A proposed housing scheme which would have created around 33 new homes on a Green Belt site has been rejected by a planning inspector.

The outline application to develop land at the rear of the Albert Bygrave Centre on the North Orbital Road, St Albans, was dismissed on several grounds.

They included its impact on the openness of the Green Belt, the harm it would cause to the appearance of the area, the inadequacy of the parking provision and lack of provision for affordable housing.

In his ruling following an appeal against the district council’s decision to refuse the application from Stephen Bygrave, planning inspector Alan Boyland described the rectangular site as constrained but felt it would not harm the living conditions of nearby properties

He also said that it would make ‘a modest contribution’ to the shortfall in the district’s housing provision..

But that was outweighed by the harm to the Green Belt and there were not sufficient special circumstances to justify the development.