Issue - meetings
25/03197/FP The Barn, Great North Road, Radwell, Baldock, Hertfordshire, SG7 5EN
Meeting: 17/09/2026 - Planning Control Committee (Item 63)
63 25/03197/FP The Barn, Great North Road, Radwell, Baldock, Hertfordshire, SG7 5EN 
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REPORT OF THE
DEVELOPMENT AND CONSERVATION MANAGER
Erection of detached industrial storage building following
demolition of two existing industrial storage buildings and
installation of external lighting and increase in material storage
height to 6.0m. (Development has commenced)
Additional documents:
Decision:
RESOLVED: That application 25/03197/FP be REFUSED planning permission for the reasons as set out in the report and addendum report of the Development and Conservation Manager.
Minutes:
Audio recording – 19 minutes 39 seconds
The Planning Officer provided a verbal update on matters relating to Application 25/03197/FP and advised that:
· An ecology reason for refusal had been added within the published addendum.
· The application sought erection of a detached industrial storage building following demolition of two existing storage buildings, retention of external lighting poles and allowing stacking of material up to 6 meters in height.
The Planning Officer then presented the report in respect of application 25/03197/FP accompanied by a visual presentation consisting of plans and photographs.
The following Members asked questions:
· Councillor Ruth Brown
· Councillor Claire Winchester
· Councillor Louise Peace
· Councillor Martin Prescott
In response to questions, the Planning Officer advised that:
· The lighting column did not have planning permission, but the existing buildings did.
· A landscaping plan existed but was not included in the presentation.
· The previous permission included a condition which required lighting hours to comply with the bat survey.
· There was not a pre application consultation.
In response to questions, the Development and Conservation Manager advised that the application was considered as a whole, the 30-meter lighting column was the most impactful element. However, without it, the recommendation may have been different, but that scenario was not before the committee.
The Chair invited the Public Objector, Parish Councillor Matt Henderson to speak against the application. Parish Councillor Henderson thanked the Chair for the opportunity and provided the Committee with a verbal presentation, and highlighted the following:
· The original planning permission was never lawfully implemented.
· The pre-commencement conditions were not discharged.
· The construction management plan was not discharged.
· The first planting season was not met.
· The barn approved years ago was never erected, the site had instead become a large industrial compound.
· The 30-meter lighting column was highly intrusive: visible from multiple junctions and villages, dazzles drivers on the A1 and A507, lighting report was inadequate and not based on on-site assessment.
· Over 50 objections had been submitted.
· The scale, height and bulk of the site are far beyond what was originally approved.
· Parish council support employment but want development delivered in accordance with the original consent.
· The current proposal is wholly from what was approved.
There were no points of clarification from Members.
The Chair thanked Parish Councillor Henderson for their presentation and invited the Member Advocate Objector, Councillor Tom Tyson to speak against the application. Councillor Tyson thanked the Chair for the opportunity and provided the Committee with a verbal presentation, and highlighted the following:
· The application was effectively retrospective, following enforcement intervention.
· The original 2022 permission retained existing buildings, limited storage height to 3 meters and was considered acceptable and non-harmful.
· The current development demolished the barn and bat roost, introduced large storage racks and tall material stacks and created a stark visual impact due to elevated ground levels.
· The 12-meter perimeter lights dazzle drivers and affect visibility, the 30-meter central lighting column dominates the skyline and requires a red aviation light, and the lighting column was a major intrusion into ... view the full minutes text for item 63