Skip to content

Two Twits Barns Barkway Road Anstey Hertfordshire SG9 0FD

3/26/0239/FULFull ApplicationRefused
Full

Refused on 12 June 2026

Council decision: RefuseDelegated (officer decision)6 reasons for refusal

Approximate site (title boundary)
Boundary © HM Land Registry, © Ordnance Survey · details

This information is subject to Crown copyright and database rights 2026 and is reproduced with the permission of HM Land Registry. The polygons (including the associated geometry, namely x, y co-ordinates) are subject to Crown copyright and database rights 2026 Ordnance Survey AC0000851063. Conditions of use.

Proposal

Retrospective planning permission for the siting of the shepherd's hut and log-fired hot tub and the associated change of use of land to enable short-stay visitor accommodation ancillary to the vineyard and winery enterprise.

Received
23 February 2026
Decision level
Delegated (officer decision)
Public comments
5
Ward
Little Hadham & The Pelhams
  1. Received23 Feb
  2. Validated10 Mar
  3. Consult.1 May
  4. Target5 May
  5. Decided12 Jun

Decided in 94 days (council typically 63)

About this application

This is a full planning application for a change of use at Two Twits Barns Barkway Road Anstey Hertfordshire SG9 0FD. East Hertfordshire has handled 7,264 applications of this type. This one was decided in 109 days, 7 weeks longer than East Hertfordshire's typical decision time. There have been 3 other applications at this address. In the past year there have been 134 applications across Little Hadham & The Pelhams. We hold 1,660 applications in total for the SG9 postcode area.

80% of full applications at East Hertfordshire District Council were approved. Across all application types, the council typically decides in about 9 weeks (median).

Based on decided applications received in the last 3 years.Planning something similar? See what gets approved on your street

Why it was refused

  1. The proposed development would have extremely limited access to services and facilities via sustainable modes of transport meaning that the future occupiers and users of the development would be overly reliant on the use of the private vehicle to undertake daily journeys. The proposed development would be in an unsustainable location and would not assist in reducing carbon emissions. As such, the proposal is contrary to policies DPS2, TRA1 and GBR2 of the East Herts District Plan 2018, and the National Planning Policy Framework 2024.
  2. Insufficient information has been submitted to demonstrate the essential need for a rural worker dwelling in this location. The development would therefore be contrary to paragraph 84 of the National Planning Policy Framework 2024 and Policy HOU5 of the East Herts District Plan 2018.
  3. Insufficient information has been submitted to demonstrate that the proposed short-stay visitor accommodation is ancillary to the vineyard and winery enterprise, or that it meets an identified tourism need not met by existing provision. The proposal is therefore contrary to paragraph 88 of the National Planning Policy Framework 2024 and Policies ED2 and ED5 of the East Herts District Plan 2018.
  4. In the absence of a Biodiversity Net Gain metric, baseline habitat assessment and biodiversity gain plan, the Local Planning Authority cannot be satisfied that the proposed development would achieve the required biodiversity net gain. The proposal therefore fails REFULZ APPLICATION NUMBER – 3/26/0239/FUL to comply with Schedule 7A of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and Policy NE2 and NE3 of the East Herts District Plan 2018.
  5. The internal floor area of the shepherd's hut falls significantly below the minimum gross internal floor area required by the Technical Housing Standards — Nationally Described Space Standard (March 2015) for a single-storey, 1-bedroom / 1-person dwelling. The proposed development would therefore provide poor quality living conditions for any future occupier on a permanent basis, contrary to Policy DES4 of the East Herts District Plan 2018 and the Nationally Described Space Standard.
  6. The proposed development by reason of its siting, location and associated domestic paraphernalia, including the hot tub and decking, would introduce an incongruous and urbanising form of development into an open rural landscape, harming the character and appearance of the countryside, contrary to Policies DES4 and GBR2 of the East Herts District Plan 2018 and the National Planning Policy Framework.

From the council's decision notice.

Application details

Postcode
SG9 0FD
Application type
Full Application
Scale / size
Small
Parish
Anstey Parish Council

Planning application dates

Date validated
10 March 2026
Consultation expiry
13 April 2026
Last date for comments
1 May 2026
Target decision date
5 May 2026

Applicant and agent

Applicant
Private applicant
Architect profile
LYONDALE LTD
Agent address
Crown House Home Gardens Dartford DA1 1DZ

Planning decision

Case officer
Janna Hon
Statutory period
56 days

Publicity

Advertisement expiry
13 April 2026

Additional information

Planning Portal ID
PP-14719383
Documents
19
Constraints
9

Site constraints

Checking the site
2/3
Council recordsAppealsFlood risk

Designations that overlap or adjoin the site outline.

  • Flood zone 3: High probability (rivers and sea)Part of the site
  • Listed building: BandonsOn or next to this site

Not published by this council, so not checked: Article 4 directions. Ask the council if these matter.

Possibly incomplete for this council: tree preservation orders.

Also checked, none recorded (22)

flood storage areas, conservation areas, listed buildings, green belt, scheduled monuments, World Heritage Sites, World Heritage Site buffer zones, registered parks and gardens, registered battlefields, Heritage at Risk entries, nutrient neutrality catchments, national parks, National Landscapes, SSSIs, Special Areas of Conservation, Special Protection Areas, Ramsar sites, ancient woodland, national nature reserves, local nature reserves, heritage coasts and brownfield registers.

A guide only, from official open data; it is not a planning search. Flood zones cover rivers and sea, not surface water.

Data © Crown copyright and others · sources and licences

Contains public sector information from planning.data.gov.uk (MHCLG and local planning authorities), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. © Crown copyright and database right 2026.

© Historic England 2026. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. The Historic England GIS Data contained in this material was obtained on 2026-11-03. The most publicly available up to date Historic England GIS Data can be obtained from HistoricEngland.org.uk.

© Natural England copyright. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2026.

© Environment Agency copyright and/or database right 2026. All rights reserved. Flood Map for Planning, Open Government Licence v3.0.

Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2026.

Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v.3.0. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026.

Source: East Hertfordshire

Track this application

Get email alerts when there is a planning decision or status change.

Get email alerts near SG9

New planning applications delivered to your inbox daily.

Around this site

Discuss this application on r/PlanningPermissionUK

For applicants and trades

Planning something similar?

See what the council approved and refused for changes of use on your street. Pick your home and get the evidence before you pay for drawings.

See what gets approved on your streetBuying this property? Report on this address