Land East of the A10
Buntingford
Client: Countryside Partnerships Ltd and Wattsdown Developments Ltd
DLP Planning secured outline planning permission for up to 350 residential dwellings, 4,400m² of commercial and services floorspace and 500 sqm of retail floorspace on land east of the A10, Buntingford.
DLP Planning have been involved in the site’s promotion since 2014 and the most recent planning application was in 2023 following a previous refusal for a hybrid planning application in 2022, and was pursued on the basis of a lack of 5-year housing land supply as calculated by the Appellants, poor performance of the allocated sites in delivering the housing that the Local Plan required and the need for a plan review as the housing requirement and distribution policies became out of date.
The application was refused by East Herts District Council on several reasons.
The Outcome
DLP Planning were subsequently instructed to prepare and submit an Appeal which was heard by way of Public Inquiry. DLP acted as expert witness in respect of Planning and Five-Year Housing Land Supply.
The scheme was allowed by the Inspector in August 2024 with substantial weight given to the provision of affordable housing; significant weight given to the delivery of market housing, the provision of self-build properties, the provision of employment and retail floorspace provision and moderate weight given to the proposed improvements to the local bus service and highways improvements. The Inspector also concluded that the Council were unable to demonstrate a five-year housing land supply.
“DLP have provided a thorough, professional, and excellent service in both the promotion of strategic land and subsequent planning applications and successful appeal inquiry. DLP’s planning advice has been robust throughout the whole process and they have managed the project team with superb efficiency.”
Duncan MurdochDirector, Moult Walker
