®Planning appeal decision
1 The Orchard, Kings Langley, WD4 8JR
Planning appeal 3338702 at 1 The Orchard, Kings Langley, WD4 8JR (Dacorum Borough Council) was dismissed on 20 August 2025 by Inspector Savage M, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Appeal A: whether the Council's decision to refuse the certificate of lawfulness is well-founded.
Appeal A: insertion of two doors and internal layout changes; Appeal B: extension of existing dwelling to split into 4 dwellings; Appeal C: insertion of two doors and converting existing dwelling into four dwellings (outline); Appeal D: insertion of two doors and converting existing dwelling into five dwellings (outline); Appeal E: conversion of existing dwelling into 3 dwellings with addition of a porch
- Authority
- Dacorum Borough Council
- Appeal type
- ldc · Lawful Development Certificate
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Householder developments
- Inspector
- Savage M
- Postcode
- WD4 8JR
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Appeal A: whether the Council's decision to refuse the certificate of lawfulness is well-founded
- Appeals B-E: the effect of the appeal schemes on the character and appearance of the area
- Appeals B-E: the effect of the appeal scheme on the setting of the Kings Langley Conservation Area and Church House, a Grade II listed building (Appeal B only)
- Appeals B-E: whether the proposed dwellings would provide satisfactory living conditions for future occupants, having particular regard to outdoor amenity space
- Appeal E only: the effect of the appeal scheme on parking provision
- Appeals B-E: the effect of the appeal schemes on the Chilterns Beechwoods Special Area for Conservation
What decided it
The unresolved adverse effects on the integrity of the Chilterns Beechwoods Special Area of Conservation, which could not be ruled out beyond all reasonable scientific doubt without secured mitigation measures, combined with harm to character and appearance and failure to provide satisfactory living conditions, outweighed the benefit of additional housing in an area without a five-year housing land supply.
The benefits of housing delivery, particularly one and two-bedroom units in accordance with the neighbourhood plan, were outweighed by the protection of the Chilterns Beechwoods SAC as an area of particular importance, harm to character and appearance, failure to provide satisfactory living conditions, and (for Appeal E) harm to highway safety.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy CS11Policy CS12Policy CS26Policy CS27Policy CS8Policy KL2Policy KL3Policy KL4Saved Appendix 3 of the Dacorum Borough Local Plan (2004)Policy 119 of the Dacorum Local Plan (2004)Policy 120 of the Dacorum Local Plan (2004)
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11Paragraph 187Paragraph 212
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
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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.