®Planning appeal decision
Land off Mackereye End, Harpenden, Herts, AL5 5DS
Planning appeal 3297785 at Land off Mackereye End, Harpenden, Herts, AL5 5DS (St Albans City Council) was dismissed on 2 December 2022 by Inspector Aqbal M, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the National Planning Policy Framework and any relevant development plan policies.
change of use from fallow (Class 3b) agricultural to (sui generis) equestrian and the erection of a building with two individual stable units (following refused application 5/2020/2327)
- Authority
- St Albans City Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- agricultural · Change of use
- Inspector
- Aqbal M
- Postcode
- AL5 5DS
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the National Planning Policy Framework and any relevant development plan policies
- The effect on the openness and purposes of the Green Belt
- Whether the proposal would preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the Mackerye End Conservation Area
- 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 constitutes inappropriate development in the Green Belt that would harm its openness and purposes, and the other considerations put forward do not clearly outweigh this harm to justify very special circumstances.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy 1Policy 85
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 137Paragraph 138Paragraph 149Paragraph 150Paragraph 195
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.