Hi All

You may be aware that an application for 140 houses off The Street in Latchingdon went to appeal before a Planning Inspectorate at the end of November 2025. This week, the report was issued and the Planning Inspectorate dismissed the appeal. The reasons for dismissal are not all directly relevant to Romans Farm. However, it is encouraging to see the Planning Inspectorate refuse the appeal.

Biodiversity and the location of important sites for habitats and wetlands (European and Ramsar sites) within close proximity to the Latchingdon site and their integrity could be affected by the development and this is given a lot of weight in the decision.

The report also cites ‘some further harm to the landscape and character and appearance of the countryside’ making the application contrary to a number of policies in the local development plan. The report also says the effects would be limited and local.

The absence of a five year supply of housing in Maldon District as per Government calculations was seen to make the spatial strategy in the local development plan less strong than it might be ordinarily. Nonetheless, the Planning Inspectorate found that the application conflicted with the local development plan when read as a whole.

The effect of flood risk was downgraded in the decision making process by the Planning Inspectorate because he felt that could be overcome.

However, the importance of the proximity of the habitat areas cancelled this out further highlighting the importance of those habitats in reaching the decision to refuse the appeal.

It could not be concluded that the application presented a strong enough case to pass the sustainable development test in the National Planning Policy Framework.