®Planning appeal decision
Land at Oakleigh Farm Industrial Estate, Codicote Road, Welwyn, AL6 9TY
Planning appeal 3269378 at Land at Oakleigh Farm Industrial Estate, Codicote Road, Welwyn, AL6 9TY (Welwyn Hatfield Council) was allowed on 29 September 2021 by Inspector Osgathorp C, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the National Planning Policy Framework and any relevant development plan policies.
demolition of all existing buildings and structures. Change of use of western section to residential, comprising the erection of seven new detached dwellings with associated detached garages, parking and amenity areas. Change of use of eastern section to paddock. Upgrade existing access road
- Authority
- Welwyn Hatfield Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Change of use
- Inspector
- Osgathorp C
- Postcode
- AL6 9TY
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- whether the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the National Planning Policy Framework and any relevant development plan policies
- the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area
- whether a planning obligation for financial contributions towards local infrastructure and services is necessary to make the proposal acceptable in planning terms
What decided it
The Council's inability to demonstrate a five-year housing land supply (2.34 years) rendered the most important policies out-of-date, and the benefits of providing seven dwellings on previously developed land, combined with the finding that the proposal would not be inappropriate development in the Green Belt and would maintain character and appearance, outweighed the limited-weight conflict with employment policy.
The significant shortfall in housing land supply and the benefits of housing delivery and efficient use of previously developed land outweighed the loss of employment floorspace and limited-weight conflict with Policy SADM10 of the emerging Local Plan, with no other considerations including the Framework provisions outweighing the accordance with the Development Plan.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy GBSP1Policy D1Policy D2Policy IM2Policy H2Policy SADM1Policy SADM10Policy SADM34Policy SP13
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11Paragraph 60Paragraph 69Paragraph 147Paragraph 149Paragraph 174Paragraph 12
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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What an account adds to this decision
More decisions in Welwyn Hatfield
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2021
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- Dismissed27 May 20266003536East Lodge, Judge's Hill, Northaw, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, EN6 4NL
- Planning permission granted6 March 2026335467120 Ayot Green, Ayot St. Peter, Welwyn, AL6 9AB
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.