®Planning appeal decision
Land South of Chiswell Green Lane, Chiswell Green, St Albans, AL2 3NY
demolition of existing structures and construction of up to 391 dwellings (Use Class C3); the provision of land for a new school, open space provision and associated landscaping, internal roads, parking, footpaths, cycleways, drainage, utilities and service infrastructure and new access arrangements. Summary of Recommendation: That the appeal be allowed
- Authority
- St Albans City Council
- Appeal type
- major · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Inquiry
- Development
- residential · Major dwellings
- Inspector
- Boniface M
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether the proposals amount to inappropriate development in the Green Belt and, if so, whether the harm to the Green Belt and any other harm is clearly outweighed by other considerations so as to amount to very special circumstances
- The effect on landscape character and visual amenity
- The effect on the loss of best and most versatile agricultural land
- The effect on the highway network and highway safety
- Whether adequate provision would be made for education
- The weight to be given to the need for market and affordable housing in the district
What decided it
The very substantial weight attached to meeting the district's severe and persistently unmet need for market and affordable housing, which clearly outweighed the substantial Green Belt and other harms identified.
The substantial harm to the Green Belt from inappropriateness, loss of openness and conflict with Green Belt purposes, together with lesser landscape, agricultural land and air quality harms, was clearly outweighed by the very substantial benefits of housing and affordable housing delivery plus other significant and moderate benefits, so that very special circumstances existed and both appeals were allowed.
Framework references: 11, 48, 56, 57, 60, 63, 81, 95, 111, 115, 134, 147, 148, 152, 153, 174, 180
Plan policies cited: Policy 1, Policy 102, Policy S1
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.