Planning appeal decision
798B St. Albans Road, Watford, WD25 9FH
Planning appeal 3317104 at 798B St. Albans Road, Watford, WD25 9FH (Watford Borough Council) was dismissed on 10 November 2023 by Inspector Smith J, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: The effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the host dwelling and surrounding area.
Proposed Rear Dormer to Flat 798b in addition to the approved planning
- Authority
- Watford Borough Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Smith J
- Postcode
- WD25 9FH
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- The effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the host dwelling and surrounding area
What decided it
The proposed dormer's excessive width across the full original roof and its prominent corner location would cause unacceptable harm to the character and appearance of the host dwelling and surrounding area, conflicting with the development plan with no material considerations of sufficient weight to justify approval.
The housing benefit of providing three-bedroom homes was outweighed by the harm to character and appearance of the area caused by the disproportionate and dominant dormer design.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy QD6.2Policy QD6.4
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
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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.
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