A second planning application has been submitted for housing to be constructed on Green Belt land in Harpenden.

The area, off Baulk Close, was subject to an 'all matters reserved' planning application, which was refused in December 2021.

An appeal was then dismissed in August 2022, prior to a resubmission of the planning application late last month (August 2023).

The site has been named as one of the areas which would be "released from the Green Belt" in St Albans City & District Council's draft Local Plan.

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Specific details of the planning application, made by Upland Homes, are yet to be released.

However, a brief description of the application reads: "Residential development of vacant land to provide affordable dwellings."

A decision notice from the refused application of 2021, explained how the application does not match the policies of St Albans City & District Council's current Local Plan.

Herts Advertiser: Affordable dwellings would be constructed on the site.Affordable dwellings would be constructed on the site. (Image: Buy A Plan / St Albans City & District Council)

Tracy Harvey, head of planning and building control, wrote at the time: "The proposed scheme would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt which is harmful by definition and would be detrimental to the openness of the Green Belt.

"Consequently, in the absence of any very special circumstances that would clearly outweigh the harm to the Green Belt by reason of inappropriateness, the proposal is contrary to Policy 1 of the St Albans District Local Plan Review 1994 and the aims of the National Planning Policy Framework 2021."

G Bayliss, of the UK Government's Planning Inspectorate, later wrote in his appeal decision: "The National Planning Policy Framework 2021 (the Framework) identifies that the fundamental aim of Green Belt policy is to prevent urban sprawl by keeping land permanently open.

Herts Advertiser: The areas with purple borders would be released from the Green Belt in the council's draft Local Plan.The areas with purple borders would be released from the Green Belt in the council's draft Local Plan. (Image: St Albans City and District Council)

"It goes on to state that inappropriate development is, by definition, harmful to the Green Belt and should not be approved except in very special circumstances.

"For the reasons set out above, and considering all other matters raised, the harm to the Green Belt would not be clearly outweighed by the other considerations and, therefore, the very special circumstances required to justify a grant of planning permission have not been demonstrated."

Herts Advertiser: The land off Baulk Close, Harpenden.The land off Baulk Close, Harpenden. (Image: Google Maps)

The resubmission of this application can be viewed via the St Albans City & District Council planning portal, quoting reference 5/2023/1071.

Residents have until October 7 to comment on the plans.