Heritage assets

Design guides and list of areas

Planning and Article 4 Directions

An Article 4 Direction is a special control which gives extra protection to a conservation area by removing some of the owner's planning development rights.

This relates to works such as:

changing windows and doors to the front elevation
painting the front of the house
paving over the front garden
removing or building front garden walls
replacement roof tiles
removal of chimneys
erecting sheds and outbuildings in rear gardens.

These directions allow the council to manage small scale change to houses that might otherwise gradually erode the special features of the buildings and the character of the conservation area. Where an Article 4 Direction applies, planning permission is required for the specified works.

Existing Article 4 Directions

All of Brent’s residential conservation areas are covered by Article 4 Directions

View the details of conservation areas that have an Article 4 Direction on them

Replacement Article 4 Directions

On 7 September 2020 the Brent Council's Cabinet gave its authorisation to proceed with making non-immediate new Article 4 Directions to replace the existing Directions for its residential conservation areas. These are needed because most were made over 25 years ago. Numerous changes to legislation have made it more difficult to understand what permitted development rights the previous Article 4s removed.

The proposed new Directions will restrict the same suite of permitted development rights as those that exist and as illustrated in the bullet points above. The restrictions are proposed to, on the whole, apply to street elevations only. The one exception is for outbuildings in rear back gardens. This is because that over time the size of outbuildings that are permissible under permitted development rules has considerably increased.

We are inviting comments on the Article 4 Directions from 19 November to 18 December 2020. Comments to be received by 5pm on 18 December.

The new Article 4 Directions can be found on the links below and during the consultation period will be available for inspection at Brent public libraries.

Unsigned Article 4 Direction

Barn Hill (.pdf, 513.2kB)
Brondesbury (.pdf, 724.6kB)
Buck Lane (.pdf, 754.0kB)
Homestead Park (.pdf, 555.7kB)
Kensal Green (.pdf, 575.9kB)
Kilburn (.pdf, 793.4kB)
Mapesbury (.pdf, 564.2kB)
Mount Stewart (.pdf, 748.1kB)
Neasden Village (.pdf, 661.1kB)
North Kilburn (.pdf, 814.0kB)
Northwick Circle (.pdf, 742.0kB)
Queen’s Park (.pdf, 542.7kB)
Roe Green Village (.pdf, 665.6kB)
St Andrews (.pdf, 496.1kB)
Sudbury Cottages (.pdf, 478.5kB)
Sudbury Court (.pdf, 512.9kB)
Wembley High Street (.pdf, 585.3kB)

How to comment

Any person may make representations about the new Article 4 Directions.

Representations should be made:

by e-mailing planningstrategy@brent.gov.uk
by post: Planning Policy Team, Brent Civic Centre, Engineer’s Way, Wembley, HA9 0FJ.

The deadline for comments is 5pm on 18 December 2020. Representations must include a name and a postal or e-mail address.

Only the name of organisations represented but not any individual’s personal details will be made public in any material related to the representations received. The Council will only retain your personal details to inform you of the outcome of the decision on whether to proceed with the confirmation of the Directions. After this has occurred your personal details will be deleted. For more information see our privacy notice (.pdf, 210.3kB).

View the consultation statement (.pdf, 384.3kB)

If you have any questions or would like any further information please emailplanningstrategy@brent.gov.uk