Station Details

Hemel Hempstead

Station NameHemel Hempstead
Station CodeHML
Station OwnerWest Midlands Trains (London Northwestern Railway)
Developable Area11.98ha
Development Capacity899 homes (at 75dph)
Local Planning AuthorityDacorum
2021 Housing Delivery Test - Homes Required2,138
2021 Housing Delivery Test - Homes Delivered1,853
2021 Housing Delivery Test - Score87%
2021 Housing Delivery Test - ConsequenceAction plan
Green BeltLondon
Green Belt Area11.98ha ( 100% of the potential development area)
Network Rail RegionEast of England
Network Rail Sub-RegionBedfordshire and Hertfordshire
Passengers, 2020 - 2021351,732
Passengers, 2019 - 20201,892,330
UK Station Passenger Rank (Use)447

Development Potential

England's busiest station (apart from those serving airports) had 4,170,558 passenger movements in the period 2019-2020. The station with the least was 68. Hemel Hempstead station had 1,892,330 passengers enter or exit it during this period. That's roughly 5,199 people per day.

For a station with this number of passengers passing through it each year a density of 75 homes per hectare is reasonable, based on its proximity to major population centres and existing infrastructure.

Hemel Hempstead is located within the East of England railway region. The potential area for development around the station (excluding existing buildings, national parks, flood zones, public green space, protected habitats, areas of outstanding natural beauty, world heritage sites and surface water) is approximately 11.98ha.

Assuming an appropriate (but not prevailing) development density of 75 dwellings per hectare, this area has a development capacity of around 899 homes.

The station sits within Dacorum planning authority, which in 2021 achieved a Housing Delivery Test Score of 87%, having delivered 1,853 homes from a target of 2,138. As a result of this score, the authority must produce an 'action plan' setting out how it intends to address this shortfall.

The total capacity of all Dacorum's stations is 2,386 homes. That's 112% of its total 2021 Housing Delivery Test requirement.

Taking green belt into account, the capacity of Dacorum's stations is 0 homes without building on protected land. That's 0% of its total 2021 Housing Delivery Test requirement.