Gate planning in West 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
Large parts of St Albans, Harpenden, Berkhamsted, and Tring sit within designated conservation areas. Gates facing a highway within these areas often require planning permission regardless of height, because permitted development rights are restricted.
AONB and landscape
Significant portions of this region fall within the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). Material choice, finish, and sightlines to adjacent countryside are assessed by the local planning officer and reversible designs in timber or muted powder-coated metal tend to be received more favourably than bright painted or galvanised finishes.
Fees and application route
A householder planning application in Dacorum, St Albans, or Three Rivers currently costs in the region of £258 as of early 2026. Fees are set nationally and are subject to change — always confirm the current fee on the council's website before submitting.
Applications are submitted via the Planning Portal (planningportal.co.uk) and routed to the relevant council.
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 West Hertfordshire
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