Scathes, Matching Green, Matching, Harlow, CM17 0PR Data via plota.co.uk

EPF/0429/26 - Lawful development Refused

Proposal

Certificate of Lawful Development for existing building comprising a self-contained residential unit in excess of 4 years. Data via plota.co.uk

View original council record ↗Last checked

Application progress

✓
Received
2 Mar 2026
✗
Refused
24 Apr 2026
Appeal
Not lodged

Refused on 24 Apr 2026 · Delegated Decision · Last checked 22 Aug 2026

Site constraints 5

5 listed buildings within 150 m of the postcode pin
Nearest: Thatched Cottage, Grade II, about 12 m from the postcode pin · 5 Grade II
The site itself is not listed. Listed building consent is needed for work that affects the special interest of a listed building, inside or out, on top of planning permission. Setting can be a consideration for buildings nearby; there is no fixed radius.
Show all 5 with distances
Historic England ↗
Green belt: London
Inappropriate development needs very special circumstances.
Green belt policy allows a short list of exceptions, such as limited extensions and replacement buildings. Anything else needs very special circumstances that clearly outweigh the harm. Some green belt land can count as grey belt, where it does not strongly serve the green belt's purposes. The council decides this in its green belt assessment or on each application, so we do not mark it here.
Read the government guidance ↗
Matching Green conservation area
Demolition needs planning permission and permitted development is restricted.
The council must give weight to preserving or enhancing the area's character and appearance. Not every council has published its boundaries as open data.
Council document ↗
Also on the record
Inside the Matching Green built-up area; Natural England's Provisional ALC map (1:250,000, 1970s) had this area as grade 2, but it predates the buildings here and the current map does not class it as farmland.
Not affected
Outside flood zones 2 and 3 · No scheduled monument at the site

Checked on 6 October 2026. The pin for this application is the centre of its postcode rather than the building, so distances to nearby designations are measured from the postcode and can be out by the width of the postcode area. Historic England, the Environment Agency, Natural England and council datasets, Open Government Licence. A boundary can run through a site and the council holds the definitive record: confirm with the council before relying on this.

Sales history 1

Last sold for £920,000 in August 2014. Detached house, freehold.

27 August 2014£920,000

Sale prices from HM Land Registry's price paid record, matched to this application by its address.

Building

Floor area277 m² (2,982 sq ft)
Energy ratingB (84 out of 100)
PropertyDetached house
Built2021
HeatingAir source heat pump, Underfloor heating, pipes in screed above insulation, electric
WallsAverage thermal transmittance 0.14 W/m²K

From the energy performance certificate lodged in October 2021, the latest held for this property, matched to this application by its address. The building may have changed since. View the certificate

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Important details

Application type
Lawful development
Postcode
CM17 0PR
Received
2 Mar 2026
Validated
2 Mar 2026
Ward
Rural East
Parish
Matching
Case officer
Show
Target decision
27 Apr 2026
Decision
Not Lawful
Decision date
24 Apr 2026
Decision level
Delegated Decision
Applicant
Show

Public comments

No public comments yet.

Last counted 22 Aug 2026

Read the comments on the council site ↗

Consultation & key dates

Comments by
26 Mar 2026
Epping Forest
Planning Authority Score
4.5/10
Below average
#172 of 296 councils
Relevant to this application:
Householder decisions

Epping Forest ranks #114 out of 296 councils for householder decision speed. Epping Forest is also one of the strictest councils - it refuses more householder applications than almost any other, with only 76% approved vs 90% nationally.

One of the strictest councils
only 76% approved vs 90% nationally
These figures are council-wide context, not a prediction for this application. View full council performance
Epping Forest decision statistics
Based on MHCLG data, the year to March 2026
67%
Overall approval rate
Below avg (87%) #295 of 296
76%
Householder approved
Below avg (90%) #290 of 296
71%
Decided in 8 weeks
Above avg (63%) #114 of 296
34%
Extended time limit
Below avg (41%) #87 of 296
49%
Minor dwellings approved
228 decided (1-9 homes)
55%
Major dwellings approved
20 decided (10+ homes)
49%
Change of use approved
43 decided
1,307
Total decisions
429 refused in the year to March 2026

Sale prices: Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. This data is licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Energy performance: Energy performance certificates from the Energy Performance of Buildings Register, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. © Crown copyright 2026.