Gate planning in South Hertfordshire.
This page is general guidance, not formal pre-application advice. Council policy changes and individual addresses can have specific restrictions that override the general rules. Always check the council planning portal for your address before signing a contract.
Conservation areas
Radlett, Elstree, Bushey, and parts of Rickmansworth contain conservation areas with strict boundary treatment controls. The Hertsmere and Three Rivers planning teams both apply article 4 directions in certain areas that remove permitted development rights — meaning a gate that would be permitted elsewhere may require full planning in these streets.
AONB and landscape
Southern edges of Chorleywood and parts of Rickmansworth fall within the Chilterns AONB. The same material and finish considerations apply as in West Hertfordshire.
Fees and application route
Householder planning applications in Hertsmere, Watford, and Three Rivers are priced in line with the national householder fee. Confirm the current figure with the relevant council before submitting.
Submitted via the Planning Portal; applications routed to Hertsmere, Watford, or Three Rivers depending on the property address.
The four rules that apply everywhere in Hertfordshire
Gates fronting a highway used by vehicles must not exceed 1 metre in height without planning permission.
This is the headline rule most homeowners encounter. Any gate taller than 1 metre that opens onto a road used by cars requires a householder planning application.
Gates not fronting a highway can be up to 2 metres without planning permission.
If the gate opens onto a private drive, alley, or rear boundary away from a vehicle road, the permitted height rises to 2 metres.
Conservation areas, listed buildings, and article 4 directions remove permitted development rights.
In any of these cases the height allowances above do not apply and planning permission is almost always required. Always check the council planning map before committing to a design.
Automation does not itself trigger planning permission.
Motorising an existing gate that already complies with height rules does not normally require a separate application, though BS EN 12453 safety compliance is a separate legal obligation under CE / UKCA rules.
Towns and villages in South Hertfordshire
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