Project
Gladman Developments’ proposed a 300-unit residential development at Bocking needed Essex County Council’s agreement on its highways and transport elements. The site, located close to the A131 (between Braintree and Halstead) carries a significant volume of traffic through the village, and there was significant local concern surrounding changes to the A131 / Church Street junction, together with a perceived lack of pedestrian connectivity between the site and local amenities.
Approach
The planning application had been refused by local members and a Public Inquiry convened to consider the refusal.
We produced detailed evidence to support the scheme, including:
- site accessibility for sustainable modes of transport
- road safety
- traffic impact
Due to the level of local objection, the Planning Inspectorate needed to ensure all matters had been properly addressed.
Ultimately, our evidence showed:
- the was accessible by a range of non-car travel modes
- whilst not ideally placed, meant local amenities were within reasonable walking distance
- bus services were located close enough for commuting and other journey purposes.
Our evidence also gave a detailed demonstration that the development would not impact the flow, safety and capacity of the A131 route through the village.
Results
The Planning Inspectorate had been deliberating their decision for over two years, but finally granted planning consent in August 2020, having accepted all our submitted technical evidence.
