About the Seven Dials (Covent Garden) Conservation Area
The Seven Dials (Covent Garden) Conservation Area covers about 11 hectares and was designated by London Borough of Camden in 1971. Inside the boundary are 71 listed buildings (5 Grade II*, 66 Grade II). The most significant is 27, 28 and 29, Great Queen Street, Grade II*. 2 Article 4 directions over the area remove further householder rights, on top of the conservation area limits below.
What changes inside the conservation area
Conservation areas are “Article 2(3) land”. You keep most permitted development rights, but these are removed or tightened.
- Rear extensionElsewhere: 3 m · 6 m with PANo 6 m / 8 m prior approval
- Two-storey extensionElsewhere: 3 mNeeds planning permission
- Side extensionElsewhere: Half the widthNeeds planning permission
- Loft conversionElsewhere: 50 m³Needs planning permission
- Garden roomElsewhere: 2.5 m high by boundariesNot beside the house
- PorchElsewhere: 3 m²Same limits
- Solar panelsElsewhere: 0.2 m projectionSame limits
- Air source heat pumpElsewhere: 1 unitNot facing the road
- Fences, walls and gatesElsewhere: 2 m · 1 m by a roadSame limits
- External claddingElsewhere: Matching materialsNeeds planning permission
- Tree workElsewhere: No notice6 weeks’ notice to the council
- Demolition (over 115 m³)Elsewhere: AllowedNeeds planning permission
Limits for a semi-detached house under the GPDO 2015. An Article 4 direction can remove more.
Article 4 directions here
These overlap the conservation area. Householder directions remove more of the rights above; change-of-use ones don’t affect extending a house.
- BasementsHouseholder works
- Commercial, Business, and Service (Use Class E) to residential (Use Class C3) (in CAZ)Change of use
- Article 4 Basement Development Permitted Rights RemovedHouseholder works
- Article 4 Direction Class E To C3 In Central Activities ZoneChange of use
Listed buildings in the conservation area
Any work affecting these needs listed building consent, inside or out. Each links to its entry on the National Heritage List.
- 27, 28 and 29, Great Queen StreetGrade II*
- 33, 34 and 35, Great Queen StreetGrade II*
- Brownlow House and Attached RailingsGrade II*
- Freemasons HallGrade II*
- Grand Connaught RoomsGrade II*
- 1, Shorts GardensGrade II
- 10, Tower CourtGrade II
- 11 and 13 Shelton StreetGrade II
- 14, 16 and 18, Monmouth StreetGrade II
- 15, 17 and 19 Shelton StreetGrade II
- 186 and 187, Drury LaneGrade II
- 19 Mercer Street and 21 Shelton StreetGrade II
- 2, Shorts GardensGrade II
- 21 Mercer StreetGrade II
- 21, Monmouth StreetGrade II
- 22, Earlham StreetGrade II
- 22, Tower StreetGrade II
- 23 Mercer StreetGrade II
- 23, Macklin StreetGrade II
- 24 and 25, Macklin StreetGrade II
- 24 and 26, Earlham StreetGrade II
- 24, West StreetGrade II
- 25 and 27 Mercer StreetGrade II
- 27, Monmouth StreetGrade II
Show all 71 listed buildings ↓All 71 listed buildings
- 27, Neal StreetGrade II
- 29, Neal StreetGrade II
- 30 and 31, Great Queen StreetGrade II
- 31, Neal StreetGrade II
- 33, Betterton StreetGrade II
- 33, Neal StreetGrade II
- 35, Monmouth StreetGrade II
- 35, Neal StreetGrade II
- 36 and 37, Great Queen StreetGrade II
- 36, 38 and 40, Earlham StreetGrade II
- 37, Monmouth StreetGrade II
- 37, Neal StreetGrade II
- 38, Great Queen StreetGrade II
- 39, Monmouth StreetGrade II
- 4 and 6, Shorts GardensGrade II
- 42-48, Monmouth StreetGrade II
- 45-51 Monmouth Street and 29-31 Mercer StreetGrade II
- 5-8, Tower CourtGrade II
- 51 and 53, Shelton StreetGrade II
- 51-59, Endell StreetGrade II
- 53-59 Monmouth StreetGrade II
- 55, Neal StreetGrade II
- 61 Monmouth StreetGrade II
- 61, Neal StreetGrade II
- 63 Monmouth StreetGrade II
- 63-69, Endell StreetGrade II
- 64, Neal StreetGrade II
- 65-71 Monmouth Street and attached rear drum forming the southern point of Ching CourtGrade II
- 78, 78a and 78b, Neal StreetGrade II
- 80, Neal StreetGrade II
- 81, Endell StreetGrade II
- Ambassadors TheatreGrade II
- Cambridge TheatreGrade II
- Cross Keys Public HouseGrade II
- Crown Public HouseGrade II
- Fw Collins and SonGrade II
- Guild House (south Wing)Grade II
- Lamp Post Outside Number 14Grade II
- Latchfords Timber Yard Including Attached Timber ShedsGrade II
- North WingGrade II
- Number 22 and Attached RailingsGrade II
- Seven Dials WarehouseGrade II
- St Giles Almshouses and Walls and RailingsGrade II
- St Martins TheatreGrade II
- St Mungo's HousingGrade II
- Swiss Protestant ChurchGrade II
- The Crafts CentreGrade II
Streets in the conservation area
Streets with listed buildings inside the boundary. Boundaries often split a street — check your exact address.
The council’s appraisal
WEBSeven Dials (Covent Garden) Conservation Area AppraisalLondon Borough of Camden’s description of the area’s character — what planners look at when you apply.Open on council site ↗Nearby conservation areas
Boundary and listed buildings from London Borough of Camden and Historic England via planning.data.gov.uk (OGL). Guidance only — not an official council check.