31 Bank Street Braintree Essex Data via plota.co.uk

26/01635/PLD Approved
Change of useCommercial premises

Proposal

Application for Certificate of Lawfulness for a proposed development - Change of use from retail shop (Class E(a)) to café (Class E(b)) for the sale and consumption of coffee, cakes and light refreshments Data via plota.co.uk

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View original council record ↗Last checked

Application progress

✓
Received
16 Jul 2026
✓
Validated
30 Jul 2026
✓
Approved
25 Aug 2026

Approved on 25 Aug 2026 · Last checked 17 Oct 2026

Documents 5

Decision & officer reports 2

PDF Delegated report Decision · 25 Aug 2026 View ↗ PDF Decision notice Decision · 25 Aug 2026 View ↗

Plans & drawings 2

PDF Jnw260203.101 Block plan Drawing · 30 Jul 2026 View ↗ PDF Location plan Drawing · 16 Jul 2026 View ↗

Application forms 1

PDF Application form - without personal data Application Form (Public) · 16 Jul 2026 View ↗

All documents on the council site ↗

Site constraints 4

36 listed buildings within 150 m of the postcode pin
Nearest: 31, Bank Street, Grade II, about 8 m from the postcode pin · 3 Grade II*, 33 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 36 with distances
Historic England ↗
Braintree Town Centre and Bradford Street 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 ↗
Public footpath about 12 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
Inside the Braintree built-up area.
Not affected
Outside flood zones 2 and 3 · Not green belt · 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.

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Other new applications on this street

18 May 2026Approved

36 - 38 Bank Street Braintree Essex CM7 1UR

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Important details

Council
Braintree
Postcode
CM7 1UR
Received
16 Jul 2026
Validated
30 Jul 2026
Target decision
24 Sept 2026
Decision
Application GRANTED
Decision date
25 Aug 2026

How this decision compares

Decided in 26 days from validation, 28 days faster than Braintree's median of 54 for commercial premises. Approved, as 82% of commercial premises here are.

70%decided within 8 weeks
82%approved
96decided in the last year

Plota live figures for commercial premises decided by Braintree in the last twelve months, from validation. Braintree decision record →

Consultation & key dates

Statutory expiry
24 Sept 2026

Historical activity at this location

25 nearby applications on record - archival context, not part of the live application.

Within ~100m

Nearby activity

2023
14 Bank Street Braintree Essex CM7 1XE
Installation of:- Replace 1no. Projecting signage with new 500mm. Retain existing bracket…
23/02804/ADV
2023
14 Bank Street Braintree Essex CM7 1XE
Installation of:- Replace 1no. Projecting signage with new 500mm. Retain existing bracket…
23/02804/ADV
2023 Approved
2-10 Leather Lane & 14-17A Great Square Braintree CM7 1TX
Reconfiguration of building to provide mixed-use (Class E and Sui Generis) and additional…
23/02300/FUL
2023 Approved
2-10 Leather Lane & 14-17A Great Square Braintree CM7 1TX
Reconfiguration of building to provide mixed-use (Class E and Sui Generis) and additional…
23/02300/FUL
2023 Approved
Barclays Bank Plc Bank Street Braintree Essex CM7 1UG
Replacement ATM
23/01717/LBC
2023 Approved
Barclays Bank Plc Bank Street Braintree Essex CM7 1UG
Replacement ATM
23/01716/FUL
2023 Approved
Barclays Bank Plc Bank Street Braintree Essex CM7 1UG
Replacement ATM
23/01717/LBC
2023 Approved
Barclays Bank Plc Bank Street Braintree Essex CM7 1UG
Replacement ATM
23/01716/FUL
2023 Approved
Edinburgh Woollen Mill 29 Bank Street Braintree Essex CM7 1UG
Installation of:Two externally illuminated fascia signs One externally illuminated projec…
23/01312/ADV
2023 Approved
Edinburgh Woollen Mill 29 Bank Street Braintree Essex CM7 1UG
Installation of:Two externally illuminated fascia signs One externally illuminated projec…
23/01312/ADV
2023 Withdrawn
2-10 Leather Lane & 14-17A Great Square Braintree CM7 1TX
Conversion and extension of building to provide mixed use (Class E and Sui Generis) and 9…
23/01239/FUL
2023
Edinburgh Woollen Mill 29 Bank Street Braintree Essex CM7 1UG
Installation of extraction and fresh air intake system to the rear and side elevation
23/01311/FUL
2023
Edinburgh Woollen Mill 29 Bank Street Braintree Essex CM7 1UG
Installation of extraction and fresh air intake system to the rear and side elevation
23/01311/FUL
2023 Approved
7 - 9 Great Square Braintree Essex CM7 1TX
Fascia sign with external illumination
23/00009/ADV
2023 Approved
7 - 9 Great Square Braintree Essex CM7 1TX
Fascia sign with external illumination
23/00009/ADV
2023 Refused
Footpath Adjacent 12B Coggeshall Road Braintree Essex
Two internally illuminated digital 75 inch LCD display screen, one on each side of the St…
23/00190/ADV
2023 Refused
Footpath Adjacent 12B Coggeshall Road Braintree Essex
Two internally illuminated digital 75 inch LCD display screen, one on each side of the St…
23/00190/ADV
2023 Refused
Pavement Outside National Westminster Bank High Street Braintree Essex
Two internally illuminated digital display screens on standalone unit
23/00183/ADV
2023 Refused
Pavement Outside National Westminster Bank High Street Braintree Essex
Installation of a proposed BT street hub and associated display of advertisement to both…
23/00184/FUL
2023 Refused
Pavement Outside National Westminster Bank High Street Braintree Essex
Two internally illuminated digital display screens on standalone unit
23/00183/ADV
2016 Refused
Hill House & 23 Market Place Braintree Essex CM7 3HG
Application for a proposed lawful development certificate - Reconfiguration of existing u…
16/00964/PLD
2016 Withdrawn
Hill House & 23 Market Place Braintree Essex CM7 3HG
Internal alterations of existing commercial units and upper floors to create 2 no. new ap…
16/01073/LBC
2016 Approved
19 - 21 Bank Street Braintree Essex CM7 1UG
Red vinyl applied internally to sections of the shopfront and installation of 46"TV scree…
16/00715/ADV
2016 Withdrawn
19 - 21 Bank Street Braintree Essex CM7 1UG
Red vinyl applied internally to sections of the shopfront and installation of 46"TV scree…
16/00714/FUL
2016 Approved
Lloyds Bank 2 - 4 Bank Street Braintree Essex CM7 1UN
Installation 3 no. face applied vinyl panels
16/00146/ADV
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
Source: MHCLG planning statistics · See full council rankings