APPEAL ACCEPTED: 83 houses to be built on green belt land in Sarratt

The Planning Inspectorate has accepted an appeal submitted by the Burlington Property Group to build 83 new homes in Sarratt.

Three Rivers District Council (TRDC) had rejected the application for planning permission in September 2022, after which the developers lodged an appeal with the government. On May 3, 2024, Planning Inspector Matthew Nunn decided that the need for more housing outweighed harm to the green belt.

Permission has been granted for 83 new homes and a doctors’ surgery with vehicular access to be built on Sarratt Road, alongside another nine homes on land adjacent to 97 Church Lane. Across both developments, 48 units will be affordable.

Although Mr Nunn accepted that much of the development would constitute “inappropriate development” on green belt land, he also found that TRDC “cannot demonstrate a deliverable supply of housing”. Where a local planning authority cannot demonstrate a five year supply of deliverable sits, other imperatives like saving green belt land are deemed “out of date”. Whilst this does not mean those imperatives are entirely disregarded, the Planning Inspector is then allowed to override local planning decisions.

It was therefore decided that the benefits of building more affordable housing outweighed harm done to the green belt and other negative impacts, like the effect to be had on the character of the local area.

To read the full report, see shorturl.at/tDKV9

Photo credit: Bovingdon Village