82 Oaklands Lane, Smallford, ST. ALBANS, AL4 0HS

described on the application form as ‘Full planning application for the demolition of 1 no. existing dwelling and garage, and the erection of 5no. dwellings and all associated works

Authority: St Albans City Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: residential · Minor Dwellings
Inspector: Gunn J

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

Whether the proposal is inappropriate development in the Green Belt
The effect of the proposal on the openness of the Green Belt
The effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the appeal site and surrounding area
If the development is inappropriate, whether the harm by reason of inappropriateness and any other harm is clearly outweighed by other considerations, so as to amount to very special circumstances necessary to justify the development

What decided it

The proposal constitutes limited infilling within a defined village settlement, making it not inappropriate development in the Green Belt under NPPF paragraph 149(e).

Framework references: 149

Plan policies cited: Policy 1, Policy 69, Policy 72

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.

Every English appeal since 2016, with the letter behind it wherever the Inspectorate published one. Searched by meaning as well as by words, with the key case law counted live across the letters.

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

The judgement stays yours. The tool gathers the material and dates it.