137 Stevenage Road, HITCHIN, SG4 9DT

erection of 1no detached 3-bed dwelling with new access off Folly Close

Authority: North Hertfordshire District Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: residential · Minor Dwellings
Inspector: Catcheside E

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area
the effect of the proposal on the living conditions of the occupiers of 137 Stevenage Road, with particular regard to sunlight and daylight
whether the proposal would provide an adequate standard of accommodation for future occupiers, with particular regard to outdoor amenity space and traffic noise

What decided it

The harm to character and appearance and to the living conditions of existing occupiers significantly and demonstrably outweighs the modest contribution to housing supply that a single dwelling would make.

The adverse impacts of harm to character and appearance and living conditions significantly and demonstrably outweigh the modest benefits of housing supply contribution, even if there is a significant shortfall in housing land supply, such that the presumption in favour of sustainable development does not apply.

Framework references: 11

Plan policies cited: Policy SP9, Policy D1, Policy D3

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.