®Planning appeal decision
Land To Rear Of 33 And 35, Station Road, Smallford, AL4 0HB
Planning appeal 3356565 at Land To Rear Of 33 And 35, Station Road, Smallford, AL4 0HB (St Albans City Council) was allowed on 27 June 2025 by Inspector Savage K, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to relevant development plan policies, the provisions of the National Planning Policy Framework and the effect on the openness of the Green Belt.
outline application for up to 5 dwellings (all matters reserved except access)
- Authority
- St Albans City Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Savage K
- Postcode
- AL4 0HB
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to relevant development plan policies, the provisions of the National Planning Policy Framework and the effect on the openness of the Green Belt
- The effect on highway safety
- If the proposal would be inappropriate development whether the harm by reason of inappropriateness, and any other harm, is clearly outweighed by other considerations so as to amount to the very special circumstances necessary to justify it
What decided it
The site qualifies as grey belt land under NPPF paragraph 155 and satisfies all three criteria for non-inappropriate development, combined with the Council's inability to demonstrate five-year housing land supply, which tilted the balance decisively in favour of the proposal.
The significant benefits of housing delivery at a time when the Council cannot demonstrate sufficient supply outweighed the absence of any demonstrable adverse impacts, bringing the proposal into accordance with both the development plan and the Framework under the tilted balance of paragraph 11.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy 1 of the St Albans District Local Plan Review 1994Policy 34 of the DLPRPolicies 1, 5, 6, 7 or 8 of the Hertfordshire Local Transport Plan 2018
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11Paragraph 58Paragraph 110Paragraph 115Paragraph 143Paragraph 154Paragraph 155
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
More decisions in St Albans City Council
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2025
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- 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.