The Barn, Nicholls Farm, Lybury Lane , Redbourn, AL3 7JH

change of use from general industrial to Class C3 (residential), retention of swimming pool and associated landscaping and decking and ancillary barn for garage and office following demolition of previous industrial building (retrospective) without complying with conditions 1 and 3 attached to planning permission Ref 5/20/2784, dated 21 May 2021

Authority: St Albans City Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: residential · Other minor developments
Inspector: Aqbal M

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

Whether the proposal would result in inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the National Planning Policy Framework and relevant development plan policies
The effect of the proposal on the openness and purposes of the Green Belt
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 proposal would result in inappropriate development in the Green Belt with greater visual impact on openness than the pre-existing development, and the harm would not be clearly outweighed by other considerations to establish very special circumstances.

Framework references: 137, 138, 145, 149

Plan policies cited: Policy 1, Policy 13

Read the decision letter on the Inspectorate’s site

The main issues and the deciding factor are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.

What an account adds

Draw a red line around your site and the appraisal follows.

Heritage. Listed buildings by grade and distance, conservation areas, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, heritage at risk.
Landscape and environment. Green belt, national parks and national landscapes, SSSIs, ancient woodland, SPA, SAC and Ramsar sites, nutrient catchments.
Flooding. Flood zones 2 and 3, surface water, and both again with climate change.
Transport. The 800 metre station catchment and service frequency, bus stops with their weekday frequency, the cycle network, and the Framework’s transport tests measured for the site.

Then the development plan position, the housing land supply as an Inspector last accepted it, and every appeal decided around the site with its letter.

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Casework that chases the deadlines. Applications, appeals and conditions with their statutory dates.

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