Friday Grove - the 20-acre field.   Camera courtesy of Fujifilm

Welwyn Hatfield Council has turned down a planning application for a country house to be built on the 20-acre field, Hawkshead Road.

The planning committee met on Thursday 29 July to consider the proposal, but concluded that the building, on green belt land, should not go ahead.

Planning officers produced a 25-page report stating that there were no special circumstances to justify overturning green belt policies.

The chairman of North Mymms Parish Council, Bob Horrocks, who is also honorary secretary of the North Mymms Green Belt Society, addressed the committee and explained the parish council's objections.

According to Councillor Horrocks, the applicant bought the fields in 2002. In the week before Christmas 2003, a planning application was made for a large country house. Cllr Horrocks says the design was extremely innovative with the house built into a new hillock and many ecologically-friendly features.

“Extensive landscaping was proposed, with the possibility of some rare breed cattle or sheep kept on the remaining pastureland. There was one big problem; the land is in the green belt,” he said.

The council’s planning officers consulted local organisations for their opinions. North Mymms Parish Council, Gobions Woodland Trust, and the North Mymms District Green Belt Society (NMDGBS) strongly opposed the application. The NMDGBS then sent a letter to hundreds of local households, resulting in 52 sending objections to the council with 15 in favour.

The applicant can now appeal against the planning committee’s decision. You can discuss this issue in this site’s forum.

29 July 2004