Article 4 Direction

Article 4 Directions give the Council extra planning control where it's needed - helping to protect local character, housing mix, and community wellbeing.

In this section

What is an Article 4 Direction?

Most small building works or changes of use - like adding a porch, putting up a fence, or converting a house into a small, shared home - can normally be carried out without full planning permission. These are called "permitted development rights".

Sometimes, though, the Council needs extra control to protect the special character of an area or to manage how certain types of housing or land are used. An Article 4 Direction is a legal tool that removes specific permitted development rights in a defined area or for certain properties. This means that planning permission is needed for works or changes that would usually not require it.

We use Article 4 Directions to:

Protect the historic or architectural character of buildings and areas, such as Conservation Areas.
Manage the mix of housing, for example, to limit the number of homes being converted into small Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs).
Prevent changes that could harm local amenity, create parking pressures, or affect the look and feel of neighbourhoods.

An Article 4 Direction doesn't stop development - it simply ensures that proposals are properly considered through the planning process so that change happens in the right way for local communities.