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Dismissed12 August 20266006827

Land Adjacent to Sarratt Lane, Loudwater, WD3 4AS

Planning appeal 6006827 at Land Adjacent to Sarratt Lane, Loudwater, WD3 4AS (Three Rivers) was dismissed on 12 August 2026 by Inspector C Shearing, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Effects of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the area, including the Outer Loudwater Conservation Area and the setting of the Loudwater Conservation Area.

erection of new residential dwellings (use class C3), together with associated access alterations, car and cycle parking, rerouting of public footpath, landscaping and other associated works

Authority
Three Rivers
Appeal type
minor · Planning
Procedure
Written
Development
residential
Inspector
C Shearing
Postcode
WD3 4AS

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

  • Effects of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the area, including the Outer Loudwater Conservation Area and the setting of the Loudwater Conservation Area
  • Whether the site's location would encourage sustainable modes of travel
  • Whether the proposal would make an appropriate contribution to affordable housing
  • 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 required to justify the proposal

What decided it

The harm to the designated heritage assets (the Outer Loudwater Conservation Area and the setting of the Loudwater Conservation Area) would not be outweighed by the public benefits of housing delivery and other considerations, and very special circumstances do not exist to justify the inappropriate Green Belt development.

The public benefits of nine new homes (very significant weight), affordable housing contribution (significant weight), highway safety improvements, footpath enhancement, energy performance, economic benefits and biodiversity net gain (considerable weight in combination) were weighed against less than substantial harm to both conservation areas at the upper end of the scale (considerable weight), substantial harm to Green Belt openness (substantial weight), and failure to promote sustainable transport (substantial weight); the balance tipped decisively against the proposal.

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies
CP1CP12DM1DM3DM6CP10CP4CP11DM2Policy 2 of the Sarratt Neighbourhood Plan 2025Policy 10 of the Sarratt Neighbourhood Plan 2025Policy 5 of the Sarratt Neighbourhood Plan 2025
National Planning Policy Framework
Paragraph 11Paragraph 110Paragraph 115Paragraph 155Paragraph 215

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 applied

The decision letter

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More decisions in Three Rivers

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

  1. Allowed24 September 20266010198
    Rusper, Nottingham Road, Heronsgate, WD3 5DN
  2. Dismissed30 June 20266004957
    Land Adjoining Westwood End, Bucks Hill, Kings Langley, WD4 9AS
  3. Dismissed8 June 20266005787
    Popes Croft, Chandlers Lane, Rickmansworth, WD3 4NE
  4. Dismissed16 April 20266001382
    Old Farm Harthall Lane, Kings Langley, Please Select, WD4 8JW
  5. Dismissed14 April 20266003756
    Land Adjacent To Ashwood, Bucks Hill, Kings Langley, WD4 9AP

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.

In the app this decision sits on the map beside every appeal around it, with its letter to read and the main issues, policies and judgments cited picked out.