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Dismissed10 June 20253361430

Harpenden Fire Station , Station Road, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 2JB

Planning appeal 3361430 at Harpenden Fire Station , Station Road, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 2JB (St Albans City Council) was dismissed on 10 June 2025 by Inspector Walker C, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: the effect of the development on the character and appearance of the area, including the Harpenden Conservation Area, having particular regard to trees.

for erection of two detached houses, associated landscaping and access

Authority
St Albans City Council
Appeal type
minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure
Written Representations
Development
residential · Minor Dwellings
Inspector
Walker C
Postcode
AL5 2JB

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

  • the effect of the development on the character and appearance of the area, including the Harpenden Conservation Area, having particular regard to trees
  • the effect of the development on ecology

What decided it

The loss of mature trees that significantly contribute to the character and appearance of the conservation area, combined with insufficient ecological survey information to assess effects on bats, meant the proposal could not be approved despite the absence of a five-year housing land supply.

The modest public benefits of delivering two family dwellings in a sustainable location were outweighed by the less than substantial harm to the conservation area through tree loss and the uncertainty regarding ecological effects on protected species.

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies
Policy 69Policy 70Policy 74Policy 85Policy 106Policy ESD2Policy ESD9Policy ESD13Policy ESD14
National Planning Policy Framework
Paragraph 11Paragraph 136Paragraph 193Paragraph 212Paragraph 215

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

  1. Dismissed25 September 20266009808
    58 And 60 Waverley Road St, St Albans, St Albans, AL3 5PE
  2. Dismissed22 September 20266013802
    33 Oakfield Road, Harpenden, AL52NP
  3. Invalid17 September 20266008247
    18 Manland Way, Harpenden, AL5 4QS
  4. Planning permission granted15 September 20263311314
    Land at Former Butterfly World, Miriam Lane, St. Albans, Hertfordshire, AL2 3NY
  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.