Butlers Yard , Drovers Way, ST. ALBANS, Hertfordshire, AL3 5FA

the erection of three new apartments

Authority: St Albans City Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: residential · Minor Dwellings
Inspector: Barnes D

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

The effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the surrounding area and host building

What decided it

The less than substantial harm to the heritage significance of the Conservation Area caused by the incongruous design and choice of external materials, which was not outweighed by the public benefits of housing delivery and environmental gains.

The less than substantial harm to the heritage significance of the Conservation Area was not outweighed by the public benefits of delivering three apartments and environmental benefits of intensive urban use, despite the Council's inability to demonstrate a 4-year housing land supply.

Plan policies cited: Policy 85, Policy 114, Policy 2, Policy 69, Policy 70

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.

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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.
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