Stephen McPartland MP: Success - Government backs local people against North Herts District Council and blocks inappropriate Green Belt Development
Stephen McPartland, Member of Parliament for Stevenage, is delighted that the Government has supported him and local people to block inappropriate development on the Green Belt. The Secretary of State for the Department of Communities and Local Government has overturned North Herts District Council's decision and refused planning permission for an inappropriate Solar Farm at Three Houses Lane, Codicote.
Stephen McPartland MP said, "I asked the Secretary of State to call-in the planning application, as I was concerned about the way North Herts District Council was handling the matter and ignoring local people. It was clear NHDC were intent on granting planning permission, as they were frightened of being sued by the developer. The application would have severely impacted the Greenbelt and was against Government policies.
"I am delighted there was a full public inquiry and the Planning Inspector recommended the Secretary of State overturn NHDC's determination to grant planning permission. This has incredible importance locally, as NHDC is currently developing a Local Plan, which has also ignored the concerns of thousands of local people to date. The humiliating defeat should encourage NHDC to pause and withdraw their draft Local Plan and develop a new proposal that has the support of local people, with a new Garden City at its heart, to resolve housing need.
"Although, today may be a small victory, it is a massive success for the determined local people who led the opposition to NHDC and I was proud to campaign alongside them."
You can read the evidence Stephen gave at the public inquiry here and the detail of the decision here.
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