About the Chancery Lane Conservation Area
The Chancery Lane Conservation Area covers about 6.5 hectares and was designated by City of London Corporation in 2007. Inside the boundary are 21 listed buildings (2 Grade I, 6 Grade II*, 13 Grade II). The most significant is 1-4, Holborn Bars, Grade I. 1 Article 4 direction over the area removes 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
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.
- 1-4, Holborn BarsGrade I
- Number 4, 5 and 6 and Attached PumpGrade I
- 10, Furnival Street and Attached Railings, And 25, Southampton Buildings and Attached RailingsGrade II*
- 337 and 338, High HolbornGrade II*
- Former Public Record OfficeGrade II*
- Mercer's School Hall and Buildings Adjoining Mercer's School HallGrade II*
- Number 15 and Attached RailingsGrade II*
- Royal Fusiliers War MemorialGrade II*
- 32 and 33, Furnival Street Ec4Grade II
- 78-81, Fetter Lane Ec4Grade II
- 9 and 10, Staple InnGrade II
- K2 Telephone Kiosk Outside St Dunstan's Court, Fetter LaneGrade II
- Lamp Post in Staple Inn CourtGrade II
- Number 14 and Attached Railings, Took's CourtGrade II
- Number 16 and Attached Railings, Took's CourtGrade II
- Number 7 and 8 and Attached RailingsGrade II
- Obelisk Marking City Boundary on South Side of RoadGrade II
- Staple Inn Buildings North and South and Attached RailingsGrade II
- The Hall and Attached RailingsGrade II
- The Institute of Actuaries and Attached RailingsGrade II
- Walls, Railings and Lamps to Front of Public Record OfficeGrade 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
WEBChancery Lane Conservation Area AppraisalCity of London Corporation’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 City of London Corporation and Historic England via planning.data.gov.uk (OGL). Guidance only — not an official council check.