Land Adjacent The Mill House, Coursers Road, Colney Heath, ST. ALBANS, AL4 0PB

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• the effect of the development on the openness of the Green Belt and the purposes of including land within the Green Belt
• whether the development is in an accessible location
• the effect of the development on the setting of the Mill House a grade II listed building
• the effect of the development on ecology
• would the harm by reason of inappropriateness and any other harm, be clearly outweighed by other considerations so as to amount to the very special circumstances required to justify the development

What decided it

The combination of significant unmet Gypsy and Traveller pitch need, absence of alternative sites, persistent development plan policy failure, and the best interests of the children was found to amount to very special circumstances clearly outweighing the Green Belt and heritage harm.

the harm from inappropriate development in the Green Belt, moderate harm to openness, and less than substantial harm to the setting of the listed building was clearly outweighed by the unmet need for pitches, lack of alternative sites, persistent development plan policy failure and the best interests of the children, amounting to very special circumstances