7 Valley Drive, Stapleford Road, Stapleford Abbotts, RM4 1EJ Data via plota.co.uk

EPF/1435/26 - Full planning permission Refused

Proposal

Change of use of part of amenity buffer to residential curtilage for no. 7. Data via plota.co.uk

View original council record ↗Last checked

Application progress

✓
Received
24 Jul 2026
✗
Refused
around 2 Oct 2026
Appeal
Not lodged

Refused around 2 Oct 2026 · Delegated Decision · Last checked 2 Oct 2026

Site constraints 3

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 ↗
Also on the record
Inside the Stapleford Abbotts built-up area; Natural England's Provisional ALC map (1:250,000, 1970s) had this area as grade 3, 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. 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 £200,000 in October 2022. Other property, freehold.

7 October 2022£200,000Recorded as a transfer outside a standard sale

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

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Important details

Application type
Full planning permission
Postcode
RM4 1EJ
Received
24 Jul 2026
Validated
24 Jul 2026
Ward
Theydon Bois with Passingford
Parish
Stapleford Abbotts
Case officer
Show
Target decision
2 Oct 2026
Decision
Refuse
Decision date
around 2 Oct 2026
Decision level
Delegated Decision
Applicant
Show
Freehold owner
Show

Public comments

No public comments yet.

Last counted 2 Oct 2026

Read the comments on the council site ↗

Consultation & key dates

Comments by
14 Aug 2026
Epping Forest
Planning Authority Score
4.5/10
Below average
#172 of 296 councils
Relevant to this application:
Change of use

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.

Freehold owner: Information produced by HM Land Registry. © Crown copyright 2026. Source: HM Land Registry, UK and overseas companies that own property in England and Wales, September 2026 release.