®Planning appeal decision
52 And Land Rear Of 28-74 Ragged Hall Lane , Chiswell Green, AL2 3LD
Planning appeal 3331451 at 52 And Land Rear Of 28-74 Ragged Hall Lane , Chiswell Green, AL2 3LD (St Albans City Council) was allowed on 3 May 2024 by Inspector Dean S, following a hearing. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the National Planning Policy Framework (the Framework) and any relevant development plan policies.
Outline planning application to include up to 53 dwellings (Use Class C3), associated green infrastructure, drainage and all ancillary works, new junction off Ragged Hall Lane following the demolition of no. 52 Ragged Hall Lane. Detailed approval is sought for access arrangements only, with all other matters reserved
- Authority
- St Albans City Council
- Appeal type
- major · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Hearing
- Development
- residential · Major dwellings
- Inspector
- Dean S
- Postcode
- AL2 3LD
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the National Planning Policy Framework (the Framework) and any relevant development plan policies.
- The effect of the proposal on the openness of the Green Belt.
- The effect of the proposal on local landscape character and appearance.
- Whether any harm by reason of inappropriateness, and any other harm, would be clearly outweighed by other considerations, so as to amount to the very special circumstances required to justify the proposal.
What decided it
The severe and worsening shortfall in housing land supply and delivery generated significant weight in favour of the housing benefits, which clearly outweighed the identified Green Belt harm and amounted to very special circumstances.
The substantial weight given to Green Belt harm (limited harm to Green Belt purposes and openness) was clearly outweighed by significant weight for housing delivery and moderate weight for other benefits (open space, biodiversity net gain, economic benefits), amounting to very special circumstances; the adverse impacts of granting permission did not significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits when assessed against the Framework as a whole.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy 1Policy 74Policy 143B
- 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 St Albans City Council
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2024
- Dismissed25 September 2026600980858 And 60 Waverley Road St, St Albans, St Albans, AL3 5PE
- Planning permission granted15 September 20263311314Land at Former Butterfly World, Miriam Lane, St. Albans, Hertfordshire, AL2 3NY
- Dismissed5 August 20266006844Land Rear Of 14 Oakwood Road, Bricket Wood, AL2 3PU
- Dismissed24 July 20266005669The White Horse, 182 High Street, London Colney, AL2 1JY
- Dismissed10 July 20266008445202 Radlett Road, Frogmore, St Albans, AL2 2EN
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.