®Planning appeal decision
Shafford Knoll Farm Lower Road, Nash Mills, Hemel Hempstead, HP3 8RT
Planning appeal 3373146 at Shafford Knoll Farm Lower Road, Nash Mills, Hemel Hempstead, HP3 8RT (Dacorum Borough Council) was dismissed on 6 March 2026 by Inspector Dyer I, 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 relevant development plan policies and the National Planning Policy Framework.
outline planning application for construction of 30 dwellings (Use Class C3) and (up to) a 70 bed care home (Use Class C2), with new access to Lower Road and pedestrian links to canal towpath (Landscaping Reserved)
- Authority
- Dacorum Borough Council
- Appeal type
- major · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Major dwellings
- Inspector
- Dyer I
- Postcode
- HP3 8RT
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the relevant development plan policies and the National Planning Policy Framework
- The effect of the proposal on the openness of the Green Belt
- Whether the proposal would be of a suitable quality of design
- Whether the 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 cause substantial harm to openness and undermine a fundamental Green Belt purpose, and this harm is not clearly outweighed by the identified benefits, so very special circumstances do not exist to justify the development.
The substantial weight given to harm to the Green Belt by reason of inappropriateness and openness, combined with significant weight to design failings, was not outweighed by the substantial weight given to housing delivery (30 homes, 50% affordable, addressing a 1.03-year supply shortfall), moderate weight to care home provision and biodiversity net gain, and limited weight to public access and economic benefits, resulting in dismissal.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy CS1Policy CS2Policy CS5Policy CS8Policy CS10Policy CS11Policy CS12Policy CS26Saved Policy 76Saved Policy 106Saved Appendix 3Saved Appendix C
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11Paragraph 143Paragraph 153Paragraph 154Paragraph 155Paragraph 156Paragraph 158
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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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.