Hertsmere Planning Consultant
Studios, suburbs and grey belt
Hertsmere sits directly north of London, with Borehamwood, Potters Bar, Bushey and Radlett surrounded by countryside that is almost all Green Belt. It is also home to some of the country's best-known film and television studios. Cedar Planning advises on applications to Hertsmere Borough Council, from a Bushey loft to land promotion in a plan that must find over 16,000 homes.
Cedar Planning Ltd is a Chartered consultancy under Dan Malloy MRTPI. From our Norfolk base we act for clients across England, Hertsmere among them, and we arrange site visits in the borough as projects require.
- RTPI Chartered
- Fixed-fee quotations
- Direct advice from a Chartered Planner
An out-of-date plan and a new one in a hurry
Hertsmere's adopted development plan dates from the last decade. The Core Strategy was adopted in January 2013 and the Site Allocations and Development Management Policies Plan, known as SADM, in November 2016, alongside the Elstree Way Corridor Area Action Plan. Together they planned for 266 homes a year, a small fraction of what national policy now expects.
A first attempt at a replacement was withdrawn in January 2022 after strong local opposition. The current draft, the Hertsmere Local Plan 2025 to 2041, went to Regulation 18 consultation from 16 April to 29 May 2026. It plans for at least 16,160 homes, based on 1,010 a year under the standard method plus a 20 per cent buffer because of past under-delivery.
The draft includes a proposed new settlement at Bowmans Cross, east of London Colney, and a long list of candidate sites around Borehamwood, Bushey, Potters Bar and South Mimms. The council intends to publish its Regulation 19 plan later in 2026 so it can be submitted before the government's end of year deadline.
For applicants, the gap between an old housing figure and a much higher current need is significant. Where housing delivery falls short, national policy can tilt the balance towards granting sustainable schemes, and that affects how Green Belt and grey belt sites are judged.
Grey belt already decided a major Hertsmere case
In September 2025 the Secretary of State allowed an appeal for a large extension to Sky Studios Elstree, including ten sound stages. All parties agreed the site was grey belt, and the scheme was found not to be inappropriate development in the Green Belt.
Local questions that shape Hertsmere schemes
Borehamwood and Elstree host major studios, and the sector's expansion puts pressure on the surrounding Green Belt. Applications now test grey belt and economic benefit arguments side by side.
An Article 4 Direction made in April 2026 and confirmed in August removes the right to convert a house to a small HMO across four Potters Bar wards, taking effect on 6 May 2027.
Class ZA demolition and rebuild rights are removed on certain employment sites within three kilometres of Elstree Aerodrome, because of aviation safety.
Conservation area Article 4 Directions cover streets in Bushey, Radlett, Letchmore Heath, Elstree and Shenley, so small changes to frontages often need permission.
What we do for Hertsmere clients
These are the services Hertsmere clients call on most, shaped by the borough's Green Belt and its fast-moving plan.
Householder Applications
Extensions and outbuildings in Bushey, Radlett and Potters Bar, designed around SADM30 and, in the Green Belt villages, the development standards in SADM26.
View serviceHMO Planning
Advice for landlords in Potters Bar before the Article 4 Direction takes effect in May 2027, and planning applications for larger HMOs anywhere in the borough.
View serviceFeasibility Studies
Green Belt and grey belt appraisals for land around Borehamwood, Shenley and South Mimms, tested against the national criteria and the council's April 2026 Green Belt study.
View serviceLocal Plan Representations
Representations on the Regulation 19 plan and support through examination, for landowners promoting sites or resisting allocations nearby.
View serviceClass MA Prior Approvals
Commercial to residential conversions outside the employment areas where Class MA rights have been removed, such as Elstree Way and Cranborne Road.
View servicePlanning Statements
Clear statements that explain the policy case, weigh the housing position and address Green Belt openness, for schemes of every size.
View serviceMaking the policy case in Hertsmere
Green Belt remains the starting point for most sites outside the towns. The SADM plan sets out a family of Green Belt policies, from SADM22 on boundaries to SADM27 on the rural economy, and Core Strategy Policy CS13 applies the designation at a strategic level. We read them alongside the current NPPF, which now includes the grey belt test explained in our grey belt guide.
The council's own evidence can help. The April 2026 Green Belt study underpinning the draft plan assesses how each parcel performs against the Green Belt purposes. Where a site scores weakly, we use that to support a grey belt argument, while respecting the national tests on the remaining Green Belt.
Hertsmere has charged a Community Infrastructure Levy since 1 December 2014. We confirm the liability and exemptions before commencement, and set out planning obligations where larger schemes need them.
Hertsmere policies we apply regularly
Sets development standards for extensions, replacement buildings and other works in the Green Belt.
The core design test for new homes and extensions, covering character, amenity and layout.
Protects listed buildings and conservation areas such as those in Bushey, Radlett and Shenley.
The Core Strategy policy that establishes the presumption against inappropriate development across the borough's Green Belt.
A Consultancy That Works With You, For You
Hertsmere is at a turning point. The housing target is rising sharply, grey belt has already been tested at appeal and a new plan is heading for submission. Each of these creates openings for well-prepared applicants and risks for poorly prepared ones.
Advice is most valuable for Green Belt land, HMO conversions in Potters Bar and any change to a property in a conservation area with Article 4 controls.
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.
Hertsmere Planning FAQs
Can I still convert a house in Potters Bar into a small HMO without planning permission?
Until 6 May 2027, permitted development rights under Class L remain available, subject to the usual conditions. From that date the confirmed Article 4 Direction means a planning application is needed across the four covered wards. See our HMO Article 4 guide for how these directions work.
Is my Green Belt land in Hertsmere likely to be grey belt?
It depends on how the land performs against three of the Green Belt purposes, and on whether development would undermine the wider Green Belt. The Sky Studios Elstree decision shows the concept is being applied here. A site-specific assessment is needed before relying on it.
When will Hertsmere's new Local Plan be finished?
The council aims to publish the Regulation 19 plan later in 2026 and submit it before 31 December 2026. Examination would follow, so adoption is unlikely before 2027. Until then the 2013 and 2016 documents remain the adopted plan.
Can I still promote land for the Hertsmere Local Plan?
Candidate sites were set out in the April 2026 consultation. The Regulation 19 stage is the next formal chance to comment on allocations. Our Hertsmere call for sites page explains how landowners can take part.
What can I do if Hertsmere refuses my application?
You can amend the scheme and reapply, or appeal. Householder appeals have a 12-week deadline and most others six months. We can review the refusal and advise which route is stronger through our planning appeals service.
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.
Tell us about your Borehamwood, Bushey or Potters Bar project, read our Green Belt objections advice, or book a free 15-minute call.