1 Beesonend Cottages Beesonend Lane Harpenden Hertfordshire AL5 2AA Data via plota.co.uk

Proposal

Proposed erection of single-storey garage and new EV charger to side of property Data via plota.co.uk

View original council record ↗Last checked

Application progress

Received
4 Mar 2026
Validated
5 Mar 2026
Refused
2 Jul 2026
Appeal
Not lodged

Refused on 2 Jul 2026 · Delegated · Last checked 5 Sept 2026

Site constraints 4

Green belt: London
Inappropriate development needs very special circumstances.
Green belt policy allows a short list of exceptions, such as limited extensions and replacement buildings. Anything else needs very special circumstances that clearly outweigh the harm.
Childwickbury conservation area
Demolition needs planning permission and permitted development is restricted.
The council must give weight to preserving or enhancing the area's character and appearance. Not every council has published its boundaries as open data.
Council document ↗
Article 4 direction
Beesonend. Named permitted development rights are withdrawn here.
An Article 4 direction withdraws particular permitted development rights, so work that would normally need no application needs one here. Not every council has published its directions.
Also on the record
Inside the Harpenden built-up area.
Not affected
Outside flood zones 2 and 3 · No scheduled monument at the site

Checked on 11 September 2026. Historic England, the Environment Agency, Natural England and council datasets, Open Government Licence. A boundary can run through a site and the council holds the definitive record: confirm with the council before relying on this.

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Important details

Council
St Albans
Application type
HSE
Postcode
AL5 2AA
Received
4 Mar 2026
Validated
5 Mar 2026
Ward
Redbourn
Parish
ST MICHAEL
Case officer
Show
Target decision
25 Apr 2026
Decision
DC4 Refusal
Decision date
2 Jul 2026
Decision level
Delegated
Applicant
Show

How this decision compares

Decided in 119 days from validation, 44 days slower than St Albans's median of 75 for extensions. Refused, as 16% of extensions here are.

30%decided within 8 weeks
84%approved
489decided in the last year

Plota live figures for extensions decided by St Albans in the last twelve months, from validation. St Albans decision record →

Consultation & key dates

Alt. reference
320353PLN
Planning Portal ref
14754582
Comments by
25 Apr 2026
Site or press notice
2 Apr 2026
Statutory expiry
29 Apr 2026
St Albans
Planning Authority Score
1.1/10
Poor
#290 of 296 councils
Relevant to this application:
Householder decisions

St Albans is one of the slowest councils in England for householder decisions, ranking #285 out of 296. The council extends the time limit on 64% of applications - one of the highest rates in England. Expect your application to take longer than the standard deadline. Householder applications are slightly less likely to be approved here (88%) than the national average (90%).

Among the slowest councils in England
for householder decisions
These figures are council-wide context, not a prediction for this application. View full council performance
St Albans decision statistics
Based on MHCLG data, the year to March 2026
87%
Overall approval rate
Above avg (87%) #180 of 296
88%
Householder approved
Below avg (90%) #226 of 296
29%
Decided in 8 weeks
Below avg (63%) #285 of 296
64%
Extended time limit
Above avg (41%) #278 of 296
74%
Minor dwellings approved
130 decided (1-9 homes)
61%
Major dwellings approved
18 decided (10+ homes)
77%
Change of use approved
26 decided
1,411
Total decisions
184 refused in the year to March 2026