1, Letty Green, Hertford, SG14 2NZ

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• Whether the proposal amounts to inappropriate development in the Green Belt
• The effect on the openness of the Green Belt and the purposes of including land within it
• If the development is inappropriate, whether any harm by reason of inappropriateness, and any other harm, is clearly outweighed by other considerations so as to amount to the very special circumstances necessary to justify it

What decided it

The fact that the vast majority of the extensions contributing to the finding of inappropriate development already exist and the proposal, as a replacement structure, would not materially worsen effects on the Green Belt, combined with the absence of harm to openness and character, clearly outweighed the harm from inappropriateness.

The harm to the Green Belt by way of inappropriateness, to which substantial weight was afforded, was clearly outweighed by the negligible increase in scale, past Council acceptance of similar extensions, absence of harm to openness or character, and modest energy efficiency improvements.