Redrow wins appeal for 280 Bushey homes

Redrow Homes has secured outline planning permission for up to 280 homes at Little Bushey Lane in Hertfordshire after an inspector allowed its appeal against Hertsmere Borough Council's refusal of the development.

The appeal was allowed on 3 November 2026 following a public inquiry in October. Planning inspector Zoe Raygen concluded that the land qualified as grey belt under national planning policy and that the proposed residential development satisfied the relevant tests for development within the Green Belt.

The permission covers land east of Little Bushey Lane and north of The Squirrels, on the edge of Bushey. The scheme includes 50% affordable housing, a mobility and community hub, public open space, drainage infrastructure, and other works associated with the proposed residential development.

The decision follows an earlier proposal for approximately 310 homes on a partly overlapping site, which was dismissed at appeal in 2023. Redrow subsequently brought forward a smaller development area, excluding land within Flood Zones 2 and 3 that had formed part of the previous proposals.

Hertsmere's planning committee refused the revised application in March 2026, despite officers recommending approval. Councillors raised concerns about Green Belt protection, landscape effects, highway arrangements, flood risk, and the suitability of the location for development.

Redrow appealed in May, bringing the application before the Planning Inspectorate. During the intervening months, the council reassessed its position following further Green Belt evidence and legal advice.

In July, the council agreed that it would no longer oppose the principle of granting planning permission. That change followed revised evidence about how Bushey should be assessed under the applicable Green Belt policy and the site's contribution to the relevant Green Belt purposes.

The council subsequently approved a draft Local Plan in October that identified the Little Bushey Lane land for approximately 280 homes. The emerging allocation formed part of the planning context considered during the appeal, although the plan had not been adopted when the inspector reached her decision.

The inspector assessed the application against the revised national definition of grey belt. Land can qualify under that definition according to its contribution to specified Green Belt purposes, rather than solely because it has previously been developed.

The Little Bushey Lane site was found to meet the grey belt criteria. The inspector therefore concluded that the proposal was not inappropriate development in the Green Belt, subject to the other relevant policy requirements being satisfied.

That finding did not remove the need to examine the development's effects on the surrounding area. The inspector separately considered landscape character, highway safety, flood risk, and the relationship between the proposed housing and the existing settlement.

Some harm to local character and appearance was identified. The proposed construction would change the existing landscape and introduce residential development onto land currently used as paddocks, requiring those effects to be weighed against the benefits of the scheme.

The borough's limited housing supply carried substantial weight in that assessment. The inspector considered Hertsmere to have approximately 0.98 years of deliverable housing land, substantially below the five-year supply ordinarily required for plan-making and development management purposes.

Up to 280 additional homes, including the affordable housing allocation, would contribute towards addressing that shortfall. The inspector also considered the scheme's compliance with the relevant requirements for qualifying Green Belt developments.

Half of the homes are secured as affordable housing. The exact arrangement of individual properties, their appearance, scale, and distribution across the site will be considered through subsequent applications rather than being fixed by the outline permission.

The approved development also includes approximately 6.85 hectares of public green space and play areas. A minimum 10% biodiversity net gain is required on site, with the associated landscape and ecological measures to be developed in accordance with the permission and its obligations.

Transport commitments include support for an additional bus service over five years, improvements to bus stop provision, and contributions towards walking and cycling infrastructure. The development must also make financial contributions towards education and healthcare provision.

The combination of housing, transport, and community infrastructure commitments formed part of the planning balance. Their delivery will depend on the conditions and legal obligations attached to the permission, including the arrangements governing different stages of construction and occupation.

Highway safety was among the matters considered during the appeal. Local objections had raised concerns about existing traffic conditions and the additional vehicle movements that could result from the proposed housing.

The inspector considered the submitted transport evidence and the responses of the relevant highway authorities. The scheme was found not to create unacceptable highway safety effects when assessed alongside the proposed mitigation.

Flood risk was examined separately. Redrow's revised proposals excluded the higher-risk areas included within the previous development boundary, while the submitted assessments considered drainage and the potential effects on surrounding land.

The relevant flood authority did not object, and an independent review commissioned by the council accepted the robustness of the flood modelling. Detailed drainage arrangements will nevertheless need to be developed and implemented as the construction proposals progress.

The appeal also resulted in a partial costs award against Hertsmere Borough Council. The inspector concluded that certain reasons for refusal, involving highway mitigation, flooding, and the sustainability of the location, had not been adequately supported by the evidence available.

Redrow had sought recovery of its wider appeal costs, but the award was limited to unnecessary expenditure associated with those matters before the council changed its position. The amount payable has not yet been established.

If the parties cannot agree the costs, the amount may be determined through the relevant assessment process. The decision should therefore be distinguished from an order requiring the council to reimburse every expense incurred by Redrow during the appeal.

The appeal outcome establishes the principle of residential development on the site, but the permission remains outline consent. Only the access from Little Bushey Lane is fixed at this stage, with internal access, layout, scale, appearance, and landscaping reserved for subsequent approval.

Those matters will determine how the proposed homes, roads, open spaces, drainage infrastructure, and associated facilities are arranged within the development boundary. Detailed design must also address the requirements of the planning conditions and the technical standards applicable to construction.

Redrow must submit the necessary reserved matters applications within three years. Construction must then begin within two years of approval of the final reserved matters, subject to the terms of the permission.

The company has not announced a firm construction start date. Its next development stages will involve preparing the detailed proposals, progressing the required approvals, and establishing the arrangements needed to deliver the housing and infrastructure works.

The appeal has resolved the planning principle for up to 280 homes at Little Bushey Lane, with half designated affordable and substantial infrastructure commitments secured. The construction programme remains dependent on the detailed design and approvals that follow the outline decision.