Our family are facing an unfair and incorrect planning decision from East Cambridgeshire District Council (ECDC) regarding our home. They are refusing permission for simple garden sheds and a polytunnel by claiming our garden is 'agricultural land'!

This is not a farm; it's our family garden, where our children play, we grow vegetables, and keep chickens. The Council's stance is based on an outdated map line that simply doesn't reflect the reality of our home.

What is curtilage? In planning terms, 'curtilage' is the land around a house that's used for enjoying the home – essentially, your garden. National planning rules (Permitted Development Rights, Class E) allow for small structures like sheds in your garden without full planning permission, provided the land is correctly classified as curtilage.  The size of a garden doesn't stop it from being curtilage; courts have confirmed that 'smallness' is not a relevant factor.

Our land is curtilage! Our land is physically connected to our house, forming one continuous space.  Our property has been in single ownership and treated as one unit since at least the 1800s.  We use it for growing food, recreation, and even temporarily housing chickens during emergencies – all typical activities for a family garden. ECDC's own Planning Officer Report for a previous application officially described our land as a 'large rear garden'. This shows even the Council has acknowledged its true function!

Administrative Oversight The Council's current map is an administrative oversight. When our house was approved, the garden was implicitly created, but the map wasn't updated. ECDC has a chance to correct this error, just as they've advocated for correcting other administrative errors in the past.  

Fairness for All Our neighbours have similar outbuildings in their gardens, presumably under the same permitted development rights, without issue. Even existing sheds and other structures in our garden were observed by Council officers without comment. We believe all residents deserve fair and consistent treatment.  

Benefits for ECDC By reclassifying our land, ECDC can demonstrate good governance, ensure fairness, and avoid prolonged, costly legal disputes, aligning with their own goals of 'sound financial management' and 'sustainable communities.

Call to Action This is a common-sense issue that affects property rights and fair planning for everyone in Little Downham. Please sign this petition to urge East Cambridgeshire District Council to correct this administrative oversight, recognise our land as residential curtilage, and allow our family to enjoy our garden without unnecessary restrictions.

Your signature sends a clear message: we support fair, consistent, and common-sense planning decisions in the community.