Planning Consultants in Hemel Hempstead & Dacorum
Dacorum covers Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted, Tring and Kings Langley. Hemel Hempstead is the focus of the Hemel Garden Communities growth programme, while the Chilterns National Landscape, the Green Belt and the Chilterns Beechwoods Special Area of Conservation at Ashridge constrain much of the rest of the borough.
Common in Hemel Hempstead & Dacorum
Local planning authority: Dacorum Borough Council
Planning Consultants in Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted and Tring
We advise homeowners, landowners, developers and businesses across Dacorum, including Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted, Tring, Kings Langley, Bovingdon, Markyate, Northchurch and the Chiltern villages.
Dacorum Borough Council still applies its Core Strategy (2013), Site Allocations plan and saved policies of the 2004 Local Plan. Its replacement, the Dacorum Local Plan to 2041, was submitted for examination in March 2025 and its hearings continued into 2026, and the council has also started work on a further plan under the new plan-making system. Hertfordshire's councils are also due to be reorganised, although the Government put its July 2026 decision under review in September 2026.
New homes within the zone of influence of the Chilterns Beechwoods SAC at Ashridge need mitigation, and this has become a deciding issue on major sites around Tring and Berkhamsted. Much of the north and west of the borough is in the Chilterns National Landscape, and most of the countryside is Green Belt. In Hemel Hempstead, our work includes the Maylands business area, town centre conversions and the growth areas of Hemel Garden Communities.
Planning Services in Hemel Hempstead & Dacorum
Urban Vista Planning provides the full range of planning consultancy services to clients across Hemel Hempstead & Dacorum — from homeowners and landowners to developers and businesses. Our Chartered Town Planners are MRTPI-accredited and experienced in dealing with the planning authorities operating in Hemel Hempstead & Dacorum.
- Planning permission applications
- Pre-application advice
- Planning appeals
- Permitted development assessments
- Lawful Development Certificates
- Change of use applications
- Heritage and listed building consent
- Ecology & Biodiversity Net Gain
- Highways and transport assessments
- Infrastructure consenting
- Equestrian and rural planning
- Discharge of planning conditions
Why Urban Vista Planning?
MRTPI & MCIHT Accredited
Our Chartered Town Planners and specialist associates are accredited and regulated by their professional bodies, including the RTPI and CIHT.
UK-Wide Coverage
We advise clients across England and Wales, including Hemel Hempstead & Dacorum, from our offices in Taplow (Buckinghamshire), Leeds, and Hereford.
Free Initial Consultation
We provide an honest initial view of your project — what is achievable, the best consenting route, and likely timescales — at no charge.
Full-Service Consultancy
We manage the entire planning process: application preparation, specialist coordination, authority engagement, and conditions discharge.
Key Planning Constraints in Hemel Hempstead & Dacorum
These designations and policy issues shape what can be built in Hemel Hempstead & Dacorum. Identifying them early is the single most effective way to avoid delay, invalid applications and refusal.
Chilterns Beechwoods SAC
New homes within the zone of influence of Ashridge need mitigation for recreational pressure on the Special Area of Conservation.
Chilterns National Landscape
Much of the north and west of the borough, around Tring and Berkhamsted, is nationally protected landscape.
Metropolitan Green Belt
Most of the countryside around Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted and Kings Langley is Green Belt.
Chalk streams
The Gade and Bulbourne are rare chalk rivers, sensitive to drainage and abstraction.
Infrastructure & Energy Planning in Hemel Hempstead & Dacorum
Hemel Hempstead's Maylands business area, close to the M1, is a focus for logistics and employment proposals, and Hemel Garden Communities requires major new infrastructure. Land near the former Buncefield oil depot is subject to safety consultation zones. We advise on logistics, energy and transport consenting across Dacorum.
Planning in Hemel Hempstead & Dacorum: FAQs
Which council deals with planning applications in Hemel Hempstead & Dacorum?
Planning applications in Hemel Hempstead & Dacorum are determined by the local planning authority for the site — Dacorum Borough Council.
What are the main planning constraints in Hemel Hempstead & Dacorum?
Key constraints in Hemel Hempstead & Dacorum include Chilterns Beechwoods SAC; Chilterns National Landscape; Metropolitan Green Belt; Chalk streams. We identify which apply to your site at the outset so they can be addressed in the application rather than discovered during determination.
Do you advise on infrastructure and energy projects in Hemel Hempstead & Dacorum?
Hemel Hempstead's Maylands business area, close to the M1, is a focus for logistics and employment proposals, and Hemel Garden Communities requires major new infrastructure. Land near the former Buncefield oil depot is subject to safety consultation zones. We advise on logistics, energy and transport consenting across Dacorum.
More Planning Consultancy in Hertfordshire
Other Areas We Cover in the South East
Need a Planning Consultant in Hemel Hempstead & Dacorum?
Book a free initial consultation — we will give you a clear view of your options and the best route forward.