Long Ridge Loudwater Lane, RICKMANSWORTH, WD3 4AW

new barn for mixed use of agriculture, tree surgery, landscaping and ancillary storage for vehicles, tools and machinery following demolition of existing buildings

Authority: Three Rivers District Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: agricultural · Minor general industry/storage/warehousing
Inspector: Aqbal M

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

Whether or not the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt in terms of the National Planning Policy Framework (2021) and development plan policy
Whether the proposal would preserve or enhance the character and appearance of the Outer Loudwater Conservation Area
If the proposal would be inappropriate development whether the harm by reason of inappropriateness, and any other harm, would be clearly outweighed by other considerations so as to amount to the very special circumstances necessary to justify it

What decided it

The substantial harm to the Green Belt by reason of inappropriateness and loss of openness was not clearly outweighed by the other considerations advanced, and very special circumstances do not exist.

The substantial environmental harm to the Green Belt outweighed the economic benefits and business investment considerations, such that the proposal was not supported by the presumption in favour of sustainable development.

Framework references: 137, 149, 11

Plan policies cited: Policy DM2, Policy CP11, Policy CP1, Policy CP12, Policy DM3

Read the decision letter on the Inspectorate’s site

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.

What an account adds

Draw a red line around your site and the appraisal follows.

Heritage. Listed buildings by grade and distance, conservation areas, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, heritage at risk.
Landscape and environment. Green belt, national parks and national landscapes, SSSIs, ancient woodland, SPA, SAC and Ramsar sites, nutrient catchments.
Flooding. Flood zones 2 and 3, surface water, and both again with climate change.
Transport. The 800 metre station catchment and service frequency, bus stops with their weekday frequency, the cycle network, and the Framework’s transport tests measured for the site.

Then the development plan position, the housing land supply as an Inspector last accepted it, and every appeal decided around the site with its letter.

Every English appeal since 2016, with the letter behind it wherever the Inspectorate published one. Searched by meaning as well as by words, with the key case law counted live across the letters.

Casework that chases the deadlines. Applications, appeals and conditions with their statutory dates.

The judgement stays yours. The tool gathers the material and dates it.