®Planning appeal decision
The Old Electricity Works, Campfield Road, St Albans, AL1 5HT
Planning appeal 3265949 at The Old Electricity Works, Campfield Road, St Albans, AL1 5HT (St Albans City Council) was allowed on 22 June 2021 by Inspector Marshall E, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: the impact of the proposal upon the amenity of future occupiers with regard to daylight, sunlight and outlook.
retention of the northern elevation to the Old Electricity Works building and adjoining façade of the warehouse building and demolition of all other existing buildings and construction of new buildings between two and six storeys in height to provide 107 flats (64 x 1 bed, 31 x 2 bed, 12 x 3 bed), 499sqm of office floor space and associated parking, landscaping and access works
- Authority
- St Albans City Council
- Appeal type
- major · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Major dwellings
- Inspector
- Marshall E
- Postcode
- AL1 5HT
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- the impact of the proposal upon the amenity of future occupiers with regard to daylight, sunlight and outlook
- whether the proposal can provide adequate on-site car parking without creation of increased parking demand in the immediate locality
What decided it
The authority's significant undersupply of housing land (2.4 years against a 5-year requirement) and the principle of development already being established by an extant consent, combined with acceptable impacts on amenity and highways, outweighed the reduced affordable housing provision justified by viability.
The benefits of providing 107 much-needed residential units and 6.5-7% affordable housing in a highly sustainable urban location outweighed the conflict with affordable housing policy, with no other adverse impacts of significance.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy 70Policy 39Policy 40Policy 7A
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11Paragraph 103Paragraph 109Paragraph 127
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
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With an account
What an account adds to this decision
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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.