North Of Pollards Cross Church Road Hempstead Essex

1. 1.The site is located in the Open Countryside outside of the settlements given in the settlement hierarchy of the Uttlesford Local Plan and as such presents an unacceptable location for development contrary to the strategic plan for housing location. This is in direct conflict with Core Policy 3 of the Uttlesford Local Plan 2021-2024.
2. 2.The site is not suitably located to allow future occupants to access sustainable modes of transport and by reason of its rural location and remoteness from the settlement at Hempstead, over 750m to the West of the site down an unlit rural lane with no verge or footway, and so would most likley require most day-to-day journies be carried out by car. This would directly conflict with Local Plan Policies 26, 27, and 28 as they relate to sustainable transport, as well as with requirements of the Uttlesford District Wide Design Code SPD 2024 and with the NPPF in particular paragraph 115.
3. 3.The site is currently in ownership of and adjacent to Pollards Cross, a Grade II Listed Building, and also faces 2no listed buildings at Wayside and Welltrees to the West of the site. The use of the site for a dwellinghouse, including traffic movements and domestic activities and resultant ancillary development including the long proposed driveway, would only detract from, rather than preserving or enhancing, the features of signifance in the setting of the listed buildings including the open grain of the area, rural tranquility and remoteness of the former farm cottages. This less-than-substantial harm would not be overcome by any identified public benefits. As such the application is in conflict with Paragraph 66 of the Planning (Listed Buildiungs and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 and with Core Policies 61 and 62 of the Uttlesford Local Plan 2021-2041 and with the NPPF.
4. 4.By reason of its contrived appearance and layout the proposed new building would fail to represent high quality design and a dwellinghouse appropriate to the visual amenity and character of the site and its setting reflecting a clear understanding of loca character and identity, instead relying upon imitating the rough cut timber-clad and lightweight outbuildings in shape, and so would be in direct conflict with Core Policy 52 of the Uttlesford Local Plan 2021-2041 and with principles and requirements of the Uttlesford District Wide Design Code SPD and with the NPPF, with particular regard to paras 135 and 139.
5. 5.The application does not contain any information by way of traffic surveys or visibility splays, vehicle tracking, highway boundary location and access design to satisfy the Local Planning Authority that the development would avoid undue risk to users of the highway. The proposal therefore fails demonstrate that the access would avoid unacceptable impact on highway safety. This harm would directly conflict with Core Policies 26 vi. and 27 vii. and with the NPPF with particular regard to paragraph 115 and 116.
6. 6.It is essential that the presence or otherwise of protected species, and the extent that they may be affected by the proposed development, is established before the planning

From the council's decision notice.

Application type

Fully Detailed

Scale / size

Small

Parish

Hempstead

Date validated

5 February 2026

Consultation expiry

12 March 2026

Consultation start

8 April 2026

Neighbour consultation start

24 April 2026

Neighbour consultation end

27 February 2026

Last date for comments

15 April 2026

Target decision date

2 April 2026

Agent

AHP Ltd

Agent address

AHP Ltd 4th Floor Silverstream House 45 Fitzroy Street London W1T 6EB

Statutory period

56 days

Last advertised

19 February 2026

Advertisement expiry

12 March 2026

Site notice start

13 February 2026

Site notice end

6 March 2026

Planning Portal ID

PP-14639868

Documents

24