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Planning appeal decision

Dismissed23 April 20266003986

80 The Drive, Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, WD3 4DU

demolition of existing dwelling and construction of 5no residential apartments, with associated landscaping, car parking, cycle and refuse storage

Authority
Three Rivers District Council
Appeal type
minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure
Written Representations
Development
residential · Minor Dwellings
Inspector
Reid L

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

  • The effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area
  • Whether the parking provision would be acceptable, having regard to the location, on-street parking demand and the effect on the living conditions of neighbouring occupiers and highway safety
  • The effect of the proposal on Charlotte House School, with regard to overlooking

What decided it

The significant harm to the character and appearance of the area arising from the loss of frontage hedging and the layout's potential to place undue pressure on retained protected trees outweighed the moderate housing benefits, even under the tilted balance.

The adverse impacts on character and appearance would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the moderate and limited benefits of housing delivery when assessed against the policies in the Framework taken as a whole, such that the presumption in favour of sustainable development does not apply.

Framework references: 8

Plan policies cited: Policy CP12 of the Core Strategy 2011, Policy CP10 of the Core Strategy, Policy DM1 of the Development Management Policies LDD, Appendix 2 of the Development Management Policies LDD, Policy DM6 of the Development Management Policies LDD, Policy DM13 of the Development Management Policies LDD, Appendix 5 of the Development Management Policies LDD, Policy 5 of the Chorley Neighbourhood Development Plan 2020–2025

Read the decision letter on the Inspectorate’s site

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.

In the app this decision sits on the map beside every other appeal around it, with the full reasoning summary, the letter held on file, and the case law it applies.