®Planning appeal decision
1A Earl Street, Watford, WD17 2PD
Planning appeal 3297748 at 1A Earl Street, Watford, WD17 2PD (Watford Borough Council) was dismissed on 2 December 2022 by Inspector Buchanan R, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether the proposal would provide satisfactory internal and external living conditions for future occupants having regard to useable space, privacy and outlook.
change of use from B1 office to C3 residential including addition of first floor
- Authority
- Watford Borough Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Change of use
- Inspector
- Buchanan R
- Postcode
- WD17 2PD
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- whether the proposal would provide satisfactory internal and external living conditions for future occupants having regard to useable space, privacy and outlook
- its effect on the living conditions of the existing occupants of No.41 Loates Lane with regard to outlook and natural light
- whether it would make appropriate provision for cycle and bin storage
What decided it
The failure to provide satisfactory internal and external living conditions for future occupants, particularly the shortfall against the nationally described space standard and absence of private external amenity space, outweighed the benefits of a small contribution to housing supply despite the local housing shortfall.
The limited social, economic and environmental benefits of a single house contribution to housing supply were outweighed by the appreciable weight given to the conflict with development plan policies requiring high standards of amenity and well-being for future occupants, consistent with Framework objectives.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- HO3.10HO3.11QD6.4CC8.5ST11.4
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 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
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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.