Which ward in Hertsmere has the highest planning approval rate?

Borehamwood Cowley Hill at 92.8% based on 250 decisions.

Which ward in Hertsmere has the lowest planning approval rate?

Bentley Heath & The Royds at 81.4% based on 145 decisions.

How much do planning approval rates vary across Hertsmere?

There is a 11.4% gap between Borehamwood Cowley Hill and Bentley Heath & The Royds. Your postcode significantly affects outcomes.

Planning Approval Rates by Ward in Hertsmere

Planning outcomes in Hertsmere are highly localised. The gap between the most and least permissive wards is 11.4% — that's not noise, it's a fundamentally different planning environment depending on where you live.

3,948 real decisions·17 wards·Updated June 2026

87.4% approved overall. But 498 applications refused since 2020. Where you live in Hertsmere shifts your odds by up to 11.4%. The council average doesn't tell you which side of that gap you're on.

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All 17 wards ranked

#	Ward	Decisions	Approved	Refused	Rate
1	Borehamwood Cowley Hill	250	232	18	92.8%
2	Not Applicable - Adj Authorityl	27	25	2	92.6%
3	Borehamwood Brookmeadow	219	199	20	90.9%
4	Aldenham West	394	352	42	89.3%
5	Borehamwood Kenilworth	163	145	18	89.0%
6	Shenley	290	257	33	88.6%
7	Elstree	201	176	25	87.6%
8	Potters Bar Parkfield	279	244	35	87.5%
9	Bushey St James	244	212	32	86.9%
10	Bushey Park	204	177	27	86.8%
11	Bushey North	196	170	26	86.7%
12	Potters Bar Furzefield	209	181	28	86.6%
13	Borehamwood Hillside	278	240	38	86.3%
14	Aldenham East	367	315	52	85.8%
15	Bushey Heath	251	215	36	85.7%
16	Potters Bar Oakmere	163	134	29	82.2%
17	Bentley Heath & The Royds	145	118	27	81.4%

See how this applies to your postcode →

These are council averages. Your property is specific.

An extension might sail through in Borehamwood Cowley Hill but face serious resistance in Bentley Heath & The Royds.
Check your postcode to see what actually happens near your address.

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What the data tells us

A 11.4% gap separates the best and worst wards. Borehamwood Cowley Hill approves 92.8% of applications while Bentley Heath & The Royds approves just 81.4%. That's a fundamentally different planning environment.

High volume doesn't mean high approval. Some of the busiest wards aren't the most permissive. The number of applications a ward processes tells you nothing about how likely yours is to succeed.

Ward averages are a starting point, not a guarantee. Your specific outcome depends on your property, your neighbours, your proposal type and the comparable decisions near your address.

Before you spend £5,000+ on architects and drawings

498 planning applications in Hertsmere have been refused since 2020. Many of those homeowners had already paid for drawings and application fees. A free, property-specific report shows you what gets approved — and what gets refused — near your property.

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Free · Property report emailed in minutes · Based on 3,290,000+ real decisions

More Hertsmere planning data

Methodology: Covers 3,948 planning decisions in Hertsmere, January 2020 to present. Approval rate = approved / (approved + refused). Pending, withdrawn and invalid excluded. Ward boundaries reflect current electoral divisions. Data from Hertsmere Council's public planning portal. Full methodology →