Article 4 direction
What is an Article 4 direction, and how does it affect my project?
What is an Article 4 direction, and how does it affect my project?
An Article 4 direction is a decision by a council to remove specified permitted development rights in a defined area. Work that would normally need no planning application — certain extensions, alterations, even paving or basements — requires full permission where one applies. They are address-specific and are the single most common surprise for homeowners.
What article 4 direction means
Permitted development rights are granted nationally by the General Permitted Development Order. An Article 4 direction lets a local planning authority switch specific rights off in a named area — usually to protect the character of a conservation area or a uniform residential street.
Two neighbouring properties can have different rights: one inside an Article 4 area needing a full application for work the other can carry out freely. The only way to know is to check the boundary against your exact address.
What it means for your project
If your address is inside an Article 4 direction, the permitted development shortcut for the affected categories is gone — you will need a planning application even for work that is normally automatic.
Article 4 directions name the rights they remove (for example "Basements", or "Minor alterations including works to windows"). The specific wording decides exactly what is caught.
Article 4 direction is published as the “Article 4 direction” dataset on the national planning data index. A Planning Policy report reads it live for your exact address.
Where article 4 direction matters most
Does article 4 direction apply at your address?
A Planning Policy report applies the official rules to your exact property: the designations on your address, the policies that bear on your project — quoted verbatim — and what decided applications nearby show. Generated in minutes.