Hertsmere Borough Council is disappointed to have been designated under Section 62A of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 as this in no way reflects our appetite for working with developers and investors on major projects. Only last month Hertsmere topped the list, for business formations for non-London local authorities throughout the country with more than 766 business formed on average per 100,000 people last year.
The designation relates specifically to the proportion of Major planning applications refused and overturned at planning appeal during a two-year period (2023-2025) and is based on a very small number of appeal decisions – six out of 40 appeals decided in that time. It is not a reflection of the overall performance of the Council’s planning service, or the many hundreds of planning applications determined each year. The Council’s speed of decision-making for Major applications stands at 94% far in excess of the Government’s target of 60%.
Major planning applications are considered and determined by the council’s Planning Committee. As a borough facing significant development pressures, including proposals affecting the green belt and other sensitive locations, the council is often required to consider complex and sometimes contentious planning applications. In reaching decisions, Planning Committee members must carefully balance national and local planning policies, the merits of individual proposals and the interests of local communities.
The designation threshold for Majors of 10% is a broad measure intended to try and assess planning decision-making. Hertsmere’s designation results from a performance figure of 15% that falls only a short distance beyond that threshold, based on a limited number of appeal decisions considered during the two-year assessment period.
The Council has an extensive programme of training and development for Planning Committee members and remains committed to ensuring that planning decisions are robust, transparent and evidence based. We look forward to working constructively with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Planning Advisory Service to identify opportunities for further improvement.
The Council remains dedicated to delivering a strongly performing and effective planning service and making decisions that are in the long-term interests of Hertsmere’s residents, businesses, local communities and the environment.