Article 4 directions in London conservation areas

The short answer

Article 4 directions are the most consequential local planning instrument owners of period houses encounter in London. They sit on top of the conservation area regime and remove the small everyday changes (front windows, paint, roof coverings, boundary walls) that would otherwise be permitted development. The decision-making test for Article 4 applications is the same as any other planning application: the borough's local plan policies and the conservation area appraisal.

What an Article 4 direction is

Article 4 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 allows a local planning authority to remove specified permitted development rights in a defined area, where it is satisfied that the rights would harm the area's special character or amenity. The direction is made by the council, confirmed (in most cases) without the need for Secretary of State approval, and comes into force on a stated date.

What Article 4 directions typically cover

In London conservation areas, Article 4 directions commonly remove rights over:

• Replacement of front windows and front doors.
• Painting of brickwork and stonework on principal elevations.
• Replacement of roof coverings.
• Removal or replacement of front boundary walls, railings and gates.
• Hardstandings and front garden alterations.
• Rooflights on principal elevations and roof slopes visible from a highway.
• External satellite antennae and solar panels on visible elevations.
• Surface-mounted services on principal elevations.

Article 4 coverage across London boroughs

Westminster, Camden, RBKC, Islington and Hackney maintain the most extensive Article 4 coverage. Hammersmith and Fulham, Lambeth, Southwark, Wandsworth and Tower Hamlets all have significant Article 4 schedules in their high-value conservation areas. Outer boroughs (Richmond, Greenwich, Barnet, Haringey) maintain more selective coverage. For the borough-by-borough position, see our conservation area rules guide.

How to check whether your property is affected

1. Check the borough's planning policy pages for the conservation area you are in. The Article 4 direction should be published with a map and a schedule.
2. Request a Local Land Charges search through the council. This returns the definitive list of Article 4 directions affecting the property.
3. Use our Article 4 directions index to find the principal directions in force by borough.
4. For listed buildings, remember that listed building consent is required regardless of whether Article 4 is in force.

Applying for consent on Article 4 works

An application for works captured by an Article 4 direction is a householder or full planning application. There is no separate "Article 4 application". The application should include a planning statement or heritage statement that engages with: the borough's local plan policies, the conservation area appraisal, the specific reasons stated in the direction itself, and the proposed materials and detail.

Compensation and the section 108 window

Section 108 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 provides for compensation where planning permission is refused (or granted subject to onerous conditions) for development that would have been permitted but for the Article 4 direction, where the application is made within 12 months of the direction taking effect. In practice, successful claims are rare: most owners do not apply within the window and most refusals are also supported by independent local plan policy.

Outbound references: Article 4 of the GPDO 2015 and government Planning Practice Guidance on permitted development.