Article 4 directions,explained

What an Article 4 direction does

Article 4 of the GPDO lets a council withdraw named permitted development rights from a named area. The direction lists exactly which classes it removes. Everything it doesn't list still applies as normal.

They're used where small changes, repeated along a street, would erode its character — replacement uPVC windows in a Victorian terrace, front gardens paved for parking, porches added to a uniform estate.

The two kinds you'll meet

• —Householder directions — remove rights to alter houses: front extensions, porches, windows and doors, roofs, painting, front walls and gates, hardstandings. Common in conservation areas. These affect you if you own a house there.
• —Change-of-use directions — stop houses becoming small HMOs (Class C4), or offices, shops and farm buildings becoming homes. These don't affect extending your own house.

How to check if your house is covered

Councils publish their Article 4 directions, and many now feed them into the national planning data platform — that's what our checker reads. But coverage is incomplete, and a boundary can split a street. For a definite answer, the council's planning department or a Lawful Development Certificate settles it.

If your house is covered

You need planning permission for the works the direction lists. There's no fee for an application needed only because of an Article 4 direction — and the council judges it against the same design policies as anyone else's.