Land North Of Oakleigh Farm, Codicote Road, Welwyn

Application No. 6/2020/0714/MAJ

Erection of 7 x 4-bed detached dwellings with associated detached garages, parking and
amenity areas following demolition of all existing buildings and structures. Change of use of
eastern section of land to paddock and alterations to existing access road.
On Land North Of Oakleigh Farm, Codicote Road, Welwyn.

This letter is being written jointly to North Hertfordshire District Council and Welwyn Hatfield
Borough Council in respect of Applications nos. 20/00598/FP and 6/2020/0714/MAJ
respectively.
This site lies in the Metropolitan Green Belt. The boundary between the two councils divides
it, with approximately one third of the site in North Herts and two thirds in Welwyn Hatfield
and the proposed development straddles that boundary. The layout of the development is
such that the applications cannot be determined in isolation, but only by joint co-operation
between the Councils. The documentation submitted to each Council is identical.
In preparation for submitting this application for residential development, the applicant
sought certificates of lawful development for the existing mixed uses on the site. According to
the Planning Statement, the two authorities took different views, with North Herts granting
approval for those buildings within their jurisdiction and Welwyn Council taking the view that
they considered the whole area one planning unit and refusing the application. Clearly this is
not a situation which can be sustained and, until it is resolved, these applications cannot be
determined.