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Allowed4 February 20263376248

Waterhall Farm, Lower Hatfield Road, Little Berkhamsted, SG13 8LE

Planning appeal 3376248 at Waterhall Farm, Lower Hatfield Road, Little Berkhamsted, SG13 8LE (East Hertfordshire District Council) was allowed on 4 February 2026 by Inspector Walker C, 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 National Planning Policy Framework and any relevant development plan policies, including its effect on the openness of the Green Belt.

‘demolition of six existing commercial (B2 & B8) buildings, to be replaced with three new purpose-built buildings in the same Use Class.’

Authority
East Hertfordshire District Council
Appeal type
minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure
Written Representations
Development
employment-industrial · Minor general industry/storage/warehousing
Inspector
Walker C
Postcode
SG13 8LE

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

  • whether the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the National Planning Policy Framework and any relevant development plan policies, including its effect on the openness of the Green Belt
  • if inappropriate, 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 partial redevelopment of previously developed land that would not cause substantial harm to the openness of the Green Belt, satisfying the exception at NPPF paragraph 154(g) and therefore not representing inappropriate development.

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies
Policy GBR1Policy TRA1Policy DES4
National Planning Policy Framework
Paragraph 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 applied

The decision letter

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More decisions in East Hertfordshire District Council

The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2026

  1. Allowed28 October 20266008487
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  2. Allowed14 October 20266012750
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  3. Dismissed28 September 20266006224
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  4. Dismissed25 September 20266006716
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  5. Allowed24 September 20266008238
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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.

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.