Hertsmere Borough Council has published its Local Plan Consultation Document setting out how future development across the borough could be managed and assessed, ahead of a formal public consultation.
The publication of these documents marks the next stage in the Local Plan process. It includes a long list of ‘candidate’ sites that could form part of the council’s response to the Government’s updated housing requirements. This stage of the process, known as a ‘Regulation 18’ consultation, is designed to enable residents to provide views on the suitability of those sites prior to a final list of sites being produced. The consultation is also an opportunity for local people to provide feedback on the spatial strategy and planning policies which will underpin the new plan.
The Local Plan process gives the council the ability to take control of how development comes forward across Hertsmere, identifying the most appropriate locations and ensuring that new homes are delivered alongside the infrastructure local communities need, including schools, healthcare, transport and green spaces.
Government planning policy requires all councils to plan for a set number of new homes, with targets determined at a national level rather than locally. While the council does not determine the overall level of development in Hertsmere, the Local Plan can determine where and how that development is delivered.
Without an up-to-date Local Plan, development would be more likely to come forward through speculative applications and the appeals process, reducing the community’s ability to influence where and how development comes forward.
The proposals published today have been informed by a borough-wide spatial strategy, which looks at how growth can be distributed in a coordinated way.
No decisions have yet been made about where development will take place. The publication of these documents is an opportunity for residents, businesses and community groups to review the proposals and to respond in the upcoming consultation.
We are required through government planning policy to plan for new homes. The Local Plan process is how we take control of where that development happens and ensure it is supported by the infrastructure our communities need.
Without a Local Plan, development will still come forward, but in a way that is less coordinated and with less opportunity for communities to influence the outcome.
This process is about making sure that, as a borough, we are planning positively for the future, and that development is delivered in a way that works for Hertsmere.
The council will shortly be launching a formal public consultation, giving residents and stakeholders the opportunity to have their say on the proposals. The consultation will include in-person events, an online engagement platform, and deposit locations for hard copies of the draft Local Plan to enable residents to submit questions and feedback.
Consultation feedback will help inform the further development of the Local Plan, ahead of subsequent public consultation and an independent examination.
The documents can be viewed at the agenda listings for Cabinet and Extraordinary Full Council on Wednesday, 15 April - Monthly meetings calendar - April 2026.