Land at Bowersbury Farm, Bower Heath Lane, Harpenden, AL5 5FJ

Planning appeal 6002271 at Land at Bowersbury Farm, Bower Heath Lane, Harpenden, AL5 5FJ (St Albans City Council) was allowed on 2 March 2026 by Inspector Shearing C, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: The suitability of the site's location for the proposal, having regard to whether it would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt.

erection of 3 detached dwellings

Authority: St Albans City Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: residential · Minor Dwellings
Inspector: Shearing C
Postcode: AL5 5FJ

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

The suitability of the site's location for the proposal, having regard to whether it would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt

What decided it

The site qualifies as previously developed land and the proposal would not cause substantial harm to the openness of the Green Belt, bringing it within the exception at NPPF paragraph 154g), and the Council's lack of five-year housing land supply engaged the presumption in favour of sustainable development.

The conflict with the development plan was outweighed by the material considerations of the Framework, particularly the exception to inappropriate Green Belt development and the presumption in favour of sustainable development arising from the lack of five-year housing land supply.

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies: Policy 1 of the District Local Plan Review 1994Policy W1 of the Wheathampstead Neighbourhood Plan
National Planning Policy Framework: Paragraph 154Paragraph 155Paragraph 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.

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The decision letter

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

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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.