Four months after a proposal to build 30 homes at an Affinity Water depot fell at the first hurdle, the communities secretary Greg Clark has announced that he will consider an appeal to overturn its rejection.
Property firm Brasier Freeth asked St Albans district council for outline planning permission to demolish buildings, apart from the existing pumping station, at the depot which is located in the Green Belt, at Roestock Lane in Colney Heath.
The firm wants to build five one-bedroom and 10 two-bedroom flats, along with five three-bedroom, eight four-bedroom and two five-bedroom homes.
But the council turned the scheme down in July, as it considered the development would have an impact on the openness of the Green Belt, and the amount of overspill parking was likely to be a nuisance to existing road users and residents along Roestock Lane.
According to its grounds of appeal, Brasier Freeth claims that “it is evident” the council only has around 2.5 years of housing supply available, which it describes as a ‘severe’ situation.
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