®Planning appeal decision
Land to the West of Orchard House, Astrope Lane, Astrope, Hertfordshire, HP23 4PN
Planning appeal 3346304 at Land to the West of Orchard House, Astrope Lane, Astrope, Hertfordshire, HP23 4PN (Dacorum Borough Council) was dismissed on 18 February 2025 by Inspector Wilson D, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether the appeal site is an appropriate location for the development having regard to development plan policies and accessibility to facilities.
Residential development including formation of new houses, access, landscaping and all ancillary features. Diversion of footpath 53.
- Authority
- Dacorum Borough Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Wilson D
- Postcode
- HP23 4PN
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- whether the appeal site is an appropriate location for the development having regard to development plan policies and accessibility to facilities
- the effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the area
- whether the proposal would provide adequate provision for surface water drainage
- whether there is an appropriate legal mechanism to secure the diversion of public footpath 53
What decided it
The appeal site's poor accessibility to local services and facilities by sustainable modes, combined with inadequate certainty regarding long-term maintenance of the surface water drainage scheme, meant the benefits of housing delivery did not significantly and demonstrably outweigh the adverse impacts when assessed against the Framework as a whole.
The substantial weight afforded to housing delivery in a situation of significant undersupply (2.06 years) did not significantly and demonstrably outweigh the harm caused by the site's unsuitability as a location for development and the potential to increase flood risk.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy CS1Policy CS7Policy CS8Policy CS11Policy CS12Policy CS13Policy CS25Policy CS26Policy CS29Policy CS31Policy CS35Policy 79Policy 100Hertfordshire Local Transport Plan 2018 Policy 1Hertfordshire Local Transport Plan 2018 Policy 5
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 82Paragraph 83Paragraph 110Paragraph 115Paragraph 117Paragraph 96Paragraph 187Paragraph 181Paragraph 57Paragraph 11
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
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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.