Sewell Park, St Albans

At the start of the year, DLA submitted an outline application for up to 150 dwellings at Sewell Park, located to the rear of Harpenden Road, St Albans for Hunston Properties. The site is a greenfield, Green Belt site. DLA has been working on this site for over 20 years and has previously been involved in 3 public inquiries, two high court challenges, and a court of appeal hearing in relation to the site.

The site was proposed as a housing allocation in the previous St Albans Local Plan and although that plan was withdrawn, the studies that supported it (including the Green Belt review and site selection reports) remain relevant. In addition, detailed masterplanning work was undertaken with the Council to ensure plans for the wider Broad Location were appropriate. The recent appeal decision at Colney Heath was also part of the context for this application.

The Council’s planning officers have now recommended that the application be approved and this recommendation will be considered by committee on 26th July.