- Decision
- allowed, 24 August 2026
- Decided by
- Planning Inspector: H Jones
- Authority
- Hackney (London)
- Appeal reference
- 6006932
- Application reference
- 2025/1730
- Procedure
- written representations
- Development
- Class MA prior approval: commercial building to 4 flats
- Homes
- 4
- Site context
- inside settlement
- Green Belt
- No
- Framework applied
- No Framework version cited
- Determinative policies
- GPDO Sch2 Pt3 para W
- Main issues
- deemed approval
Summary
Four flats under Class MA were deemed approved because Hackney issued its refusal two days after the 56-day period ended (DL 18). The light and transport issues were therefore irrelevant.
What made the difference
The Council backdated validity without evidence that the fee was missing, and the timeline was undisputed (DL 14-15).
Policy findings
Policy codes are those of the National Planning Policy Framework (August 2026) unless a development plan is named.
| Policy | Finding | Weight | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPDO Sch2 Pt3 para W | pass | application complete on 29 Jul 2025; decision issued 25 Sep 2025, outside the 56-day period, so prior approval is deemed granted (DL 13-18) |
Key facts
- Inspector: Framework relevant to prior approvals 'only insofar as it is relevant to the subject matter'; not determinative here (DL 3)
Sources
This note is one of the decisions behind the NPPF 2026 Navigator, which shows how each Framework test has been applied across all the decisions in the database. Also available as Markdown.