Land opposite 44-58 Chapel Lane, Letty Green, HERTFORD, SG14 2PA

construction of a new house, garage and driveway with new landscape planting

Authority: East Hertfordshire District Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: residential · Minor Dwellings
Inspector: Hickey A

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

the effect of the development on the character and appearance of the area
the effect of the development on protected species and biodiversity

What decided it

The harm to the character and appearance of the area caused by the cramped positioning and flat roof form of the dwelling, combined with the inability to rule out harm to protected bat species, outweighed the housing and environmental benefits of the scheme.

The benefits from the contribution of one modern, sustainably built dwelling, social and economic benefits from construction and occupation, and environmental benefits from biodiversity net gain did not outweigh the harm to character and appearance and potential harm to protected species.

Framework references: 11

Plan policies cited: Policy VILL3, Policy DES4, Policy NE2, Policy NE3

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.