Caravan Site Hilfield Lane South Bushey Hertfordshire WD23 4EA

1. 1.The proposed development represents unsustainable residential development in an isolated rural location outside of built-up settlement boundaries. Due to excessive walking distances to public transport and local amenities, combined with a complete lack of pedestrian footways on Hilfield Lane South and Caldecote Lane, the proposal forces pedestrians into the carriageway, creating unacceptable safety risks and an unsustainable reliance on private vehicles. These adverse impacts demonstrably outweigh the moderate benefits of providing additional accommodation. The proposal is therefore contrary to Policies SP1, CS1, CS2, and SADM3 of the Hertsmere Local Plan, Policies, and Paragraphs 110, 114, 115, 116, and 117 of the National Planning Policy Framework.
2. 2.The proposal constitutes inappropriate development in the Metropolitan Green Belt and fails to meet the criteria for Grey Belt development under Paragraph 155 of the NPPF due to its isolated, highly unsustainable location and lack of safe pedestrian access. The benefits of housing delivery do not clearly outweigh the harm of inappropriate Green Belt development, along with the "any other harm" identified by the other reasons for refusal, including locational unsustainability, highway safety risks, sub-standard living conditions for future occupiers, conflict with the Agent of Change principle regarding adjacent equestrian operations, unverified arboricultural impacts, and unverified ecological harm to protected species (Great Crested Newts) and biodiversity net gain.
3. 3.The proposed scheme fails to demonstrate that acceptable living conditions would be provided for future occupiers regarding odour and dust emissions from the equestrian use adjoining the site. The applicant has failed to submit an Odour Impact Assessment and has proposed a compromising layout along the southern and western boundaries (specifically Units 5, 6, and 7) that fails to provide sufficient separation distance or physical buffering from the adjacent Caldecote Farm Equestrian Centre. Consequently, the proposal fails to satisfy the 'Agent of Change' principle by exposing future occupiers to an unacceptable living environment, that in turn threatens to prejudice the ongoing operations of the adjoining equestrian business through potential nuisance complaints. The development is therefore contrary to Policy SADM30 of the Site Allocations and Development Management Policies Plan and Paragraph 200 of the National Planning Policy Framework.
4. 4.The applicant has failed to provide a thorough evaluation of all existing tree constraints on and adjacent to the site, omitting various trees and tree groups along the south-eastern boundary. Consequently, it has not been demonstrated that the development would safeguard healthy trees, boundary vegetation, and the wider landscape character of the area, contrary to Policies SADM11 and SADM12 of the Site Allocations and Development Management Policies Plan and Policy CS12 of the Core Strategy.
5. 5.The applicant has failed to provide sufficient information to demonstrate that protected species and biodiversity would be safeguarded. In the absence of required Great Crested Newt (GCN) surveys for the on-site pond (as identified by the County Ecologist), or formal entry into the District Level Licensing scheme, the presence of protected species cannot be excluded and appropriate mitigation cannot be secured. Additionally, the submitted biodiversity net gain metric contains errors regarding baseline habitat classifications. The proposal is therefore contrary to Policy CS12 of the Core Strategy, Policy SADM10 of the Site Allocations and Development Management Policies Plan, and statutory duties under protected species and biodiversity net gain legislation.

From the council's decision notice.

Postcode

WD23 4EA

Application type

Full Planning Permission

Scale / size

Medium

Parish

No Parish

Date validated

31 March 2026

Consultation expiry

22 May 2026

Consultation start

22 July 2026

Consultation end

22 May 2026

Neighbour consultation start

22 July 2026

Neighbour consultation end

13 May 2026

Last date for comments

13 May 2026

Target decision date

21 July 2026

Agent

RPR Planning Ltd

Agent address

RPR Planning Studio 42 Rutherford Way Bushey Heath Hertfordshire WD23 1NJ

Statutory period

112 days

Planning Portal ID

PP-14771692

Documents

22

Constraints

12