Downham, Essex Planning Applications
Recent planning applications near Downham, Essex.
Essex · England · settlement
About Downham
Downham is a quaint village situated within the civil parish of South Hanningfield in the Chelmsford district of Essex, approximately 7 miles south of Chelmsford. It lies close to Billericay, 3.5 miles to the west-south-west, and Wickford, just 2.25 miles to the south-east, making it an accessible location for potential planning applications in a serene rural setting.
Area: 3.4 km²
District: South Hanningfield
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Town Insights
Property Prices
Average property sale price: £466,500 (based on 50 recent transactions from HM Land Registry).
Area Information
- Admin district: Basildon
- Parliamentary constituency: Basildon and Billericay
- LSOA: Basildon 001A
Crime Statistics
0 crimes reported in 2026-02.
Flood Risk
No active flood warnings near Downham.
Keyword Scorecard
Planning constraint analysis based on the last 24 months of applications near Downham.
- Ecology & Wildlife Constraints (keywords: bats, bat survey, bat roost, great crested newt, GCN...)
- Trees & Landscape (keywords: tree preservation order, TPO, arboricultural, tree survey, root protection area...)
- Flood & Drainage (keywords: flood zone 2, flood zone 3, flood risk assessment, FRA, surface water...)
- Heritage & Conservation (keywords: listed building, grade II, grade II*, grade I, conservation area...)
- Green Belt (keywords: green belt, inappropriate development, very special circumstances, openness)
- Highways & Access (keywords: visibility splays, highway authority objection, access arrangement, parking provision, transport statement...)
- Refusal & Risk Indicators (keywords: refusal, delegated refusal, appeal dismissed, overdevelopment, character and appearance...)
- Planning Process & Appeals (keywords: appeal lodged, appeal allowed, appeal dismissed, public inquiry, inspector)
Planning Activity Summary
Approval rates, average decision times, and application type distribution for Downham based on the last 24 months of planning data.
Nearby Applications
2 planning applications found near Downham.
- - Land Opposite Greenacres De Beauvoir Chase Downham Billericay Essex
Sub-divide the plot of Alfmill Farm and demolish the existing buildings on the site while utilising the existing vehicular crossover and construct a new build 2 bedroom detached bungalow with 2 privat
Status: Rejected | Type: Full | Council: Chelmsford | Date: 2024-04-26
View full details - - 12-14 School Road Downham Billericay Essex CM11 1QU
Outline application for the demolition of existing commercial properties and redevelopment of 5 residential dwellings. Access, scale and layout being sought. Appearance and landscaping reserved matter
Status: Rejected | Type: Outline | Council: Chelmsford | Date: 2023-08-11
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A brief summary of Downham in Essex
Downham is a quaint village situated within the civil parish of South Hanningfield in the Chelmsford district of Essex, approximately 7 miles south of Chelmsford. It lies close to Billericay, 3.5 miles to the west-south-west, and Wickford, just 2.25 miles to the south-east, making it an accessible location for potential planning applications in a serene rural setting. It sits within the South Hanningfield district.
Downham covers an area of approximately 3.4 km². The surrounding landscape and character of the area play an important role in how planning applications are assessed by the local authority.
Property prices in Downham show an average sale price of £466,500, based on 50 recent transactions recorded by HM Land Registry.
There were no crimes reported in the immediate area during the most recent reporting period. This makes Downham a particularly low-crime area.
Ecology & Nature Designations
The area around Downham includes 1 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI): Hanningfield Reservoir SSSI; 5 Ancient Woodland sites. These designations may affect planning decisions, as proposals near protected sites require environmental impact assessment and may face additional restrictions.
For anyone interested in property development or monitoring local planning decisions, Downham planning applications can be searched by entering a local postcode above. Results include full application details, decision status, and the ability to track applications over time and set planning alerts to help you monitor and review pending planning applications.
Planning Activity in Downham
In the last 24 months, 16 planning applications were submitted near Downham. Of these, 73% were approved, with an average decision time of 60 days.
This is below the national average of approximately 87%, which may reflect stricter local policies, sensitivity of the area, or higher levels of speculative applications. Pre-application advice is particularly worthwhile near Downham.
At 60 days on average, decisions near Downham slightly exceed the 8-week statutory target for minor applications, though this is common across many councils.
The most common application types near Downham were full planning applications (7), outline applications (5), discharge of conditions (2). Full planning applications account for 44% of all submissions, covering new builds, change of use, and works that go beyond permitted development rights.
In terms of development scale, 1 medium-scale application, 15 smaller schemes were submitted.
1 planning appeal was lodged, of which 0 were allowed and 1 was dismissed (0% success rate). This low success rate indicates that the council's refusal decisions are generally upheld by the Planning Inspectorate.
Nearby Towns
Explore planning applications in nearby areas:
- Ramsden Heath planning applications
- Ramsden Bellhouse planning applications
- Brock Hill planning applications
- Runwell planning applications
- Crays Hill planning applications
- Wickford planning applications
- South Hanningfield planning applications
- West Hanningfield planning applications
Related Planning Guides
- What Is Planning Permission in the UK? — Planning permission is the formal approval you need from your local council before making certain changes to a building or piece of land.
- What Is Permitted Development? — Permitted development rights allow certain building works and changes of use without the need to apply for planning permission.
- How Long Does Planning Permission Take? — Typical timelines for planning permission decisions in the UK, from submission to approval, and what can cause delays.