®Planning appeal decision
The Bell, 4, Town Lane, Benington, Hertfordshire, SG2 7LA
change of use of a public house (sui generis) to a single dwellinghouse (C3)
- Authority
- East Hertfordshire District Council
- Appeal type
- other · Listed Building Consent & Conservation Area Consent Appeal
- Procedure
- Hearing
- Development
- residential · Change of use
- Inspector
- Bowyer J
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- whether or not the proposal would result in an unacceptable loss of a community facility (Appeal A only)
- the effect of the proposal on the special interest and significance of the Grade II* listed building, 'The Bell Public House' (Appeals A and B)
- the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the Benington Conservation Area (Appeals A and B)
What decided it
The limited public benefits of the proposal were insufficient to outweigh the unacceptable loss of a community facility and the less than substantial harm to the listed building and conservation area.
the limited public benefits (housing contribution, modest economic/social benefits, uncertain landscaping enhancement) were outweighed by the less than substantial harm to the listed building and conservation area and the unacceptable loss of a community facility
Framework references: 11
Plan policies cited: Policy CFLR8, Policy HA1, Policy HA4, Policy HA7
Judgments cited: R (Cherkley Campaign Ltd) v Mole Valley DC [2014] EWCA Civ 567; R (Coulthard and another) v Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs [2025] EWCA Civ 1671
The main issues and the deciding factor are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.