Hertfordshire. Is this the moment for your land?

Who it is for

For landowners and farmers with land on the edge of towns and villages, owners of brownfield sites and commercial buildings in Hertfordshire’s towns, and investors and developers bringing schemes forward in the county. We have completed development management work in East Hertfordshire, from buying the site to planning consent and sale.

Housing land supply by district

When a council cannot show five years’ supply of deliverable housing land, national policy tilts the balance in favour of granting permission for sustainable housing schemes, unless the harm clearly outweighs the benefits. The latest published position for each district, checked in November 2026:

Positions change each year, and some statements above pre-date the December 2024 changes to how housing need is calculated, so the current figure should always be checked for the specific district.

What to consider

• Green Belt and grey beltSince December 2024, national policy allows development on grey belt land: previously developed land and other Green Belt land that does not strongly contribute to its main purposes. Housing on released Green Belt or grey belt must meet the “golden rules”: a higher level of affordable housing (15 percentage points above the local policy, up to 50%), the necessary infrastructure, and new or improved green space.
• Affordable housingEach district sets its own requirement. Headline policies across Hertfordshire range from about 30% to 50% on larger schemes, with lower figures or none on smaller ones.
• Local plans in fluxSeveral districts are preparing new local plans and have recently run calls for sites. Promoting land through a local plan is slower than an application but can secure an allocation.
• Protected habitatsDevelopment near the Chiltern Beechwoods Special Area of Conservation, which affects much of Dacorum, must mitigate recreational pressure, usually through contributions and new green space. Sites near the Lee Valley wetlands and other protected sites face similar tests.
• County contributionsHertfordshire County Council is the highway and education authority, so larger schemes usually face county requests for highways works, school places and other infrastructure alongside district obligations.
• Values and demandCommuter towns on the lines into London, such as St Albans, Harpenden, Berkhamsted and the Hertford and Ware area, support strong values, which makes smaller sites and conversions viable that would not be elsewhere.

How we help

• Feasibility studies: what the site or building could become, and what each option costs and returns
• Site identification: finding and securing the right site
• Development management: managing the scheme, including the planning process and the right planning consultant
• Delivery strategy for complex sites
• Project management

The options for landowners

• Promote through the local planSubmit the land to the council’s call for sites and support it through the plan process.
• Apply nowWhere the council cannot show a five-year supply, a well-prepared application on a sustainable site may succeed ahead of the local plan.
• Option or promotion agreementA promoter or developer funds the planning work in return for a share of the value or the right to buy.
• Sell with planning, or developSecure consent and sell, bring in a partner, or build out.

Case studies

• East Hertfordshire: from acquisition to consent to sale

Guides

• Developing your own land: how a development manager helps a landowner
• Sell with planning or build out?