®Planning appeal decision
Land to the East of Old Hale Way, Hitchin, Hertfordshire, SG4 0SA
Planning appeal 3358840 at Land to the East of Old Hale Way, Hitchin, Hertfordshire, SG4 0SA (North Hertfordshire District Council) was dismissed on 11 September 2025 by Inspector Dring G, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether the proposed development comprises inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the National Planning Policy Framework and the development plan including whether openness would be preserved and the effect on the purposes of including land within the Green Belt.
altered vehicular access to facilitate the use of land as a community car park together with the installation of new gates and fencing and associated landscaping
- Authority
- North Hertfordshire District Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- leisure-sport · Other minor developments
- Inspector
- Dring G
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- whether the proposed development comprises inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the National Planning Policy Framework and the development plan including whether openness would be preserved and the effect on the purposes of including land within the Green Belt
- whether the proposed development would promote sustainable modes of travel
- the effect of the proposed development on highway safety
- if the proposal would comprise inappropriate development in the Green Belt, whether any harm by reason of inappropriateness, and any other harm, would be clearly outweighed by other considerations that would amount to the very special circumstances required to justify the proposal
What decided it
The proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt that would reduce openness and fail to safeguard the countryside from encroachment, and the other considerations put forward do not clearly outweigh this harm to constitute very special circumstances.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy SP5Policy SP1Policy SP2Policy T1
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11Paragraph 143Paragraph 154
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
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The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2025
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- Allowed4 March 20266000934Pulmer Water Caravan Site, St Albans Road, Codicote, Hertfordshire, SG4 8SP
- Dismissed23 September 20253368416Land Adjacent To Breachwood Green Industrial Park, Pasture Lane, Hitchin, SG4 8NY
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.