Hamberlins Farm , Hamberlins Lane, Northchurch, HP4 3TD

the demolition of existing buildings to form five residential units alongside access, parking and landscaping

Authority: Dacorum Borough Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: residential · Minor Dwellings
Inspector: Beeby C

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 2021 and any relevant development plan policies
The effect of the proposal on the openness of the Green Belt
The effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area with particular regard to its effect on the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
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 unacceptable harm to the character and appearance of the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, to which great weight must be afforded, outweighs the limited benefits of housing delivery and site regeneration.

The unacceptable harm to the appearance of the AONB and the conflict with development plan policies, to which great weight and moderate weight respectively are afforded, outweigh the limited benefits of housing supply, site regeneration, economic support and biodiversity net gain.

Framework references: 11, 69, 130, 149, 150, 176

Plan policies cited: Policy CS5, Policy CS1, Policy CS10, Policy CS11, Policy CS12, Policy CS24, Policy 97

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.