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Dismissed27 August 20253360173

Marlborough House, 18 Upper Marlborough Road, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL1 3UT

Planning appeal 3360173 at Marlborough House, 18 Upper Marlborough Road, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL1 3UT (St Albans City Council) was dismissed on 27 August 2025 by Inspector Miles H, following a hearing. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: The effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the area, including the St Albans Conservation Area and the Locally Listed buildings at 3-43 Liverpool Road and 4-14 Upper Marlborough Road.

demolition of the existing building and redevelopment to provide two five storey residential buildings (Use Class C3) together with associated car parking, landscaping and other associated works

Authority
St Albans City Council
Appeal type
major · Planning Appeal
Procedure
Hearing
Development
residential · Major dwellings
Inspector
Miles H
Postcode
AL1 3UT

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

  • The effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the area, including the St Albans Conservation Area and the Locally Listed buildings at 3-43 Liverpool Road and 4-14 Upper Marlborough Road.
  • Whether the proposal makes adequate provision for any additional needs for infrastructure arising from the development with particular regard to highways.
  • The effect on the living conditions of neighbouring occupiers with particular regard to overlooking or overbearing effect to the properties at Liverpool Road.

What decided it

The great weight attached to the serious less-than-substantial harm to the St Albans Conservation Area was not outweighed by the very substantial public benefits, including the acute housing land supply shortfall.

the very substantial public benefits, including the provision of housing amid a severe shortfall, did not outweigh the great weight given to the serious heritage harm to the Conservation Area, so the presumption in favour of sustainable development did not apply and the appeal was dismissed.

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies
Policy 69Policy 70Policy 85Policy 4Policy 7APolicy 2
National Planning Policy Framework
Paragraph 212Paragraph 213Paragraph 215Paragraph 125Paragraph 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 applied

The decision letter

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More decisions in St Albans City Council

The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2025

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  3. Invalid17 September 20266008247
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  4. Planning permission granted15 September 20263311314
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  5. Notice upheld15 September 20263311308
    Land at Former Butterfly World, Miriam Lane, St. Albans, Hertfordshire, AL2 3NY

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.

In the app this decision sits on the map beside every appeal around it, with its letter to read and the main issues, policies and judgments cited picked out.