- Decision
- allowed, 3 September 2026
- Decided by
- Planning Inspector: MG Garrard
- Authority
- North Hertfordshire (East of England)
- Appeal reference
- 6008022
- Application reference
- 26/00109/FP
- Procedure
- written representations
- Development
- Replacement of semi-detached house with a detached self-build house
- Homes
- 1
- Site context
- inside settlement
- Green Belt
- No
- Framework applied
- August 2026 NPPF
- Determinative policies
- S3(1)(c), DP3
- Development plan policies
- North Hertfordshire Local Plan 2011-2031 D1, D2, SP9
- Main issues
- character and appearance; BNG self-build exemption
Summary
A detached replacement for a semi-detached house in Hitchin was allowed. The street had lost its uniformity through alterations, and the plot sat next to a gap by a substation. The inspector asked for a mechanism to secure the claimed BNG self-build exemption, and an executed UU was then supplied. The scheme accorded with the plan and DP3, so S3(1)(c) required approval "without delay" (DL ¶19).
What made the difference
The inspector asked the appellant for the self-build UU during the appeal. Without it, the BNG exemption would have failed for lack of certainty (DL ¶12-13). This case uses the S3(1)(c) plan-compliance route rather than S4.
Policy findings
Policy codes are those of the National Planning Policy Framework (August 2026) unless a development plan is named.
| Policy | Finding | Weight | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| DP3 | pass | follows building line and roofline; varied street scene near substation gap (DL 6-10) | |
| S3(1)(c) | pass | accords with up-to-date plan and Framework so approved without delay (DL 19) |
Key facts
- Executed UU (19 Aug 2026) securing self-build, so the BNG self-build exemption applied (DL 3, 13)
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.