Planiverse / Authorities / Welwyn Hatfield

Welwyn Hatfield

In the last 12 months, 87.3% of householder applications were approved in Welwyn Hatfield (369 decided). A typical householder decision takes about nine weeks (median 66 days).

Full planning applications: 78.1% approved (96 decided).

Across all application types on record (1948-09-13–2026-05-26): 85.1% of 34,518 decisions approved.

37,283Total applications
29,376Approved
5,142Refused
1,891Withdrawn
414Pending
85.1%Approval rate (all types)
Check a property in Welwyn Hatfield
Decision Level
5,754Delegated
16Committee
By Development Category
CategoryTotalApprovedRefusedApproval rate
Householder 10,499 8,750 1,749
83.3%
Full Planning Application 6,622 5,138 1,484
77.6%
Tree Works (TPO) 4,595 4,419 176
96.2%
Tree Works (Conservation Area) 2,879 2,824 55
98.1%
Discharge of Conditions 2,811 2,570 241
91.4%
Certificate of Lawfulness (Proposed) 2,012 1,446 566
71.9%
ESTATE MANAGEMENT 729 705 24
96.7%
Householder (Prior Approval) 727 539 188
74.1%
Variation/Removal of Conditions (S73) 595 531 64
89.2%
Listed Building Consent 573 484 89
84.5%
Advertisement Consent 537 462 75
86.0%
Uncategorised 497 457 40
92.0%
Certificate of Lawfulness (Existing) 359 244 115
68.0%
Non-Material Amendment (S96a) 351 294 57
83.8%
Telecommunications 129 81 48
62.8%
Hedgerow Removal 104 93 11
89.4%
Prior Approval (Class MA — Commercial to Residential) 81 59 22
72.8%
Prior Approval (Other) 69 46 23
66.7%
Outline Planning 65 23 42
35.4%
Prior Approval (Class AA — Upward Extension) 40 27 13
67.5%
Reserved Matters 33 32 1
97.0%
Environmental Impact Assessment (Screening/Scoping) 32 30 2
93.8%
Change of Use 31 26 5
83.9%
MAJOR DEVELOPMENT 23 14 9
60.9%
Demolition 22 16 6
72.7%
OUTLINE PERMISSION 17 10 7
58.8%
Class Q - AGRICULTURAL TO DWELLINGHOUSES - PRIOR APPROVAL 14 7 7
50.0%
Prior Approval (Class Q — Agricultural to Residential) 11 7 4
63.6%
Solar Panels/PV - PRIOR APPROVAL 10 8 2
80.0%
DEMOLITION - PRIOR APPROVAL 8 7 1
87.5%
Class A – agricultural development on units of 5 hectares or more - PRIOR APPROVAL 8 3 5
37.5%
County/Minerals/Waste 7 4 3
57.1%
Class B – agricultural development on units of less than 5 hectares - PRIOR APPROVAL 6 3 3
50.0%
Class MA - Commercial, business and service uses to dwellinghouses 4 3 1
75.0%
PERMISSION IN PRINCIPLE 4 2 2
50.0%
Class E – forestry developments - PRIOR APPROVAL 3 3 0
100.0%
S106 DISCHARGE OR MODIFICATION OF PLANNING OBLIGATION 2 2 0
100.0%
Enforcement 2 1 1
50.0%
Conservation Area Consent 1 1 0
100.0%
ESTATE MANAGEMENT HOUSEHOLDER 1 1 0
100.0%
Class A - Installation or alteration of solar equipment on domestic premises 1 1 0
100.0%
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT - SCREENING/SCOPING 1 1 0
100.0%
S106 MODIFICATION 1 0 1
0.0%
AGRICULTURAL TO A FLEXIBLE COMMERCIAL USE - PRIOR APPROVAL 1 1 0
100.0%
Pre-Application 1 1 0
100.0%
Quarterly Trend
QuarterDecidedApprovedApproval rate
2023-Q3 489 405
82.8%
2023-Q4 464 399
86.0%
2024-Q1 417 360
86.3%
2024-Q2 483 396
82.0%
2024-Q3 495 411
83.0%
2024-Q4 544 486
89.3%
2025-Q1 360 323
89.7%
2025-Q2 468 413
88.2%
2025-Q3 496 451
90.9%
2025-Q4 517 476
92.1%
2026-Q1 364 329
90.4%
2026-Q2 282 260
92.2%
By Ward
WardTotalApprovedRefusedApproval rate
Handside 1,172 1,100 72
93.9%
Sherrards 584 556 28
95.2%
Northaw and Cuffley 464 380 84
81.9%
Welwyn West 450 372 78
82.7%
Welwyn East 343 294 49
85.7%
Brookmans Park & Little Heath 343 292 51
85.1%
Howlands 286 264 22
92.3%
Peartree 210 188 22
89.5%
Hatfield Villages 184 142 42
77.2%
Welham Green & Hatfield South 175 136 39
77.7%
Hatfield East 173 152 21
87.9%
Hatfield South West 157 115 42
73.2%
Planning guides

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