East Hertfordshire planning approval rate

East Hertfordshire council approved 73.2% of planning applications and refused 26.8%, based on 16,563 decisions analysed. Ranked 2nd out of 237 councils for strictness.

Last updated: May 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to present

73.2%

overall approval rate

16,563

Decisions analysed

12,121

Approved

4,442

Refused

Wards covered

Planning in East Hertfordshire? Check your postcode to see approval rates specific to your ward and street.

Approval rate by application type

Different application types have different approval rates in East Hertfordshire. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.

Full (10,778 decided)

74.4%

Other (2,758 decided)

71.4%

Listed Building (1,370 decided)

84.6%

Discharge of Conditions (942 decided)

44.9%

Advertisement (252 decided)

82.1%

Certificate of Lawfulness (222 decided)

84.7%

Prior Approval (218 decided)

61.5%

Change of Use (23 decided)

73.9%

Approval rate by project type

These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in East Hertfordshire — mined from 16,563 proposal descriptions.

Rear Extension (5,178 decided)

78.5%

Garage / Parking (4,147 decided)

70.7%

Side Extension (2,925 decided)

73.8%

Dormer (1,590 decided)

73.3%

Outbuilding (1,387 decided)

74.0%

New Build (1,254 decided)

62.0%

Front Extension (1,032 decided)

74.7%

Conservatory (1,020 decided)

82.4%

Change of Use (Residential) (1,011 decided)

62.4%

Loft Conversion (919 decided)

74.5%

Extension (General) (675 decided)

75.3%

Wraparound Extension (506 decided)

78.3%

Annex (341 decided)

63.0%

Basement (228 decided)

71.9%

Hip-to-Gable Conversion (208 decided)

69.2%

Flat Conversion (39 decided)

64.1%

HMO (17 decided)

64.7%

Approval rate by ward

Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within East Hertfordshire. Click any ward for detailed statistics.

Sawbridgeworth (974 decided)

72.6%

Hertford - Castle (850 decided)

70.1%

Hertford - Bengeo (726 decided)

78.0%

Buntingford (707 decided)

73.6%

Much Hadham (705 decided)

69.6%

Bishops Stortford - Meads (633 decided)

73.6%

Braughing (518 decided)

69.9%

Bishops Stortford - All Saints (505 decided)

76.0%

Bishops Stortford - Central (495 decided)

73.3%

Bishops Stortford - South (495 decided)

78.8%

Hertford - Rural South (486 decided)

63.0%

Little Hadham (475 decided)

70.3%

Thundridge And Standon (458 decided)

71.6%

Hunsdon (442 decided)

67.6%

Bishops Stortford - Silverleys (426 decided)

81.5%

Hertford - Rural North (392 decided)

65.1%

Mundens And Cottered (363 decided)

69.1%

Datchworth And Aston (359 decided)

57.9%

Ware - Christchurch (352 decided)

73.3%

Hertford Heath (351 decided)

65.5%

Wards in East Hertfordshire

Sawbridgeworth

72.6% approval · 974 decisions

Hertford - Castle

70.1% approval · 850 decisions

Hertford - Bengeo

78.0% approval · 726 decisions

Buntingford

73.6% approval · 707 decisions

Much Hadham

69.6% approval · 705 decisions

Bishops Stortford - Meads

73.6% approval · 633 decisions

Braughing

69.9% approval · 518 decisions

Bishops Stortford - All Saints

76.0% approval · 505 decisions

Bishops Stortford - Central

73.3% approval · 495 decisions

Bishops Stortford - South

78.8% approval · 495 decisions

Hertford - Rural South

63.0% approval · 486 decisions

Little Hadham

70.3% approval · 475 decisions

Thundridge And Standon

71.6% approval · 458 decisions

Hunsdon

67.6% approval · 442 decisions

Bishops Stortford - Silverleys

81.5% approval · 426 decisions

Hertford - Rural North

65.1% approval · 392 decisions

Mundens And Cottered

69.1% approval · 363 decisions

Datchworth And Aston

57.9% approval · 359 decisions

Ware - Christchurch

73.3% approval · 352 decisions

Hertford Heath

65.5% approval · 351 decisions

Recent comparable decisions

The most recent residential planning decisions in East Hertfordshire, showing how the council decides real applications.

3/25/1919/HH

Construction of part single/part two storey rear extension with rooflights, part · Hertford Bengeo · Wed 04 Mar 2026

Refused

3/25/1795/HH

Construction of replacement double carport with accommodation over · Bishop's Stortford Parsonage · Wed 04 Mar 2026

Approved

3/25/2021/HH

Part double storey, part single storey side extension following the demolition o · Hertford - Sele · Tue 03 Mar 2026

Refused

Showing 3 of 200 comparable decisions. See all 200 in the full report →

What gets approved near your property?

In East Hertfordshire, 1 in 4 applications are refused. Your PlanningLens Full Planning Analysis gives you 17 pages of intelligence specific to your property:

✓ Ward-level approval rates for your exact area
✓ Common refusal reasons in East Hertfordshire
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect

Free planning check for East Hertfordshire →

Free. Based on 16,563 decisions.

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