Dacorum Planning Consultant
New town, market towns and the Chilterns
Dacorum stretches from the post-war new town of Hemel Hempstead up through Berkhamsted and Tring to the Chiltern escarpment. Every new home within reach of Ashridge now has to account for the Chilterns Beechwoods SAC, and the borough's development plan is in the late stages of a long examination. Cedar Planning helps applicants find a clear path through both.
We are an independent Chartered consultancy led by Dan Malloy MRTPI. Our base is in Norfolk and our work covers England, including the Hertfordshire Chilterns, with visits to sites in Hemel, the market towns and the villages when needed.
- RTPI Chartered
- Fixed-fee quotations
- Direct advice from a Chartered Planner
The Chilterns Beechwoods SAC and what it asks of new homes
In March 2022 Natural England advised that visitor pressure was harming the Ashridge Commons and Woods part of the Chilterns Beechwoods Special Area of Conservation. For a time that stalled housing decisions across a wide area. Dacorum, Buckinghamshire, Central Bedfordshire and St Albans then agreed a joint mitigation strategy, which Dacorum approved in November 2022.
The strategy draws a zone of influence of 12.6 kilometres around Ashridge, which takes in Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted, Tring and most of the borough's villages. Within it, a net gain of even one dwelling triggers a Strategic Access Management and Monitoring (SAMM) tariff. Schemes of ten or more homes must also be served by Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace, known as SANG.
Dacorum has approved Bunkers Park in Hemel Hempstead and Chipperfield Common as strategic SANGs. Smaller schemes can usually buy into that capacity through a financial contribution, while larger ones may need to provide their own. Without mitigation secured, the Habitats Regulations mean the council cannot lawfully grant permission.
For applicants the practical lesson is to treat the SAC as part of the brief from day one. A replacement dwelling has no net gain and normally falls outside the tariff, but a plot split, a barn conversion or a flat above a shop does not.
A plan examination running into its second year
The Dacorum Local Plan to 2041 was submitted on 11 March 2025. Stage 3 hearings closed in March 2026, and in September 2026 the Inspectors were still consulting on further council evidence about the Tring allocation. Until adoption, the 2013 Core Strategy remains the starting point, with emerging policies given limited but growing weight.
What makes planning in Dacorum different
Dacorum, St Albans and Hertfordshire County Council are planning around 11,000 homes and 10,000 jobs by 2050 to the north and east of Hemel Hempstead, including the Hertfordshire Innovation Quarter near Maylands.
Over a third of the borough is in the Chilterns National Landscape. Core Strategy Policy CS24 applies, and design, lighting and materials around Tring, Aldbury and the Gaddesdens are judged strictly.
Since 2022, Article 4 Directions remove rights to convert commercial premises to homes at Maylands, Doolittle Meadows and Park Lane in Hemel, Northbridge Road in Berkhamsted and Icknield Way in Tring.
Several Article 4 Directions in Berkhamsted and Tring conservation areas bring replacement windows, doors and other small changes under planning control.
Our work for Dacorum clients
Most enquiries from Dacorum involve one of three things: the SAC, the Green Belt or the Chilterns. These services are built around them.
Planning Applications
New homes and conversions in Hemel Hempstead and the market towns, with the SAMM tariff and SANG route identified before the application goes in, so the Habitats Regulations test is met.
View serviceHouseholder Applications
Extensions to 1950s and 1960s new-town houses, and to period homes in Berkhamsted and Tring, drawn to satisfy the Core Strategy design policies CS11 and CS12.
View serviceHeritage Statements
Assessments for listed buildings and the 25 conservation areas, from Berkhamsted High Street to Aldbury and Frithsden, including properties covered by Article 4 controls.
View serviceClass Q Barn Conversions
Agricultural buildings in the Chilterns countryside, where the limits on protected landscapes need checking and each new dwelling adds a SAC contribution.
View serviceStrategic Land Promotion
Site promotion and examination input while the plan to 2041 is finalised, and preparation for the review that will follow adoption.
View serviceRural Planning
Equestrian, farm diversification and rural business proposals across the Green Belt and the Rural Area beyond it, argued under CS5 and CS7.
