®Planning appeal decision
Land rear of East Lodge, East Drive, Oaklands Lane, Smallford, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL4 0HU
described on the application form as “Outline Application with all matters reserved for the construction of a new detached dwelling and detached garage with new access
- Authority
- St Albans City Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Fallon R
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- whether the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt, and if so, the effect of the development on the openness of the Green Belt
- if the development is inappropriate, whether the harm by reason of inappropriateness, and any other harm, is clearly outweighed by other considerations, so as to amount to the very special circumstances necessary to justify the development
What decided it
The proposal constitutes inappropriate development causing moderate harm to Green Belt openness and purpose, with no very special circumstances clearly outweighing this harm, and the Green Belt protection in the Framework displaces the presumption in favour of sustainable development.
The limited benefits of housing delivery and economic activity from a single dwelling do not clearly outweigh the moderate harm to the openness and purpose of the Green Belt, which was given substantial weight.
Framework references: 11, 38, 147, 148, 149, 150, 219
Plan policies cited: Policy 1
Judgments cited: Wood v Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Gravesham Borough Council [2014] EWHC 683 (Admin); Julian Wood v The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Gravesham Borough Council [2015] EWCA Civ 195
The main issues and the deciding factor are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.