®Planning appeal decision
Land at Crane Mead, Ware, Hertfordshire, SG12 9FF
Planning appeal 3319338 at Land at Crane Mead, Ware, Hertfordshire, SG12 9FF (East Hertfordshire District Council) was dismissed on 26 March 2024 by Inspector Smith D, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: The effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the area, including a non-designated heritage asset (Weir Keepers Cottage).
a new three storey residential block comprising one 2 bed four person dwelling and two 1 bed two person dwellings per floor with a total of 9 apartments. The scheme will also include cycle and bin storage, creation of private balcony space as well as shared amenity space from the new block to the river lea, landscaping hard and soft planting, car parking including visitor parking
- Authority
- East Hertfordshire District Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Smith D
- Postcode
- SG12 9FF
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- The effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the area, including a non-designated heritage asset (Weir Keepers Cottage)
- The effect on land designated as Local Green Space
- Whether the proposed development would be suitably located having regard to the risk of flooding
- The effect on biodiversity
What decided it
The proposal fails to accord with the development plan as a whole due to harm to character and appearance, loss of Local Green Space function, absence of a sequential flood risk test, and failure to demonstrate biodiversity net gain, and the housing supply position does not provide a compelling reason to set these objections aside.
The housing supply benefits and location within the urban area of Ware were outweighed by significant objections regarding adverse effects on character and appearance, harm to Local Green Space, unsuitability regarding flood risk, and failure to demonstrate biodiversity enhancements.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy DES4Policy W2Policy W3Policy HA2Policy W13Policy CFLR2Policy WAT1Policy NE2Policy W12Policy DPS2Policy WARE1
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11
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
Town Planner Pro holds this letter. The Appeals plan opens it and every other letter we hold, all of them searchable, with the main issues and what decided each case picked out. We do not show letters on the free site because they carry people’s names and addresses.
With an account
What an account adds to this decision
More decisions in East Hertfordshire District Council
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2024
- Allowed28 October 20266008487The Ranch House, Amwell Hill, Great Amwell, Ware, SG12 9QZ
- Allowed23 October 20266006221Land Off Chapel Lane, Little Hadham, SG11 2AB
- Dismissed19 October 20266009679Land to the West of Ginns Road, Ginns Road, Stocking Pelham, SG9 0JD
- Dismissed15 October 20266010602Duck Street Cottage, The Street, Furneux Pelham, SG9 0LA
- Dismissed15 October 20266005090Hare Street House, Hare Street Buntinford, SG9 0DY
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.