Land West of Pirton Road, Holwell, Hertfordshire, SG5 3SS

Planning appeal 3275904 at Land West of Pirton Road, Holwell, Hertfordshire, SG5 3SS (North Hertfordshire District Council) was dismissed on 30 December 2021 by Inspector Griffiths S, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the site is suitable for residential development, having regard to its location, the proposed land use and the amount of development proposed.

residential development of land for housing (3-4 dwellings)

Authority: North Hertfordshire District Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: residential · Minor Dwellings
Inspector: Griffiths S

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

Whether the site is suitable for residential development, having regard to its location, the proposed land use and the amount of development proposed

What decided it

The site's location on the edge of the village in open countryside with poor access to services and facilities by sustainable transport modes, combined with the lack of affordable housing and modest scale of benefits, meant the significant sustainability and environmental harms were not outweighed by the housing supply shortfall.

The tilted balance under NPPF paragraph 11(d) was applied, but the significant harm to countryside character, landscape, and sustainability objectives was not outweighed by the modest economic and social benefits of the small-scale development with no affordable housing contribution

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies: Policy 6 (Rural Areas Beyond the Green Belt) of the Saved Policies of the North Hertfordshire District Local Plan No.2 with Alterations (2007)Policy CGB1 (Rural Areas Beyond the Green Belt) of the North Hertfordshire Local Plan Proposed Submission (as amended by Main Modifications) (2016)Policy NE1 (Landscape) of the North Hertfordshire Local Plan Proposed Submission (as amended by Main Modifications) (2016)Policy SP1 (Sustainable Development in North Hertfordshire) of the North Hertfordshire Local Plan Proposed Submission (as amended by Main Modifications) (2016)Policy SP2 (Countryside and Green Belt) of the North Hertfordshire Local Plan Proposed Submission (as amended by Main Modifications) (2016)Policy SP6 (Sustainable Transport) of the North Hertfordshire Local Plan Proposed Submission (as amended by Main Modifications) (2016)Policy SP8 (Housing) of the North Hertfordshire Local Plan Proposed Submission (as amended by Main Modifications) (2016)Policy T1 (Assessment of Transport Matters) of the North Hertfordshire Local Plan Proposed Submission (as amended by Main Modifications) (2016)
National Planning Policy Framework: Paragraph 8Paragraph 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.

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The decision letter

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More decisions in North Hertfordshire

The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2021

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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.