Article 4 directions, and why they matter to you
How councils remove permitted development rights, how to find out if yours is affected, and what it changes.
The rule that quietly removes your rights
An Article 4 direction lets a council withdraw permitted development rights in a defined area. Work that is automatic one street over needs a full planning application here.
Why councils use them
Usually to protect the character of an area where cumulative small changes would erode it. Terraced streets with consistent rooflines, conservation areas, and increasingly whole boroughs in inner London.
How to find out if you are affected
Your council's planning policy map shows the boundaries, though they are often buried. Your local plan will list the directions in force. The safest approach is to check before design work starts, not after.
What changes if you are in one
You can still build. You just need permission first, which adds eight to twelve weeks and an application fee, and means the design has to satisfy the policy rather than simply fit inside a dimensional box. In practice this raises the design bar, which is not always a bad thing.
Does this apply to your house?
Reading the rules is one thing. The Project Calculator applies them to your house and shows you the answer as a drawing, with the cost alongside.
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More guides
GuidePermitted development rights, explained properly
What you can build without planning permission, what the limits actually are, and the traps that catch people out.
Read it →
GuideHow long does planning permission actually take?
The statutory eight weeks, what really happens, and where the time goes on a householder application.
Read it →
GuideYour planning application was refused. What now?
Why householder applications get refused, whether to appeal or resubmit, and how long each route takes.
Read it →
GuideParty wall agreements without the jargon
When you need one, what it costs, how long it takes, and what happens if your neighbour objects.
Read it →
GuideBuilding regulations and planning permission are not the same thing
Two separate approvals, two separate risks. What each one covers and why passing one does not help with the other.
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