Draft Hemel Garden Communities Framework & Transformation Supplementary Planning Document Consultation
Hemel Garden Communities (HGC), Dacorum Borough Council and St Albans City and District are inviting local residents, businesses, and developers to have their say on two new Draft Supplementary Planning Documents (SPD) that will help shape the future housing, neighbourhoods and development within the Hemel Garden Communities Programme Area:
- Draft HGC Framework and Transformation Supplementary Planning Document
- Draft HGC Stewardship and Placemaking Supplementary Planning Document
The documents provide a joint approach for all development planned in and around Hemel Hempstead in Dacorum and St Albans districts.
St Albans City & District Council (SADC) are running the same consultations on the two SPDs in parallel. Comments relating to Dacorum should be submitted to DBC and comments relating to St Albans District should be submitted to SADC.
Visit the SADC Planning Policy Consultation page
How do I have my say?
To participate in the consultation, please read the draft SPD, then please complete the questions in the online survey below and press submit. Comments must be submitted by 11;59pm Thursday 19th March 2026.
Visit the document library for the Draft HGC Framework and Transformation Supplementary Planning Documents:
Book A1 Introduction
Book A2 Delivery and Implementation Strategy
Book A3 Delivering Transformation
Book B Instructions
Book B1 Growth Areas
Book B2 Strategic Sites
Book B3 Town Centre
Book B4 Two Waters
Book B5 Other Sites
Appendix 1 Glossary
Appendix 2 Applicants Checklist
Supporting documents can be found on the right hand side of this page.
To view the consultation for the Draft HGC Stewardship and Placemaking SPD, please click here.
If it is not possible to complete the survey, please visit the Council's website www.dacorum.gov.uk/supplementary-planning-documents to see the other ways you can respond, using the downloadable comments form.
A public face-to-face event will take place on Tuesday 24th February 2026 in Leverstock Green Village Hall, Hemel Hempstead, HP3 8QG, from 5pm – 8pm
- A public face-to-face event on Thursday 26th February 2026 in Redbourn Parish Centre, The Park, Redbourn, AL3, 7LR, 5pm – 8pm.
Your comments will be available for public inspection with your full name and therefore cannot be treated as confidential. Your full name and address must be completed for your comments to be considered; however, your address (and any other personal details, other than your name) will not be made publicly viewable.
For further information on how the Council processes your personal data, please visit our privacy policy.
Why are we doing this?
The Draft Hemel Garden Communities (HGC) Framework and Transformation Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) will ensure sites are developed in a joined-up way to achieve good quality housing, green spaces and water features that reduce flood risk and respond to climate change, improve active travel, connectivity. This SPD will also offer design code guidance for developers who will create the new homes and neighbourhoods within the programme area.
What is Hemel Garden Communities?
The Hemel Garden Communities programme is being delivered by a partnership of three local authorities, Dacorum Borough Council, St Albans City and District Council and Hertfordshire County Council, supported by the Hertfordshire Futures and Hertfordshire Innovation Quarter (Herts IQ). It has been set up to enable sustainable local growth, through delivery of up to 11,000 new homes and up to 10,000 new jobs, in the proposed new Growth Areas to the north and east of Hemel Hempstead by 2050. Balanced communities will be created through a mix of housing types, sizes and tenures, including affordable housing and housing for an older population. You can view our website here.
What happens next?
Following this consultation, we will consider all the responses received by the deadline, then prepare and publish a consultation statement.
Comments from the consultation will inform the final draft of the SPD, which will be considered by the Local Planning Authorities.