®Planning appeal decision
Land To Rear 28 To 34 North Cottages, Napsbury, St Albans , Hertfordshire, AL2 1AW
Planning appeal 3367990 at Land To Rear 28 To 34 North Cottages, Napsbury, St Albans , Hertfordshire, AL2 1AW (St Albans City Council) was allowed on 2 October 2025 by Inspector Chamberlain G, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the appeal scheme would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt.
‘Development of four bungalows with associated parking and landscaping, following the demolition of the existing building’
- Authority
- St Albans City Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Chamberlain G
- Postcode
- AL2 1AW
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether the appeal scheme would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt
- Whether future occupants of the appeal scheme would have adequate accessibility to services and facilities
- Whether the appeal scheme would conserve the special historic interest and significance of Napsbury Park, a Grade II listed Registered Park and Garden
What decided it
The Council's inability to demonstrate a five-year housing land supply triggered the tilted balance under NPPF paragraph 11, and the moderate benefit of delivering four homes at a time of serious shortfall outweighed the middling-weight harm from the site's location relative to services and facilities.
The moderate benefit of delivering four homes in the context of a serious housing land supply shortfall (1.9 years) and modest economic benefits outweighed the middling-weight harm arising from the site's location relative to services and facilities and the limited weight conflict with the settlement hierarchy policies, when judged at the Permission in Principle stage.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy 1Policy 2Policy 4
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 154Paragraph 117Paragraph 115Paragraph 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 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
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- Dismissed10 July 20266008445202 Radlett Road, Frogmore, St Albans, AL2 2EN
- Planning permission granted8 July 2026337492139 The Broadway, Gustard Wood, Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire, AL4 9LW
- Notice upheld8 July 2026336000739 The Broadway, Wheathampstead, St. Albans, AL4 8LW
- Dismissed10 June 20266005367Beaumont Hall Lane, Redbourn Road, Redbourn, AL3 6RN
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.