Hertsmere planning approval rate
Hertsmere council approved 87.4% of planning applications and refused 12.6%, based on 3,948 decisions analysed. Ranked 73rd out of 284 councils for strictness.
Last updated: June 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to present
87.4%
overall approval rate
3,948
Decisions analysed
3,450
Approved
498
Refused
17
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.
92.0%
81.9%
89.0%
81.4%
97.8%
94.6%
94.1%
Approval rate by project type
These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Hertsmere, mined from 3,948 proposal descriptions.
86.0%
90.7%
90.7%
86.1%
86.9%
94.7%
88.1%
92.7%
94.2%
83.0%
81.3%
89.0%
93.5%
100.0%
100.0%
Approval rate by ward
Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Hertsmere. Click any ward for detailed statistics.
Aldenham West
89.3%
Aldenham East
85.8%
Shenley
88.6%
Potters Bar Parkfield
87.5%
Borehamwood Hillside
86.3%
Bushey Heath
85.7%
Borehamwood Cowley Hill
92.8%
Bushey St James
86.9%
Borehamwood Brookmeadow
90.9%
Potters Bar Furzefield
86.6%
Bushey Park
86.8%
Elstree
87.6%
Bushey North
86.7%
Potters Bar Oakmere
82.2%
Borehamwood Kenilworth
89.0%
Bentley Heath & The Royds
81.4%
Not Applicable - Adj Authorityl
92.6%
Wards in Hertsmere
Aldenham West
89.3% approval · 394 decisions
Aldenham East
85.8% approval · 367 decisions
Shenley
88.6% approval · 290 decisions
Potters Bar Parkfield
87.5% approval · 279 decisions
Borehamwood Hillside
86.3% approval · 278 decisions
Bushey Heath
85.7% approval · 251 decisions
Borehamwood Cowley Hill
92.8% approval · 250 decisions
Bushey St James
86.9% approval · 244 decisions
Borehamwood Brookmeadow
90.9% approval · 219 decisions
Potters Bar Furzefield
86.6% approval · 209 decisions
Bushey Park
86.8% approval · 204 decisions
Elstree
87.6% approval · 201 decisions
Bushey North
86.7% approval · 196 decisions
Potters Bar Oakmere
82.2% approval · 163 decisions
Borehamwood Kenilworth
89.0% approval · 163 decisions
Bentley Heath & The Royds
81.4% approval · 145 decisions
Not Applicable - Adj Authorityl
92.6% approval · 27 decisions
Recent comparable decisions
The most recent residential planning decisions in Hertsmere, showing how the council decides real applications.
Removal of timber framed, glazed door and window, and replacement with timber fr · Aldenham West · Mon 22 Jun 2026
Construction of single storey side and rear extension. · Bushey Park · Mon 22 Jun 2026
Construction of single storey rear extension. Depth: 6.00m, Height: 3.00m, Eaves · Potters Bar Furzefield · Fri 19 Jun 2026
Showing 3 of 200 comparable decisions. See all 200 in the full report →
What gets approved near your property?
In Hertsmere, 1 in 8 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 Hertsmere
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free planning check for Hertsmere →
✓ Common refusal reasons in Hertsmere
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free. Based on 3,948 decisions.
Compare with nearby councils
Frequently asked questions about planning in Hertsmere
What is the planning approval rate in Hertsmere?
Based on 3,948 planning decisions analysed since 2020, Hertsmere approved 87.4% of applications and refused 12.6%. The council is ranked 73rd out of 284 UK councils for approval rate.
How many planning applications are refused in Hertsmere?
Hertsmere refuses 12.6% of planning applications, roughly 1 in 8. That is close to the UK average of 11.7%. Out of 3,948 decided applications since 2020, 498 were refused. PlanningLens lets you check any postcode to see which applications were refused near a specific property.
Which areas of Hertsmere have the highest planning approval rates?
The highest approval rates in Hertsmere are in Borehamwood Cowley Hill (92.8%), Borehamwood Brookmeadow (90.9%), and Aldenham West (89.3%). Approval rates vary significantly by ward, see the full ward breakdown above.
What types of planning application are most common in Hertsmere?
The most common planning application types in Hertsmere are: Full (970 decisions, 92.0% approved), Other (906, 81.9%), and Trees (689, 89.0%).
How long does a planning application take in Hertsmere?
Planning applications in Hertsmere take an average of 13.6 weeks to reach a decision, measured across 853 decisions with a recorded timeline. That is slower than the 8-week statutory target for householder applications (the statutory targets are 8 weeks for householder applications and 13 weeks for major developments). PlanningLens measures the actual time each application takes, not just the target. Hertsmere decides approximately 658 planning applications per year.
How do I check planning applications in Hertsmere?
You can search planning applications in Hertsmere directly on the council's official planning portal. PlanningLens also lets you check any postcode against 3,948 historical decisions in Hertsmere to see what's been approved and refused near a specific property.
How is PlanningLens approval rate data for Hertsmere calculated?
PlanningLens scrapes Hertsmere's official planning portal and analyses every published decision since January 2020. The approval rate is calculated as approved decisions divided by total decided applications, excluding withdrawn and pending applications. The full methodology, data sourcing, and Creative Commons BY 4.0 licensing terms are published at planninglens.co.uk/methodology.