®Planning appeal decision
Units 1-3, Welham Manor, Welham Green, North Mymms, Hatfield, AL9 7EL
Planning appeal 3274793 at Units 1-3, Welham Manor, Welham Green, North Mymms, Hatfield, AL9 7EL (Welwyn Hatfield Council) was dismissed on 26 November 2021 by Inspector O'Doherty A, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt, and the effect on the openness of the Green Belt.
the erection of 7 dwellinghouses
- Authority
- Welwyn Hatfield Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- O'Doherty A
- Postcode
- AL9 7EL
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- whether the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt, and the effect on the openness of the Green Belt
- the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area
- the effect of the proposal on employment land
- the effect of the proposal on highway safety
- if the proposal would be inappropriate development, 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 it
What decided it
The proposal's greater visual impact on Green Belt openness through substantially taller and more imposing dwellings in a suburban layout, combined with unacceptable harm to character and appearance and loss of employment land, could not be clearly outweighed by the moderate benefits of housing delivery in the absence of a five-year supply.
the benefits of housing delivery (moderate weight) did not clearly outweigh the substantial harm to the Green Belt by reason of inappropriateness, the unacceptable harm to character and appearance, and the unacceptable loss of employment land, such that very special circumstances did not exist
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy H2Policy RA1Policy R1Policy D1Policy D2Policy D8Policy RA11Policy R17Policy EMP8Policy SADM 34Policy SADM 1Policy SADM 10Policy SADM 30
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 149Paragraph 123Paragraph 130Paragraph 81Paragraph 111Paragraph 148Paragraph 11
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
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.