®Planning appeal decision
Land Adjacent to 51 Great North Road, Stanborough , Welwyn Garden City , AL8 7TJ
Planning appeal 3361650 at Land Adjacent to 51 Great North Road, Stanborough , Welwyn Garden City , AL8 7TJ (Welwyn Hatfield Council) was dismissed on 16 July 2025 by Inspector Bowden N, 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 the Framework and relevant development plan policies including the effect of the proposal on the openness and purposes of the Green Belt.
erection of four dwellings with associated access, parking and landscaping
- Authority
- Welwyn Hatfield Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Change of use
- Inspector
- Bowden N
- Postcode
- AL8 7TJ
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- whether the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the Framework and relevant development plan policies including the effect of the proposal on the openness and purposes of the Green Belt
- the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area
- whether any harm by reason of inappropriateness, and any other harm, would be clearly outweighed by other considerations, so as to amount to the very special circumstances required to justify the proposal
What decided it
The proposal constitutes inappropriate development in the Green Belt that would extend an incongruous finger of development into the countryside and harm the openness of the Green Belt, which amounts to a strong reason for refusal that outweighs the benefits of housing delivery.
The benefits of housing delivery in the context of a shortfall in five-year housing land supply were outweighed by the strong harm to the Green Belt by reason of inappropriateness and the minor-adverse effect on character and appearance.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- SP1SP3SADM1SADM3SP9SADM16
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11Paragraph 135Paragraph 143Paragraph 153Paragraph 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 Welwyn Hatfield
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2025
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- Dismissed27 May 20266003536East Lodge, Judge's Hill, Northaw, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, EN6 4NL
- Planning permission granted6 March 2026335467120 Ayot Green, Ayot St. Peter, Welwyn, AL6 9AB
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.