57 New Road, Digswell, WELWYN, AL6 0AL

part demolition of existing property and erection of 5 no. 4 bedroom houses with associated internal access roads, parking and refuse/recycling collection

Authority: Welwyn Hatfield Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: residential · Minor Dwellings
Inspector: Szymanski D

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

The effect of the proposed development upon the character and appearance of the area

What decided it

The proposal would be significantly harmful to and out of keeping with the character and appearance of the area, conflicting with development plan and Framework policies on design quality, and this harm significantly and demonstrably outweighs the benefits of housing delivery when assessed against the Framework as a whole.

The moderate benefits of housing delivery (5 dwellings), economic benefits during and after construction, and moderate biodiversity net gain were outweighed by the significant harm to character and appearance and conflict with design policies, such that the adverse impacts significantly and demonstrably outweighed the benefits.

Framework references: 131, 135, 139

Plan policies cited: Policy SP9, Policy SADM11

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.