About the Westminster Abbey And Parliament Square Conservation Area
The Westminster Abbey And Parliament Square Conservation Area covers about 29 hectares and was designated by City of Westminster in 2008. Inside the boundary are 67 listed buildings (19 Grade I, 7 Grade II*, 41 Grade II). The most significant is 19,19a and 20, Broad Sanctuary Sw1, Grade I. 1 Article 4 direction over the area removes further householder rights, on top of the conservation area limits below. 65 Tree Preservation Order records overlap the area; every other tree here still needs six weeks’ notice before work. Part of the area lies in flood zone 3, so an extension may need a flood risk assessment.
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.
- 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.
- 19,19a and 20, Broad Sanctuary Sw1Grade I
- Abbey Precinct WallGrade I
- Church of St Margaret, WestminsterGrade I
- Clerk of the Works Office and the Remains of the Chapel of St Catherine Little Cloisters LodgingsGrade I
- Dean's YardGrade I
- Dean's YardGrade I
- Former Dock Retaining Walls to Moat Around Jewel HouseGrade I
- Gates, Railings, Gate Piers to New Palace Yard, Houses of ParliamentGrade I
- Houses of Parliament and The Palace of WestminsterGrade I
- Little Dean's Yard Ashburnham HouseGrade I
- Little Deans YardGrade I
- Little Deans Yard (college of Westminster School)Grade I
- Little Deans Yard Staircase to Doorway and Gateway to School and Busby LibraryGrade I
- Statuary Group of the Burghers of CalaisGrade I
- The Deanery and Sub Dean's Residence With the Jericho ParlourGrade I
- The Great Cloisters,Including St Faiths Chapel,the Chapter House,the Parlour,Numbers 1 and 2 the Cloisters,the Dark Cloisters and Dormitory With the Chapel of St Dunstan (school and Busby Library)Grade I
- The Jewel House (or Tower) of the Palace of WestminsterGrade I
- Victoria Tower Lodge and Gates to Black Rod GardenGrade I
- Westminster Abbey (The Collegiate Church of St Peter)Grade I
- 11, Great George Street Sw1Grade II*
- Buxton Memorial Fountain, Victoria Tower GardensGrade II*
- Knife Edge Two Piece SculptureGrade II*
- Memorial to Emmeline and Christabel PankhurstGrade II*
- Methodist Central Hall, WestminsterGrade II*
Show all 67 listed buildings ↓All 67 listed buildings
- Middlesex GuildhallGrade II*
- Number 7 (including Former Number 6)Grade II*
- 10 Lamp Standards Round Central Green of Dean's YardGrade II
- 14 Lampstandards Flanking Carriage Drive in New Palace Yard, Houses of ParliamentGrade II
- 3 Lamp Standards to South End Outside Number 5a and Church House,Dean's YardGrade II
- 36-40, Great Smith Street Sw1Grade II
- 5 Lamp Standards Lettered GGrade II
- 6 Lampstandards in St Margaret's Churchyard Lettered GGrade II
- Abbey (canons') GardenGrade II
- Abbey (canons') Garden 4 StatuesGrade II
- Abbey BuildingsGrade II
- Abbey Precinct railings to west of Abbey and to east end and Abbey CloseGrade II
- Choir School and Deans YardGrade II
- Church HouseGrade II
- Church of St MatthewGrade II
- Crimean War and Indian Mutiny MemorialGrade II
- Dean's YardGrade II
- Dean's YardGrade II
- Deans YardGrade II
- Deans Yard With Abbey ShopGrade II
- Lamp post outside 4 Tufton StreetGrade II
- Little Deans YardGrade II
- Little Deans Yard Turle's HouseGrade II
- Orchard HouseGrade II
- Park HouseGrade II
- River Embankment From the Houses of Parliment to Lambeth BridgeGrade II
- Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors the Royal Institution of Chartered SurveyorsGrade II
- St Margaret's Churchyard Railings, Obelisks and BollardsGrade II
- St Matthew's Clergy HouseGrade II
- Statue of Abraham Lincoln in Front of Middlesex GuildhallGrade II
- Statue of Benjamin Disraeli, Earl of BeaconsfieldGrade II
- Statue of Edward Stanley, Earl of DerbyGrade II
- Statue of Field Marshal Jan SmutsGrade II
- Statue of George CanningGrade II
- Statue of George VGrade II
- Statue of Henry John Temple, Viscount PalmerstonGrade II
- Statue of Oliver Cromwell in Front of Westminster HallGrade II
- Statue of Richard IGrade II
- Statue of Sir Robert PeelGrade II
- Statue of Sir Winston ChurchillGrade II
- The Institution of Civil EngineersGrade II
- The SanctuaryGrade II
- Westminster Public LibraryGrade 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
WEBWestminster Abbey And Parliament Square Conservation Area AppraisalCity of Westminster’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 Westminster and Historic England via planning.data.gov.uk (OGL). Guidance only — not an official council check.