Article 4 directions in conservation areas

To help preserve high quality architectural features and ensure that changes are undertaken sympathetically, we apply Article 4 directions to certain conservation areas.

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Building Safety Levy: starts 1 October 2026

The Building Safety Levy (BSL) will come into effect on 1 October 2026. It is a tax on new dwellings and new bedspaces in purpose‑built student accommodation (PBSA).

Developers must pay the levy on certain building control applications or notices before completion or occupation of the building. The Council will collect the levy.

The Building Safety Levy (England) Regulations 2025 sets out how the levy will operate.

Article 4 directions restrict permitted development rights within a specified street or area. The directions only apply to houses that are in use as a single dwelling house. Commercial properties and flats do not have permitted development rights.

Under an Article 4 direction, external changes to elevations visible from public viewpoints require planning permission. It doesn't mean that works can't be carried out, but simply that they are no longer automatically permitted.

The following list gives an indication of those changes requiring planning permission as a result of an Article 4 direction:

changes to windows, doors, chimneys and other material alterations
alterations to the roof of a house
the addition of a porch. This would include infilling an open porch
construction of any building within the grounds of a house where this would be visible from any public viewpoint
putting down a hard surface, for example a drive, or replacing an existing drive
new boundary treatments like gates, walls and fences and the demolition of the original
the painting of the exterior of a dwelling house or building within the grounds of the building

Any reference to 'Alterations, improvements and enlargements to dwellings' in the Article 4 directions below would include the replacement of windows and doors, the alteration to or the creation of front porches, the paving of front gardens, the creation of a cross over, the replacement of roof materials, and erection, alteration or removal of a chimney, boundary wall, gates or any other architectural feature.

If you're in doubt whether planning permission is required, please contact us before making any alterations to your house.