Hertsmere Council approves 87.5% of planning applications, based on 1,943 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%. Hertsmere sits 2.5 percentage points above the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 443 decided applications, Hertsmere Council approved 90.7% of planning applications in 2025. Across 1,943 decisions on record (March 2006 to September 2026), the overall approval rate in Hertsmere is 87.5%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of Hertsmere council planning portal records · Data to 29 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 | 1,073 | 78 | 1,151 | 93.2% |
| Other | 762 | 164 | 926 | 82.3% |
| Trees | 659 | 87 | 746 | 88.3% |
| Prior Approval | 558 | 131 | 689 | 81.0% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 593 | 52 | 645 | 91.9% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 99 | 2 | 101 | 98.0% |
| Advertisement | 39 | 2 | 41 | 95.1% |
| Listed Building | 24 | 1 | 25 | 96.0% |
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 | 389 | 44 | 433 | 89.8% |
| Aldenham East | 350 | 55 | 405 | 86.4% |
| Shenley | 281 | 34 | 315 | 89.2% |
| Potters Bar Parkfield | 273 | 36 | 309 | 88.3% |
| Borehamwood Hillside | 257 | 39 | 296 | 86.8% |
| Borehamwood Cowley Hill | 253 | 19 | 272 | 93.0% |
| Bushey Heath | 230 | 36 | 266 | 86.5% |
| Bushey St James | 227 | 32 | 259 | 87.6% |
| Borehamwood Brookmeadow | 224 | 20 | 244 | 91.8% |
| Potters Bar Furzefield | 201 | 29 | 230 | 87.4% |
| Elstree | 199 | 26 | 225 | 88.4% |
| Bushey Park | 194 | 30 | 224 | 86.6% |
| Bushey North | 185 | 26 | 211 | 87.7% |
| Potters Bar Oakmere | 152 | 34 | 186 | 81.7% |
| Borehamwood Kenilworth | 164 | 18 | 182 | 90.1% |
| Bentley Heath & The Royds | 143 | 27 | 170 | 84.1% |
| Not Applicable - Adj Authorityl | 25 | 2 | 27 | 92.6% |
How Hertsmere’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, up 10.0pp 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 26/1093/CLP Aldenham West | Conversion of loft to habitable space with hip-to-gable roof alterations to incl | Approved |
| 26/1092/CLP Borehamwood Cowley Hill | Single storey rear extension. Conversion of loft to habitable space including re | Approved |
| 26/0920/HSE Bushey St James | Construction of part single, part two storey side and rear extension. | Approved |
| 26/1269/PD28O Aldenham West | Demolition of the existing buildings at 29 Newlands Avenue. (Application for Pri | Approved |
| 26/0793/LBC Shenley | Repair and conservation of the timber roof structure and pitched roof coverings, | Approved |
| 26/0801/FUL Shenley | Repair and conservation of the timber roof structure and pitched roof coverings, | Approved |
| 26/1089/HSE Aldenham East | Replacement of existing rear elevation pitched roof with flat roof and raised gl | Approved |
| 26/1077/HSE Aldenham West | Single story rear extension, erection of a new porch, new raised roof incorporat | Approved |
| 26/0841/HSE Bushey Park | Single-storey side extension (additional information received on 01.09.2026). | Approved |
| 26/0737/FUL Borehamwood Brookmeadow | Shopfront alterations. | 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 1,943 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 1,943 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 1,943 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Hertsmere is 87.5%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 1,943 planning decisions from Hertsmere council. 1,701 were approved and 242 were refused. These figures cover every decision on record for the council, March 2006 to September 2026.
The average approval rate in Hertsmere is 87.5%, 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.