®Planning appeal decision
Berkhamsted Golf Club, The Common, Berkhamsted, HP4 2QB
Planning appeal 3265457 at Berkhamsted Golf Club, The Common, Berkhamsted, HP4 2QB (Dacorum Borough Council) was allowed in part (a split decision) on 29 October 2021 by Inspector Boffin D, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the vehicular parking area constitutes inappropriate development in the Green Belt, having regard to the effect on the openness and purposes of the Green Belt, the Framework and relevant development plan policies.
without planning permission, the creation of a new vehicle parking area
- Authority
- Dacorum Borough Council
- Appeal type
- enforcement · Enforcement Notice
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- leisure-sport · Other minor developments
- Inspector
- Boffin D
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether the vehicular parking area constitutes inappropriate development in the Green Belt, having regard to the effect on the openness and purposes of the Green Belt, the Framework and relevant development plan policies
- The effect of the development on the landscape and scenic beauty of the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)
- The effect of the development on biodiversity
- Whether the harm by reason of inappropriateness, and any other harm, is clearly outweighed by other considerations. If so, whether this amounts to the very special circumstances required to justify the development
What decided it
The harm to the Green Belt (substantial weight) and AONB landscape (great weight) was not clearly outweighed by the economic and recreational benefits to the golf club, and the fallback position of the 2021 permission (which would have lesser impact) limited the weight of those benefits.
The substantial weight given to harm to Green Belt openness and purposes, combined with great weight to harm to AONB landscape and scenic beauty, was not clearly outweighed by the considerable weight of economic benefits, employment provision, and recreational facility provision, particularly given the availability of the fallback position of the 2021 permission with lesser impact.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy CS5Policy CS24Policy CS25Policy CS26Policy 97Policy 102
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11Paragraph 88Paragraph 147Paragraph 148Paragraph 149Paragraph 150Paragraph 174Paragraph 176Paragraph 177Paragraph 219
How the Inspector dealt with each one is set out in the app, in order: the development plan, national policy, housing land supply, other considerations and the planning balance, beside the letter.
See how each was appliedThe decision letter
Town Planner Pro holds this letter. The Appeals plan opens it and every other letter we hold, all of them searchable, with the main issues and what decided each case picked out. We do not show letters on the free site because they carry people’s names and addresses.
With an account
What an account adds to this decision
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The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2021
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- Dismissed17 June 20266006042Land South of A4251 (North of A41), Tring, HP23 5RB
The main issues, what decided it, the planning balance and the policies and judgments listed as cited are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro and are our summary, not the Inspector’s words; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.