- Decision
- allowed, 27 August 2026
- Decided by
- Planning Inspector: N Bowden
- Authority
- Watford (East of England)
- Appeal reference
- 6007566
- Application reference
- 26/00001/FUL
- Procedure
- written representations
- Development
- Vehicle access and hardstanding on corner plot within 10 m of a cul-de-sac junction
- Site context
- inside settlement
- Green Belt
- No
- Framework applied
- August 2026 NPPF
- Determinative policies
- TR4(1)(c)(i)
- Development plan policies
- Watford Local Plan ST11.6, Hertfordshire Local Transport Plan 2018
- Main issues
- highway safety
Summary
A driveway near a cul-de-sac junction was allowed despite breaching three technical requirements of the Local Transport Plan. It would not create conflict under TR4(1)(c)(i) and would deter parking on the junction.
What made the difference
The very low traffic and a single vehicle. The Inspector judged actual safety effects rather than the technical guidance (DL ¶¶8–11).
Policy findings
Policy codes are those of the National Planning Policy Framework (August 2026) unless a development plan is named.
| Policy | Finding | Weight | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| TR4(1)(c)(i) | pass | single-vehicle access on low-traffic cul-de-sac; displaces junction and footway parking; minor visibility gain (DL 5-12) | |
| DM6 | pass | undersized space enlarged to 2.7 x 5 m by condition (DL 9, 13-14) |
Key facts
- Breaches LTP guidance (angle, within 10 m of junction, undersized) but no real safety harm
Sources
This note is one of the decisions behind the NPPF 2026 Navigator, which shows how each Framework test has been applied across all the decisions in the database. Also available as Markdown.