Sturmer Hall Church Walk Sturmer Essex CB9 7XD Data via plota.co.uk

Pending Consideration 26/00731/OUT
Date received
around 20 Apr 2026
Date validated
20 Apr 2026
Postcode
CB9 7XD

Description

Outline application with all matters reserved except access, for the change of use of Sturmer Hall to a Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) school for up to 120 young adults, including associated access arrangements. Data via plota.co.uk

Last checked

Decision outlook

Plota predicted a decision around 9 Oct 2026; it is now day 172.

Day 172, past the statutory target. 82% of full applications in Braintree are decided within thirteen weeks; extensions of time are common, and the council need not decide on the day. Last seen undecided on 24 Aug 2026.

Day 172116 days past the 56-day target
56%decided within 8 weeks
87%approved
93,033decided in the last year

Plota live figures for full applications decided across the UK in the last twelve months, from validation; too few recent full applications in Braintree to go on. Braintree decision record →

Site constraints 4

Public footpath about 23 m away
Matters where it crosses or adjoins the site: obstructing a path without a diversion order is an offence, and work cannot start until the order is confirmed.
Compiled from highway authority data, not the legal definitive map. A few authorities have not published, so no path shown is not proof there is none.
Also on the record
Scheduled monument about 187 m away: Sturmer Hall moated site and mill complex; Inside the Sturmer 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 · Not green belt

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.

Work with planning data?

Every application in Braintree - and every UK council - as a live feed, an API, or a bulk CSV export.

About Plota's data service
Braintree
Planning Authority Score
7/10
Good
#61 of 296 councils
Relevant to this application:
Change of use

Braintree is faster than most councils at deciding householder applications, ranking #47 out of 296. Householder applications are slightly more likely to be approved here (92%) than the national average (90%).

Faster than most councils
for householder decisions
These figures are council-wide context, not a prediction for this application. View full council performance
Braintree decision statistics
Based on MHCLG data, the year to March 2026
86%
Overall approval rate
Below avg (87%) #189 of 296
92%
Householder approved
Above avg (90%) #148 of 296
78%
Decided in 8 weeks
Above avg (63%) #47 of 296
33%
Extended time limit
Below avg (41%) #71 of 296
62%
Minor dwellings approved
119 decided (1-9 homes)
87%
Major dwellings approved
15 decided (10+ homes)
91%
Change of use approved
11 decided
927
Total decisions
132 refused in the year to March 2026