WEST ESSEX COUNCIL SHAKE-UP SET TO RESHAPE LOCAL GOVERNANCE
Image by: Uttlesford District Council planning documents (© Crown copyright)
By Martin Foskett, Reporter
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UPDATED:
ELSENHAM, ESSEX — A retrospective planning application for a six-pitch traveller site on land east of Springfield House on Henham Road is under consideration by Uttlesford District Council, following a series of earlier approved developments on the same site.
The application, reference UTT/25/3238/FUL, seeks permission for a mixed-use development comprising a traveller site alongside equestrian use. The proposal includes six plots with a combination of static and touring caravans, day rooms, parking, and outdoor amenity space. A decision has not yet been made.
Planning records show the site has been subject to multiple applications over the past three years. An initial proposal in 2022 for a new access for farm vehicles (UTT/22/2752/FUL) was withdrawn. A revised application for access (UTT/23/0027/FUL) was subsequently approved with conditions in early 2023.
In 2024, permission was granted to change the land from agricultural to equestrian use, including the erection of a four-box stable building (UTT/24/1045/FUL). A further application for a manège (UTT/24/2909/FUL) was also approved later that year, again subject to conditions.
The current retrospective application indicates that the land is already being used for residential and mixed purposes beyond those previously approved. Retrospective applications allow developments that have already taken place to be assessed through the planning system, but do not guarantee approval.
In recent days, a template objection letter regarding the application has been circulated on social media and in local online groups, encouraging residents to submit representations to the council’s planning department. The letter raises concerns, including alleged environmental impacts, highway safety, and compliance with planning policy. These claims have not been independently verified within the planning documentation and would be assessed by the council as part of the determination process.
Uttlesford District Council is expected to consider the application against local and national planning policy, including policies relating to traveller site provision, sustainability, and environmental protection. Statutory consultees and members of the public can submit comments before a decision is made.
A decision timeline has not been confirmed.