Hertsmere planning approval rate

Hertsmere council approved 85.1% of planning applications and refused 14.9%, based on 3,094 decisions analysed. Ranked 41st out of 221 councils for strictness.

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

85.1%

overall approval rate

3,094

Decisions analysed

2,634

Approved

460

Refused

Wards covered

Planning in Hertsmere? 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 Hertsmere. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.

Other (868 decided)

81.1%

Prior Approval (601 decided)

81.5%

Trees (572 decided)

91.1%

Full (513 decided)

85.0%

Certificate of Lawfulness (457 decided)

88.6%

Discharge of Conditions (53 decided)

96.2%

Advertisement (25 decided)

92.0%

Approval rate by project type

These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Hertsmere — mined from 3,094 proposal descriptions.

Rear Extension (924 decided)

83.0%

Dormer (318 decided)

86.2%

Garage / Parking (298 decided)

84.6%

Side Extension (203 decided)

77.3%

Conservatory (109 decided)

82.6%

Loft Conversion (88 decided)

81.8%

Front Extension (87 decided)

90.8%

Outbuilding (86 decided)

80.2%

Hip-to-Gable Conversion (84 decided)

88.1%

New Build (62 decided)

72.6%

Extension (General) (55 decided)

85.5%

Wraparound Extension (39 decided)

84.6%

Change of Use (Residential) (24 decided)

75.0%

Basement (19 decided)

89.5%

Approval rate by ward

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

Aldenham West (317 decided)

87.7%

Aldenham East (269 decided)

81.8%

Borehamwood Hillside (223 decided)

83.4%

Potters Bar Parkfield (216 decided)

84.3%

Bushey Heath (214 decided)

84.1%

Shenley (212 decided)

85.8%

Borehamwood Cowley Hill (207 decided)

91.8%

Bushey St James (201 decided)

84.6%

Borehamwood Brookmeadow (174 decided)

89.1%

Bushey Park (170 decided)

86.5%

Potters Bar Furzefield (165 decided)

85.5%

Bushey North (155 decided)

83.2%

Elstree (153 decided)

84.3%

Borehamwood Kenilworth (123 decided)

86.2%

Potters Bar Oakmere (118 decided)

78.8%

Bentley Heath & The Royds (85 decided)

77.6%

Not Applicable - Adj Authorityl (26 decided)

92.3%

Wards in Hertsmere

Aldenham West

87.7% approval · 317 decisions

Aldenham East

81.8% approval · 269 decisions

Borehamwood Hillside

83.4% approval · 223 decisions

Potters Bar Parkfield

84.3% approval · 216 decisions

Bushey Heath

84.1% approval · 214 decisions

Shenley

85.8% approval · 212 decisions

Borehamwood Cowley Hill

91.8% approval · 207 decisions

Bushey St James

84.6% approval · 201 decisions

Borehamwood Brookmeadow

89.1% approval · 174 decisions

Bushey Park

86.5% approval · 170 decisions

Potters Bar Furzefield

85.5% approval · 165 decisions

Bushey North

83.2% approval · 155 decisions

Elstree

84.3% approval · 153 decisions

Borehamwood Kenilworth

86.2% approval · 123 decisions

Potters Bar Oakmere

78.8% approval · 118 decisions

Bentley Heath & The Royds

77.6% approval · 85 decisions

Not Applicable - Adj Authorityl

92.3% approval · 26 decisions

Recent comparable decisions

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

26/0127/TRC

T10 UNIDENTIFIED TREE. To cut back overhang by 1m to boundary line (See annotate · Bushey St James · Mon 09 Mar 2026

Approved

26/0094/CLP

Conversion of garage to habitable space to include replacement of garage door wi · Borehamwood Brookmeadow · Thu 26 Feb 2026

Approved

26/0030/PD42

Construction of single storey rear extension. Depth: 6.00m, Height: 3.70m, Eaves · Bushey St James · Tue 24 Feb 2026

Approved

Showing 3 of 200 comparable decisions. See all 200 in the Pro Report →

What gets approved near your property?

In Hertsmere, 1 in 7 applications are refused. Your PlanningLens Pro Report gives you 17 pages of intelligence specific to your property:

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

Get Hertsmere Pro Report — £79

Less than one set of revised drawings. Based on 3,094 decisions.

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