View serviceWorking with Dacorum's layered development plan
Dacorum is unusual in still relying on three documents. The Core Strategy adopted in September 2013 holds the strategic policies, the 2016 Site Allocations document identifies sites, and a set of saved policies from the Local Plan 1991 to 2011, adopted in 2004, still covers some detailed development management matters. Knowing which applies, and how much weight each carries against the NPPF, is a large part of the job.
Just over half of the borough is Metropolitan Green Belt, protected under Policy CS5, and the countryside beyond it is Rural Area under CS7. Where land is previously developed or contributes little to the Green Belt purposes, we test whether it qualifies as grey belt; our grey belt explainer sets out the criteria.
The borough has operated a Community Infrastructure Levy since 1 July 2015, with rates indexed each year. We confirm the liability early and make sure exemption forms are filed before work starts, because a missed form can cost the relief.
Dacorum policies we deal with most
Controls development in the Green Belt around Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted, Kings Langley and Bovingdon.
Sets expectations on layout, scale, amenity and landscaping for individual sites, alongside CS11 on neighbourhood character.
Requires development to conserve the special qualities of the Chilterns National Landscape, formerly the AONB.
Protects listed buildings, conservation areas and archaeology across the new town and the older settlements.
A Consultancy That Works With You, For You
The combination of SAC mitigation, an ageing adopted plan and a new plan still under examination makes Dacorum harder to read than most Hertfordshire districts. Applications that ignore any one of these tend to stall.
We are most useful on new dwellings anywhere in the zone of influence, on barns and rural buildings in the Chilterns and on Green Belt sites around Hemel and Kings Langley.
RTPI Chartered
Led by a Chartered member of the Royal Town Planning Institute with more than ten years of public and private-sector planning experience.
Honest Prospects
A realistic view of the planning risks and options before you commit time or money.
Fixed, Transparent Fees
Fixed-fee quotations agreed before work starts, so you know the cost from the outset.
Direct Access
You deal with the Chartered Planner doing the work, not an account manager.
Planning Consultants Across Hertfordshire
We cover every council area in Hertfordshire. See our main Hertfordshire planning consultant page.
Dacorum Planning FAQs
Does a single new house in Berkhamsted need Chilterns Beechwoods mitigation?
Yes. Berkhamsted lies well inside the 12.6 kilometre zone of influence, so a net gain of one home attracts the SAMM tariff. For schemes under ten homes, SANG is normally secured through a contribution towards the council's strategic sites. The payment has to be secured before permission is granted.
What is Hemel Garden Communities?
It is a joint programme by Dacorum, St Albans and Hertfordshire County Council for around 11,000 homes and 10,000 jobs by 2050, mainly to the north and east of Hemel Hempstead. It will be delivered through the new Local Plans of both districts and supporting guidance.
When will the new Dacorum Local Plan be adopted?
No date has been confirmed. The plan was submitted in March 2025 and hearings ended in March 2026, but the Inspectors asked for more work afterwards, including on Tring. Main modifications and a consultation on them would normally follow before adoption.
Can I convert a unit on the Maylands estate into flats under permitted development?
No. An Article 4 Direction confirmed in November 2022 removes the right to change commercial premises to homes at Maylands Business Park. A full planning application would be needed, and the council's employment land policies would apply.
Why do I need permission for new windows in a Tring conservation area?
Some streets in Tring and Berkhamsted are covered by Article 4 Directions that remove permitted development rights for changes such as windows and doors. Check the direction for your road, and use a heritage statement to support the application.
Can I appeal if Dacorum refuses my application?
Yes, to the Planning Inspectorate. The deadline is 12 weeks for householder cases and six months for most others. Our planning appeals team can review the refusal and advise on the best route.
Get a Free Quote
Tell us what you are trying to achieve and where the property or site is. We will give you an initial view and a fixed-fee quote.
Or email us at info@cedarplanning.co.uk with the relevant information.
Share the details of your Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted or Tring project, see our Class Q guidance, or arrange a free 15-minute call.