East Lodge, Judge's Hill, Northaw, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, EN6 4NL

Planning appeal 6003536 at East Lodge, Judge's Hill, Northaw, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, EN6 4NL (Welwyn Hatfield Council) was dismissed on 27 May 2026 by Inspector Kirkaldy J, 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.

the erection of pergola with spa pool

Authority: Welwyn Hatfield Council
Appeal type: householder · Householder (HAS)
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: leisure-sport · Householder developments
Inspector: Kirkaldy J
Postcode: EN6 4NL

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
The effect of the proposal on the openness and purposes of the Green Belt
The effect of the proposal on the long-term health and vitality of trees, bearing in mind that it would be within the Northaw Conservation Area
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 necessary to justify the development

What decided it

The proposal constitutes inappropriate development in the Green Belt with no very special circumstances to justify it, combined with unresolved concerns about tree protection and harm to the conservation area character.

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies: Policy SADM34Policy SP9Policy SADM16
National Planning Policy Framework: Paragraph 154

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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More decisions in Welwyn Hatfield

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.