture, materials, boundary treatments and landscape. The proposed building would appear bulky, with dormers appearing cluttered which would dominate the roofscape. The wide, horizontally proportioned opening at ground floor (subtractive form) for the car parking would appear visually uncomfortable due to the weight of development over a void space. The scale and design of the building would appear poorly related to the local development context and would introduce a bulky and less analogous form of development into a central area h

From the council's decision notice.

Postcode

CM2 0GD

Application type

Full

Scale / size

Small

Validated

30 March 2026

Consultation expiry

18 May 2026

Consultation end

18 May 2026

Target decision date

25 May 2026

Statutory period

56 days

Planning Portal ID

PP-14605910

Documents

12