®Planning appeal decision
5 Castle Rise, Wheathampstead, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL4 8HX
Planning appeal 3356266 at 5 Castle Rise, Wheathampstead, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL4 8HX (St Albans City Council) was allowed on 11 February 2025 by Inspector Down K, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the proposed development would amount to inappropriate development in the Green Belt, having regard to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), 2024, and any relevant development plan policies.
a part single storey, part two storey rear extension with rooflight
- Authority
- St Albans City Council
- Appeal type
- householder · Householder (HAS)
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Householder developments
- Inspector
- Down K
- Postcode
- AL4 8HX
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether the proposed development would amount to inappropriate development in the Green Belt, having regard to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), 2024, and any relevant development plan policies
- The effect on the openness of the Green Belt
- If the proposed development would amount to inappropriate development, whether the harm by reason of inappropriateness and any other harm is clearly outweighed by other considerations, such as to amount to the very special circumstances necessary to justify the development
What decided it
The realistic fallback position demonstrating that equivalent or worse extensions could be built under Permitted Development rights provided the very special circumstances necessary to justify the development.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy 1Policy 13Policy 72
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
More decisions in St Albans City Council
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2025
- Planning permission granted15 September 20263311314Land at Former Butterfly World, Miriam Lane, St. Albans, Hertfordshire, AL2 3NY
- Dismissed10 July 20266008445202 Radlett Road, Frogmore, St Albans, AL2 2EN
- Planning permission granted8 July 2026337492139 The Broadway, Gustard Wood, Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire, AL4 9LW
- Notice upheld8 July 2026336000739 The Broadway, Wheathampstead, St. Albans, AL4 8LW
- Dismissed10 June 20266005367Beaumont Hall Lane, Redbourn Road, Redbourn, AL3 6RN
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.