Planning appeal decision
173 Lower Luton Road, Wheathampstead, St Albans, AL4 8HQ
Planning appeal 6003530 at 173 Lower Luton Road, Wheathampstead, St Albans, AL4 8HQ (St Albans City Council) was dismissed on 1 May 2026 by Inspector Nutman E, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the proposed development would be acceptable in terms of flood risk.
construction of a garage with a pitched roof
- Authority
- St Albans City Council
- Appeal type
- householder · Householder (HAS)
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Householder developments
- Inspector
- Nutman E
- Postcode
- AL4 8HQ
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether the proposed development would be acceptable in terms of flood risk
What decided it
The appellant's flood risk assessment failed to address compensatory flood storage for the loss of floodplain storage space caused by the development, and therefore did not demonstrate that flood risk would not be increased elsewhere.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy 84 of the St Albans District Local Plan Review (1994)
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 176Paragraph 181
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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With an account
What an account adds to this decision


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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.
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