Skip to content

1 Beesonend Cottages Beesonend Lane Harpenden Hertfordshire AL5 2AA

5/2026/0420FullRefused

Refused on 2 July 2026

Council decision: DC4 Refusal1 reason for refusal

Approximate location: the centre of the postcode, not the exact property.

Proposal

Proposed erection of single-storey garage and new EV charger to side of property at 1 Beesonend Cottages Beesonend Lane Harpenden Hertfordshire AL5 2AA

Submitted
4 March 2026
Ward
Redbourn
  1. Received4 Mar
  2. Validated
  3. Consult.
  4. Target
  5. Decided2 Jul

Decided in 120 days (council typically 56)

About this application

This is a full planning application for a garage at 1 Beesonend Cottages Beesonend Lane Harpenden Hertfordshire AL5 2AA. St Albans has handled 3,966 applications of this type. This one was decided in 120 days, 9 weeks longer than St Albans's typical decision time. The site is in the Childwickbury conservation area. There have been 2 other applications at this address. In the past year there have been 132 applications across Redbourn. We hold 3,774 applications in total for the AL5 postcode area.

86% of full applications at St Albans City and District Council were approved. Across all application types, the council typically decides in about 8 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, by reason of its cumulative size, scale and massing, when taken together with existing extensions, would result in a disproportionate addition over and above the size of the original dwelling. The proposal would therefore represent inappropriate development in the Metropolitan Green Belt, which is, by definition, harmful and would also result in harm to the openness of the Green Belt. No very special circumstances have been demonstrated that would clearly outweigh this harm. The proposal is therefore contrary to Policies 1 and 13 of the St Albans District Local Plan Review 1994, Policies SP3, LG5 and LG9 of the emerging St Albans Local Plan 2041 - Main Modifications April 2026, the Council's Green Belt SPG and the National Planning Policy Framework 2024.

From the council's decision notice.

Application details

Postcode
AL5 2AA
Application type
Full
Scale / size
Small

Planning application dates

Consultation expiry
25 April 2026

Applicant and agent

Applicant
Private applicant
Agent
Clarke & Whalen
Architect profile
CLARKE & WHALEN ARCHITECTS LIMITED

Site constraints

Checking the site
2/3
Council recordsAppealsFlood risk

Designations at the address point. Ones next to the site may also apply.

  • Conservation area: Childwickbury
  • Article 4 direction: Beesonend
  • Green belt: St Albans
  • Flood zone 1: Low probability (rivers and sea)
Also checked, none recorded (21)

flood storage areas, listed buildings, tree preservation orders, 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: St Albans

Track this application

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

Get email alerts near AL5

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 on your street for the project you have in mind. 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