Planning Policy

Extension in Worthing

Do you need planning permission for a single-storey extension in Worthing? Here is what the permitted development rules say, how Worthing Borough Council’s designations change them, and what decides an application, grounded in the official guidance and quoted verbatim.

Modern glazed extension against a classical stone house
New glass against old stone: the extension question every authority weighs
The short answer

Do you need planning permission for a single-storey extension in Worthing?

Many single-storey rear extensions are permitted development under Class A, within set limits on depth, height and how much of the garden they cover, so no planning application is needed. In Worthing this matters: the borough has 26 conservation areas and 8 Article 4 directions, and inside those the permitted development route narrows or is removed, so a single-storey extension can need a full application where it would not two streets away.

1.0: The permitted development position

The starting point

Many single-storey rear extensions are permitted development under Class A, within set limits on depth, height and how much of the garden they cover, so no planning application is needed.

“This provides permitted development rights for the enlargement, improvement or other alteration of a house.”PD technical guidance, Class A · full text in the library → · official source →
2.0: What changes it in Worthing

How Worthing’s designations apply

Designation in WorthingPublished
Conservation areas26
Article 4 directions (PD removed)8
Listed building outlines217

Because extension depends on permitted development rights restricted on article 2(3) land, the conservation areas above are decisive: inside one, expect to need a full application. Counts are read live from planning.data.gov.uk; your report checks them against your exact address.

3.0: How it’s decided

What Worthing weighs

Where an application is needed, design does the deciding: depth against the neighbouring rear walls, loss of light, roof form, and materials against the parent building.

Read the full extension guide →

4.0: A worked example

See a single-storey extension in a real report

London’s most common project: a kitchen extension behind a Victorian terrace in a conservation area with an Article 4 direction. 262 nearby decisions, 81% approved.

Read the rear extension in clapham case study →

Your report

Get a planning report for your Worthing address

A Planning Policy report reads the designations on your exact Worthing address, quotes the Worthing Borough Council and national policies that apply to a single-storey extension, and (on Pro) shows decided applications nearby with outcomes.

5.0: Questions

Extension in Worthing, answered

Do I need planning permission for a single-storey extension in Worthing?
Many single-storey rear extensions are permitted development under Class A, within set limits on depth, height and how much of the garden they cover, so no planning application is needed. In Worthing this matters: the borough has 26 conservation areas and 8 Article 4 directions, and inside those the permitted development route narrows or is removed, so a single-storey extension can need a full application where it would not two streets away.
Does a conservation area affect a single-storey extension in Worthing?
Yes. extension relies on permitted development rights that are restricted on article 2(3) land, which includes conservation areas. Worthing Borough Council has 26 of them, so inside a boundary you are more likely to need a full application.
How does Worthing decide a extension application?
Where an application is needed, design does the deciding: depth against the neighbouring rear walls, loss of light, roof form, and materials against the parent building. A Planning Policy report quotes the specific Worthing Borough Council Local Plan and national policies that apply, verbatim, and shows decided applications nearby.
6.0: More for Worthing

Other projects in Worthing