®Planning appeal decision
Land off Baulk Close, Harpenden, AL5 4FJ
Planning appeal 3294152 at Land off Baulk Close, Harpenden, AL5 4FJ (St Albans City Council) was dismissed on 18 August 2022 by Inspector Bayliss G, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the appeal scheme would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt.
Outline application (all matters reserved) – Residential development
- Authority
- St Albans City Council
- Appeal type
- major · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Major dwellings
- Inspector
- Bayliss G
- Postcode
- AL5 4FJ
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether the appeal scheme would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt
- The effect of the proposed development on the openness of the Green Belt, and the purposes of including land in it
- The effect the development would have on the character and appearance of the area
- If the proposed development is inappropriate, whether the 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 substantial harm to Green Belt openness and the harm to character and appearance were not clearly outweighed by the housing benefits, and the Green Belt protection policies in the Framework provided a clear reason for refusal, displacing the presumption in favour of sustainable development.
The significant weight given to housing provision and accessible location did not outweigh the totality of harm comprising inappropriate development, substantial harm to openness, encroachment into countryside, and harm to character and appearance; very special circumstances were not demonstrated.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy 1 of the City and District of St Albans District Local Plan ReviewPolicy 104 of the LPR
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11Paragraph 138Paragraph 147Paragraph 148Paragraph 149Paragraph 150Paragraph 174Paragraph 219
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
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- Notice upheld8 July 2026336000739 The Broadway, Wheathampstead, St. Albans, AL4 8LW
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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.