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Allowed6 April 20233276551

Woodview Lodge, Lye Lane, Bricket Wood, St. Albans, AL2 3TW

Planning appeal 3276551 at Woodview Lodge, Lye Lane, Bricket Wood, St. Albans, AL2 3TW (St Albans City Council) was allowed on 6 April 2023 by Inspector Thandi B, following a hearing. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt.

Change of use of land to use as a residential gypsy caravan site

Authority
St Albans City Council
Appeal type
minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure
Hearing
Development
caravan-gypsy · Change of use
Inspector
Thandi B
Postcode
AL2 3TW

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

  • Whether the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt
  • The effect of the proposal on the openness and purposes of the Green Belt
  • The effect of the development on the character and appearance of the area
  • Whether any 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 required to justify the proposal

What decided it

The considerable unmet need for gypsy and traveller pitches, the absence of a five-year supply of deliverable sites, and the best interests of the child and unborn child dependants, taken together, clearly outweighed the harm to the Green Belt.

The harm caused by reason of inappropriateness and the moderate harm to openness of the Green Belt was clearly outweighed by other considerations (unmet pitch need, lack of five-year supply, and best interests of children), amounting to very special circumstances justifying the development.

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies
LP Policy 1
National Planning Policy Framework
Paragraph 148
Judgments
Smith v SSLUHC & Ors [2022] EWCA Civ 1391

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 applied

The decision letter

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More decisions in St Albans City Council

The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2023

  1. Planning permission granted15 September 20263311314
    Land at Former Butterfly World, Miriam Lane, St. Albans, Hertfordshire, AL2 3NY
  2. Dismissed10 July 20266008445
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  3. Planning permission granted8 July 20263374921
    39 The Broadway, Gustard Wood, Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire, AL4 9LW
  4. Notice upheld8 July 20263360007
    39 The Broadway, Wheathampstead, St. Albans, AL4 8LW
  5. Dismissed10 June 20266005367
    Beaumont Hall Lane, Redbourn Road, Redbourn, AL3 6RN

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.

In the app this decision sits on the map beside every appeal around it, with its letter to read and the main issues, policies and judgments cited picked out.