Former Waterdell Nurseries, High View, Chequers Lane, WATFORD, WD25 0GR

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• Whether the site is suitable for residential development in terms of location, land use and amount of development having particular regard to: whether the proposal is inappropriate development within the Green Belt; the impact on the openness of the Green Belt; whether the appeal site would provide a suitable location for housing having regard to the accessibility of existing services and facilities; and would any harm by reason of inappropriateness, and any other harm, 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 with substantial harm to openness and character, and lacks suitable accessibility to services, which together are not clearly outweighed by the benefits of affordable housing provision.

The benefits of nine affordable dwellings and contribution to housing supply were given considerable weight, but did not clearly outweigh the substantial weight afforded to the harm from inappropriate development, loss of openness, and moderate harm to character and appearance and accessibility to services; Green Belt policy restricts development so the tilted balance does not apply.