Planning appeal decision
Long Acre, Holly Lane, Harpenden, AL5 5DY
Planning appeal 3285363 at Long Acre, Holly Lane, Harpenden, AL5 5DY (St Albans City Council) was dismissed on 10 May 2022 by Inspector Castle S, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether or not the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt, having regard to the National Planning Policy Framework and development plan policy.
demolition of existing chalet bungalow and replacement with 1.5 storey Passivhaus and associated works. Amendments to existing garage
- Authority
- St Albans City Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Other minor developments
- Inspector
- Castle S
- Postcode
- AL5 5DY
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether or not the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt, having regard to the National Planning Policy Framework and development plan policy
- The effect of the proposal on the openness of the Green Belt
- If the proposal would be inappropriate development, would the harm by reason of inappropriateness, and any other harm, be clearly outweighed by other considerations, and if so would this amount to the very special circumstances required to justify the proposal
What decided it
The replacement dwelling would be materially larger than the existing dwelling and would cause harmful loss of openness to the Green Belt, and this substantial harm was not clearly outweighed by other considerations including the energy efficiency benefits of the proposal.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy 1Policy 13
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 149Paragraph 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
Town Planner Pro holds this letter. The Appeals plan opens it and every other letter we hold, all of them searchable, with the main issues and what decided each case picked out. We do not show letters on the free site because they carry people’s names and addresses.
With an account
What an account adds to this decision


More decisions in St Albans City Council
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2022
- Planning permission granted15 September 20263311314Land at Former Butterfly World, Miriam Lane, St. Albans, Hertfordshire, AL2 3NY
- Dismissed10 July 20266008445202 Radlett Road, Frogmore, St Albans, AL2 2EN
- Planning permission granted8 July 2026337492139 The Broadway, Gustard Wood, Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire, AL4 9LW
- Notice upheld8 July 2026336000739 The Broadway, Wheathampstead, St. Albans, AL4 8LW
- Dismissed10 June 20266005367Beaumont 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.
®