An Article 4 direction lets a local authority remove permitted development rights in a defined area. Understand what they cover, why they vary so much across England, and how to check whether one applies to your home.
An Article 4 direction is a tool that lets a local planning authority withdraw specific permitted development rights within a defined area. The permitted development legislation is national, but Article 4 directions are made locally — which is why an identical project can be permitted development on one street and need a full application on the next.
These are the common features that keep a project on the simpler route.
These are the usual triggers that push a scheme beyond straightforward PD rights.
The tool is designed to answer the first question most homeowners have: is this worth pursuing, and what is most likely to block it?
CanUBuild checks your exact address against the national Article 4 directions dataset, so you see whether one applies before you plan the work.
It shows Article 4 alongside conservation areas, listed status and tree preservation orders, because these controls frequently overlap.
You see decided applications nearby, so you can see how your local planning authority treats projects where rights have been withdrawn.
It is a decision by the local authority to remove certain permitted development rights in a specific area. The work is not banned — it just needs a planning application where it previously would not have.
Each direction is made locally to address a particular concern — protecting a conservation area's character, retaining family homes, or keeping off-street parking — so their boundaries and the rights they remove differ from authority to authority.
No. It means a project that would have been permitted development now needs planning permission. The application can still be approved; it just has to be assessed by the council.
Article 4 directions are mapped by local authorities. An address-level check confirms whether your specific property is within one and what rights it withdraws.
Search for the address, choose your project type, and get a planning feasibility answer based on permitted development rules, constraints, and local precedent data.