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Garden Cottage Summerhouse Lane Aldenham Watford Hertfordshire WD25 8DL

26/0294/HSEHouseholder ApplicationRefused
Householder

Refused on 29 May 2026

Council decision: Refuse Permission2 reasons for refusal

Approximate site (title boundary)
Boundary © HM Land Registry, © Ordnance Survey · details

This information is subject to Crown copyright and database rights 2026 and is reproduced with the permission of HM Land Registry. The polygons (including the associated geometry, namely x, y co-ordinates) are subject to Crown copyright and database rights 2026 Ordnance Survey AC0000851063. Conditions of use.

Proposal

Front boundary works to included dropped kerb and vehicular hardstanding with associated gate / fencing, repair and extension to existing brick boundary wall and associated soft landscaping.

Received
5 March 2026
Ward
Aldenham West
  1. Received5 Mar
  2. Validated26 Mar
  3. Consult.23 Apr
  4. Target25 May
  5. Decided29 May

Decided in 64 days (council typically 56)

About this application

This is a full planning application for an extension at Garden Cottage Summerhouse Lane Aldenham Watford Hertfordshire WD25 8DL. Hertsmere has handled 1,861 applications of this type. This one was decided in 85 days, 4 weeks longer than Hertsmere's typical decision time. The site is in the Patchetts Green and Delrow conservation area, with 5 listed buildings nearby. There have been 8 other applications at this address. In the past year there have been 152 applications across Aldenham West. We hold 496 applications in total for the WD25 postcode area.

90% of full applications at Hertsmere Borough Council were approved. Across all application types, the council typically decides in about 8 weeks (median).

Based on decided applications received in the last 3 years.See what's approved near your address

Why it was refused

  1. The proposed development, namely the proposed gate and driveway access, would give rise to a minor adverse impact on the rural setting of the listed buildings and the character and appearance of the Patchetts Green and Delrow Conservation Area. Whilst the harm arising would amount to the lowest level of less than substantial harm, the harm is considered avoidable and is not clearly justified. Insufficient information and justification have been provided to adequately assess the level of harm, and no public benefits are considered to arise that would justify the harm that would be caused. The proposal therefore fails to comply with the NPPF 2024, policies SP1, CS14, CS22 of the Core Strategy 2013, Policies SADM29 and SADM30 of the Site Allocations and Development Management Policies Plan 2016, the Planning and Design Guide Part E.
  2. The proposals have the potential to interfere with the safe flow of users on the adjacent highway due to the lack of a sufficient level of available vehicle to vehicle visibility (or vehicle to pedestrian visibility) at the proposed access point The proposed additional vehicle crossover (VXO) and dropped kerb is not in accordance with Hertfordshire County Council's (HCC) specifications and has the potential to negatively impact on the free and safe flow of highway users on the adjacent local access road due the provision of an unnecessary additional access point. The proposals are therefore contrary to the NPPF 2024, Policy CS25 of the Hertsmere Core Strategy 2013 Policy SADM40 of the Site Allocations and Development Management Policies Plan 2016.

From the council's decision notice.

Application details

Postcode
WD25 8DL
Application type
Householder Application
Scale / size
Medium
Parish
Aldenham Parish

Planning application dates

Date validated
26 March 2026
Consultation expiry
23 April 2026
Consultation start
2 April 2026
Consultation end
23 April 2026
Neighbour consultation start
31 March 2026
Neighbour consultation end
23 April 2026
Last date for comments
23 April 2026
Target decision date
25 May 2026

Applicant and agent

Applicant
Private applicant
Agent
MKPDesign
Agent address
579 Lodge Lane Croydon CR00SB

Planning decision

Case officer
Marcus Truman
Statutory period
60 days

Additional information

Planning Portal ID
PP-14744244
Comments
0
Documents
14
Constraints
13

Site constraints

Checking the site
2/3
Council recordsAppealsFlood risk

Designations that overlap or adjoin the site outline.

  • Conservation area: Patchetts Green and Delrow
  • Listed building: Grade II: Garden CottageOn this site · +2 more
  • Green belt: Hertsmere
  • Flood zone 1: Low probability (rivers and sea)

Not published by this council, so not checked: Article 4 directions. Ask the council if these matter.

Possibly incomplete for this council: tree preservation orders.

Also checked, none recorded (19)

flood storage areas, scheduled monuments, World Heritage Sites, World Heritage Site buffer zones, registered parks and gardens, registered battlefields, Heritage at Risk entries, nutrient neutrality catchments, national parks, National Landscapes, SSSIs, Special Areas of Conservation, Special Protection Areas, Ramsar sites, ancient woodland, national nature reserves, local nature reserves, heritage coasts and brownfield registers.

A guide only, from official open data; it is not a planning search. Flood zones cover rivers and sea, not surface water.

Data © Crown copyright and others · sources and licences

Contains public sector information from planning.data.gov.uk (MHCLG and local planning authorities), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. © Crown copyright and database right 2026.

© Historic England 2026. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. The Historic England GIS Data contained in this material was obtained on 2026-11-03. The most publicly available up to date Historic England GIS Data can be obtained from HistoricEngland.org.uk.

© Natural England copyright. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2026.

© Environment Agency copyright and/or database right 2026. All rights reserved. Flood Map for Planning, Open Government Licence v3.0.

Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2026.

Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v.3.0. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026.

Associated applications

  1. 2026
    25 Mar

    Front boundary works to included dropped kerb and vehicular hardstanding with associated gate / fencing…

    RefusedListed building consentRelated26/0393/LBC
  2. 2026
    5 Mar

    Front boundary works to included dropped kerb and vehicular hardstanding with associated gate / fencing…

    This applicationRefusedFull26/0294/HSE

Planning history at this site

7 other applications at this property, newest first.

  1. 2026
    16 Jun

    Front boundary works to include new vehicular access, dropped kerb and vehicular hardstanding with associated…

    ApprovedListed building consent26/0833/LBC
  2. 2026
    16 Jun

    Front boundary works to include new vehicular access, dropped kerb and vehicular hardstanding with associated…

    ApprovedApplication26/0832/HSE
  3. 2025
    30 Dec

    T1 SYCAMORE. Fell. replace with hedgerow.

    ApprovedTree Works in Conservation Area (6 Week)25/1854/TRC
  4. 2025
    9 Dec

    T1 BIRCH. Fell.

    ApprovedApplication25/1758/TRC
  5. 2025
    21 Oct

    T1 WHITE POPLAR. Fell.

    ApprovedApplication25/1481/TRC
  6. 2025
    20 Mar

    First floor rear extension. Single storey and two storey side extensions. Alterations to fenestration…

    PendingApplication25/0345/HSE

Source: Hertsmere

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