Hertsmere Council approves 87.8% of planning applications, based on 4,228 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. Hertsmere is closely in line with the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 443 decided applications, Hertsmere Council approved 90.7% of planning applications in 2025. Across 4,228 decisions on record (March 2006 to September 2026), the overall approval rate in Hertsmere is 87.8%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of Hertsmere council planning portal records · Data to 9 September 2026 · Quote freely with attribution
Enter your postcode for a free, personalised approval pattern report, based on your ward and application type.
Not all applications are treated equally. Extension types, listed building consent, and change of use applications each have very different success rates in Hertsmere.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full | 1,035 | 78 | 1,113 | 93.0% |
| Other | 758 | 164 | 922 | 82.2% |
| Trees | 641 | 86 | 727 | 88.2% |
| Prior Approval | 554 | 129 | 683 | 81.1% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 570 | 52 | 622 | 91.6% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 96 | 2 | 98 | 98.0% |
| Advertisement | 38 | 2 | 40 | 95.0% |
| Listed Building | 22 | 1 | 23 | 95.7% |
A loft conversion in one ward can have a 90% approval rate. In the next ward, 55%. The free check tells you which side you're on, your free property report is emailed in minutes.
Check My PostcodeWard-level data reveals where planning applications are most and least likely to succeed. Officers, local policies, and neighbourhood character all play a role.
| Ward | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aldenham West | 379 | 43 | 422 | 89.8% |
| Aldenham East | 337 | 55 | 392 | 86.0% |
| Shenley | 273 | 34 | 307 | 88.9% |
| Potters Bar Parkfield | 265 | 36 | 301 | 88.0% |
| Borehamwood Hillside | 257 | 38 | 295 | 87.1% |
| Borehamwood Cowley Hill | 249 | 19 | 268 | 92.9% |
| Bushey Heath | 228 | 36 | 264 | 86.4% |
| Bushey St James | 223 | 32 | 255 | 87.5% |
| Borehamwood Brookmeadow | 217 | 20 | 237 | 91.6% |
| Potters Bar Furzefield | 196 | 28 | 224 | 87.5% |
| Elstree | 194 | 26 | 220 | 88.2% |
| Bushey Park | 188 | 30 | 218 | 86.2% |
| Bushey North | 183 | 26 | 209 | 87.6% |
| Potters Bar Oakmere | 145 | 34 | 179 | 81.0% |
| Borehamwood Kenilworth | 160 | 18 | 178 | 89.9% |
| Bentley Heath & The Royds | 136 | 27 | 163 | 83.4% |
| Not Applicable - Adj Authorityl | 25 | 2 | 27 | 92.6% |
How Hertsmere’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, up 9.7pp since 2018.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
Real residential planning decisions from Hertsmere council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| 26/1025/HSE Elstree | Single storey rear extension. | Approved |
| 26/0969/HSE Borehamwood Kenilworth | Single storey side extension following demolition of existing canopy. | Approved |
| 26/0896/HSE Potters Bar Oakmere | The application of a rendered finish to the external walls of the dwelling. (Ret | Approved |
| 26/0808/HSE Aldenham West | Conversion of loft to habitable space including rear dormer, side dormers and fr | Approved |
| 26/0938/HSE Bushey Park | Conversion of garage to habitable space with window to replace garage door, remo | Approved |
| 26/0856/CLE Shenley | Existing use of dwellinghouse, residential annex and ancillary buildings. Certif | Approved |
| 26/0949/CLP Borehamwood Kenilworth | Conversion of loft to habitable space with roof alterations to include rear dorm | Approved |
| 26/0910/HSE Borehamwood Cowley Hill | Conversion of loft to habitable space including rear dormer and front roof light | Approved |
| 26/0832/HSE Aldenham West | Front boundary works to include new vehicular access, dropped kerb and vehicular | Approved |
| 26/0833/LBC Aldenham West | Front boundary works to include new vehicular access, dropped kerb and vehicular | Approved |
Find out what actually gets approved near your address first. Your free property report analyses the 20 nearest decisions to your property, ward-specific refusal patterns, and extension-by-extension approval patterns. Based on Hertsmere's 4,228 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare Hertsmere's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
Dig deeper into Hertsmere's planning statistics, by ward, extension type, or project category:
Data-driven guides to help you understand planning approval patterns:
Yes. PlanningLens offers a free planning permission check for Hertsmere. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 4,228 real decisions from Hertsmere council. The full property-specific report is also free and emailed within minutes.
Enter your postcode on PlanningLens for a free instant check based on Hertsmere's real planning decisions. The free property report goes further: it analyses the 20 nearest comparable decisions to your property, ward-level refusal patterns, and approval rates by application type. Free and emailed within minutes.
Based on 4,228 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Hertsmere is 87.8%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 4,228 planning decisions from Hertsmere council. 3,714 were approved and 514 were refused. These figures cover every decision on record for the council, March 2006 to September 2026.
The average approval rate in Hertsmere is 87.8%, but outcomes depend heavily on your specific ward, the type of extension or development you are proposing, and local planning policy. Use the free PlanningLens postcode check to get a personalised score.
Writing about planning in Hertsmere? These figures are free to republish with attribution. Copy the one-line citation, or paste the stat box into any website, CMS or newsletter, it carries its own styling and links back to this page for verification.