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Dismissed3 June 20253338501

Bricket Wood Sports and Country Club, Paintball Site and Bricket Lodge, Lye Lane, St Albans, AL2 3TF

Planning appeal 3338501 at Bricket Wood Sports and Country Club, Paintball Site and Bricket Lodge, Lye Lane, St Albans, AL2 3TF (St Albans City Council) was dismissed on 3 June 2025 by Inspector Coyne C, following an inquiry. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether the proposal would represent inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the Framework and any relevant Development Plan policies.

described on the application form as ‘the demolition of existing buildings, the construction of up to 115 dwellings, the creation of a new access and associated highways improvements’

Authority
St Albans City Council
Appeal type
major · Planning Appeal
Procedure
Inquiry
Development
residential · Major dwellings
Inspector
Coyne C
Postcode
AL2 3TF

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

  • whether the proposal would represent inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the Framework and any relevant Development Plan policies
  • the effect of the proposed development on the landscape character of the area
  • the effect of the proposed development on highway safety
  • whether the proposed development would support active and sustainable modes of travel
  • the effect of the proposed development on flood risk and drainage
  • if the proposed development is inappropriate, whether the harm by reason of inappropriateness, and any other harm, is clearly outweighed by other considerations so as to amount to the very special circumstances necessary to justify the proposal

What decided it

The very substantial and substantial Green Belt and landscape harms were not clearly outweighed by the other considerations, so very special circumstances did not exist to justify the inappropriate development.

the harm by reason of inappropriateness, the harm to openness, and the other identified harms were not clearly outweighed by the other considerations (principally housing delivery) so as to amount to the very special circumstances necessary to justify the proposal, and overall the adverse impacts of granting permission significantly and demonstrably outweighed the benefits.

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies
Saved Policy 1 SALPSaved Policy 2 SALPPolicy 7A SALPPolicy 8 SALPPolicy 34 SALPPolicy 35 SALPPolicy 74 SALPPolicy 84 SALPPolicy S1 SSNPPolicy S3 SSNPPolicy S9 SSNPPolicy S14 SSNP
National Planning Policy Framework
Paragraph 11Paragraph 109Paragraph 110Paragraph 115Paragraph 116Paragraph 142Paragraph 143Paragraph 153Paragraph 154Paragraph 155Paragraph 156Paragraph 157Paragraph 158Paragraph 159Paragraph 181Paragraph 187Paragraph 193Paragraph 232
Judgments
Turner v SSCLG [2016] EWCA Civ 466

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 applied

The decision letter

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More decisions in St Albans City Council

The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2025

  1. Planning permission granted15 September 20263311314
    Land at Former Butterfly World, Miriam Lane, St. Albans, Hertfordshire, AL2 3NY
  2. Dismissed24 July 20266005669
    The White Horse, 182 High Street, London Colney, AL2 1JY
  3. Dismissed10 July 20266008445
    202 Radlett Road, Frogmore, St Albans, AL2 2EN
  4. Allowed9 July 20266006426
    69/69A St Peters Street, St Albans, AL1 3ED
  5. Allowed9 July 20266006425
    67 St Peters Street, St Albans, AL1 3EA

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.

In the app this decision sits on the map beside every appeal around it, with its letter to read and the main issues, policies and judgments cited picked out.