Planning appeal decision
12 Springfield Road, St. Albans, AL1 5LX
Planning appeal 3365337 at 12 Springfield Road, St. Albans, AL1 5LX (St Albans City Council) was dismissed on 14 October 2025 by Inspector Barnes D, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: the effects of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the host property and the surrounding area.
the erection of single storey rear and two storey side extensions with internal alterations to existing building to create five flats and construction of detached annexe, alterations to openings, front canopy roof, bin stores and cycle storage, associated parking and landscaping works
- Authority
- St Albans City Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Other minor developments
- Inspector
- Barnes D
- Postcode
- AL1 5LX
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- the effects of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the host property and the surrounding area
- the living standards of the future occupiers
What decided it
The proposed development would cause unacceptable harm to the character and appearance of the host property and surrounding area and would fail to provide satisfactory living standards for future occupiers, with these significant harms outweighing the limited benefits of housing delivery in the context of the tilted balance.
The adverse impacts of the proposed development, comprising unacceptable harm to character and appearance and failure to achieve acceptable living standards, significantly and demonstrably outweighed the identified benefits of housing delivery and efficient use of land when assessed against the policies in the Framework taken as a whole.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy 69Policy 70Policy 72
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11Paragraph 12
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


More decisions in St Albans City Council
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2025
- Planning permission granted15 September 20263311314Land at Former Butterfly World, Miriam Lane, St. Albans, Hertfordshire, AL2 3NY
- Dismissed24 July 20266005669The White Horse, 182 High Street, London Colney, AL2 1JY
- Allowed9 July 2026600642669/69A St Peters Street, St Albans, AL1 3ED
- Allowed9 July 2026600642567 St Peters Street, St Albans, AL1 3EA
- Dismissed13 November 20253371256144 London Road, St. Albans, AL1 1PQ
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.
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