The Cottage, Church Road, Layer De La Haye Colchester CO2 0EW

1. 1.Section 72(1) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, guidance contained with the National Planning Policy Framework (Section 16) and adopted Local Plan 2017 - 2033 policies SP7: Place Shaping Policies, DM15: Design and Amenity, ENV1: Environment and DM16: Historic Environment, all relate to the quality of development and the preservation or enhancement of the character or appearance of conservation areas. The proposed development represents a significant and unsympathetic alteration to a modest cottage. While the dwelling is not currently designated, its identifiable historic form, origins and surviving architectural cues mean that it reasonably functions as a non designated heritage asset and is potentially eligible for inclusion on the Colchester Local List. The most significant and irreversible impact arises from the complete obscuring of the rear. The proposed two storey rear extension would conceal the entirety of the original rear wall behind a new, oversized gabled mass, erasing all external visibility of the cottage’s historic form. The resulting mass is disproportionate and contains no architectural dialogue with the host building. The new roof forms fail to replicate, reference or respect the cottage’s vernacular proportions, establishing instead a visually assertive and discordant addition. IMPORTANT – ATTENTION IS DRAWN TO THE NOTES ATTACHED DC1001MWD The lack of subservience is particularly apparent in the way the new roofline merges flush with the existing, giving the impression that the original cottage is being engulfed rather than extended. This adverse impact would also reflect poorly on the locality, amounting to a level of harm to the character and appearance of the non designated heritage asset. As the benefits of the project are entirely private, this harm would not be justifiable or outweighed by any public benefit accruing from the proposal, as per the requirements of the NPPF’s Paras 206 and 208 and Local Plan Policy DM16. The proposal is therefore contrary to the above legislation, national guidance and local plan policy.

From the council's decision notice.

Postcode

CO2 0EW

Application type

Full (8 Week Determination)

Scale / size

Small

Parish

Layer de la Haye

Date validated

2 February 2026

Consultation expiry

2 March 2026

Consultation end

2 March 2026

Target decision date

30 March 2026

Statutory period

56 days

Appeal result

l

UPRN

200001865543