Planning permission in St Albans

In the last 12 months, 86.6% of home project applications were approved in St Albans (558 decided): extensions, loft conversions and similar work. A typical home project decision takes about twelve weeks (median 85 days).

Across all application types, 84.9% of 5,502 applications decided since April 2023 were approved. Based on St Albans's public planning register. Data last updated: 13 May 2026.

8,887Total applications

5,502Decided

84.9%Approval rate (of decided)

4,672 Approved+830 Refused+210 Withdrawn+3,078 Pending+97 Outcome not determined=8,887 Total

Reports for St Albans are coming soon.

We are not yet generating property reports for St Albans. You can still look up an address to see its planning constraints (conservation area, listed building, Article 4 direction, flood zone), and leave your email to hear when St Albans reports go live.

Look up a property in St Albans See a sample report

Decision Level

5,864Delegated

33Committee

By Development Category

All applications on record, not only the last 12 months.

Category	Decided	Approved	Refused	Approval rate
Home extensions and alterations (householder)	1,942	1,705	237	87.8%
Tree works in a conservation area	856	855	1	99.9%
Discharging planning conditions	614	544	70	88.6%
Certificate of lawfulness (confirming permitted development)	527	364	163	69.1%
Full planning applications	456	359	97	78.7%
Protected tree works (TPO)	314	300	14	95.5%
Prior approval (permitted development)	237	163	74	68.8%
Minor amendment to an approved scheme (S96a)	148	65	83	43.9%
Listed Building Consent	121	106	15	87.6%
Advertisement Consent	87	71	16	81.6%
Certificate of lawfulness (existing use)	54	34	20	63.0%
Change of Use	41	33	8	80.5%
Other*	105	73	32	mixed types

* Other combines smaller categories: Smale Scale Major - Dwellings (14), Neighbouring Local Authority Consultation (13), S106 (12), County Council (10), Permission in Principle (10), Environmental impact screening and scoping (9), (Large Scale Major) Dwellings (6), S62A (6), Agricultural Building (5), PAO (4), (Minor) Offices R&D Light Industry (4), MPI (3), Minor Commercial Development (2), (Minor) Gypsy & Traveller Pitches (2), (Minor) General Industry/Storage/Warehousing (1), (Large Scale Major) General Industry/Storage/Warehousing (1), PRW (1), Notifications (1), Statutory Undertaker (1).

Quarterly Trend

The most recent three years. Earlier decisions are included in the totals above but not in this chart.

Quarter	Decided	Approved	Approval rate
Q3 2023	135	119	88.1%
Q4 2023	304	262	86.2%
Q1 2024	116	97	83.6%
Q2 2024	398	344	86.4%
Q3 2024	698	596	85.4%
Q4 2024	680	552	81.2%
Q1 2025	601	491	81.7%
Q2 2025	613	532	86.8%
Q3 2025	737	650	88.2%
Q4 2025	532	447	84.0%
Q1 2026	446	374	83.9%
Q2 2026	59	55	93.2%

By Ward

The 12 wards with the most decided applications, across all years. 657 further decided applications fall in wards not shown.

Among wards with at least 20 decided applications, approval rates range from 80.4% in St Stephen to 91.5% in Harpenden South, a gap of 11.1 percentage points.

Ward	Decided	Approved	Refused	Approval rate
Harpenden West	582	530	52	91.1%
Verulam	466	392	74	84.1%
St Peters	465	384	81	82.6%
Sandridge & Wheathampstead	347	283	64	81.6%
Harpenden South	340	311	29	91.5%
Park Street	308	257	51	83.4%
Clarence	293	241	52	82.3%
Harpenden North & Rural	290	242	48	83.4%
St Stephen	265	213	52	80.4%
Harpenden East	229	204	25	89.1%
Bernards Heath	229	203	26	88.6%
Hill End	223	190	33	85.2%

Frequently asked questions

What is the planning approval rate in St Albans?

In the last 12 months, 86.6% of home project applications (extensions, loft conversions and similar work) were approved in St Albans, based on 558 decided applications. Across all application types, 84.9% of 5,502 applications decided since April 2023 were approved.

How long does a planning decision take in St Albans?

The median time from submission to decision for home project applications decided in St Albans in the last 12 months was 85 days (about twelve weeks). Times vary case by case.

Do I need planning permission in St Albans?

It depends on the project and the property. Many home projects fall under permitted development rights, but constraints such as conservation areas, listed buildings and Article 4 directions change what needs permission at a specific address. See our guides to permitted development rights and Article 4 directions.

Do I need a planning consultant in St Albans?

Many home projects do not need one. A straightforward extension on an unconstrained property is often handled directly with the council, or with an architect or agent preparing the drawings. A consultant is more likely to earn their fee where the site is constrained, the council has refused similar schemes, or an appeal is in prospect. Understanding your property's constraints and the council's recent decisions first makes any conversation with a professional a better-informed one.

Planning guides

Not sure what you can build without planning permission? See our guides to permitted development rights, Article 4 directions and planning costs.

Reports for St Albans are coming soon. Look up an address now to see its constraints, and join the waitlist.

Look up a property in St Albans See a sample report