Richmond Article 4 & Extensions: A Homeowner's Guide

Richmond upon Thames is one of London's busiest boroughs for home improvements. It's also one of the most protected. The council says there are 85 conservation areas in the borough. On top of those sits a long list of Article 4 Directions, many covering individual streets or even particular house numbers.

If you're planning a rear extension, a side infill or a loft in Richmond, Barnes, East Sheen, Mortlake, Kew or Twickenham, here's how to work out which rules apply to your house and what that means for your route to approval.

How Richmond uses Article 4 Directions

What an Article 4 Direction does

Richmond's What is an Article 4 Direction? page explains that a direction restricts permitted development (PD) rights for a particular area, site or type of development. It "does not prevent the development to which it applies, but instead requires that planning permission is first obtained".

The council's Article 4 Directions – Conservation areas page (updated 18 June 2026) explains why. Many Richmond homes belong to "groups or whole streets of similarly designed properties", where "seemingly minor changes can greatly disrupt the character and appearance". It also states plainly: "Any home in the borough can be subject to an Article 4 Direction."

What needs permission under Article 4

If your home is covered, the council says you must apply for planning permission for changes "including but not limited to":

• Extensions and additions
• New doors and windows
• Painting and rendering brickwork
• Removing chimneys
• Replacing front gardens
• Replacing boundary walls with hard surfaces

The first item is the one that matters most if you're extending. On a house covered by a direction that withdraws extension rights, even a modest rear extension that would be PD elsewhere needs a planning application. Each direction is different, so read the one for your street.

Where the directions are: some local examples

The council publishes each direction with a map, plus an Article 4 Directions register (PDF). The list is long. Here are some entries from the council's conservation-area page for the areas we work in most. Many directions cover only certain house numbers.

Barnes

Under conservation area CA1 there are directions for Bellevue Road, Glebe Road, Hillersdon Road, Laurel Road, Ranelagh Avenue and The Crescent. Castelnau Row (CA25) also has one.

East Sheen and Mortlake

There are directions for East Sheen Avenue (two directions covering different house numbers) and Park Avenue (CA52), and The Mall, East Sheen (CA13). In Mortlake there are several, including Fitzgerald Road and North Worple Way (CA33), Lodge Avenue and Queen's Road (CA35), and Lower Richmond Road and Rosemary Gardens (CA51).

Richmond and Kew

Under CA30 there are directions for Albany Terrace, Dynevor Road, Houblon Road, Montague Road, Mount Ararat Road, Rosemont Road and The Vineyard. Under CA31 there are Dunstable Road, St Mary's Grove, Sydney Road and Townshend Road and Terrace. Shaftesbury Road (CA36) also has one. In Kew, CA2 includes directions for Cambridge Cottages, Gloucester Road, Priory Road and The Green.

Twickenham and St Margaret's

There are directions for Lebanon Park, Montpellier Row and Richmond Road, East Twickenham (CA8); Grosvenor Road, Holly Road and Queen's Road (CA47); and St Margaret's Drive and St Margaret's Road (CA19).

This is a selection, not the full list. Check the council page and register for your exact address.

Conservation area without Article 4: what still applies

Even if no direction covers your house, being in one of the 85 conservation areas changes the national PD rules. Under the government's householder PD technical guidance, conservation areas count as "Article 2(3) land". That means:

• Roof extensions (dormers) aren't PD, so a dormer loft needs a householder application (Planning Portal).
• The larger 6m/8m rear extension prior approval route isn't available. The standard single-storey limits are 3 m beyond the rear wall for attached houses and 4 m for detached houses.
• Other limits, such as those on side extensions and cladding, are tighter on Article 2(3) land. The technical guidance sets out the details.

Richmond's About conservation areas page also reminds owners that demolishing an unlisted building in a conservation area (above the size thresholds) needs planning permission for "relevant demolition". That can matter if your extension involves knocking down an old outbuilding or rear addition. The council's advice is simple: "You should contact us before you carry out any work on a building within a conservation area."

The extension route in a conservation area

Design guidance to read first

Richmond's House Extensions and External Alterations SPD (adopted 1 June 2015) is the borough's main design guide for side and rear extensions, loft conversions and other alterations. It says the guidance applies to all house extensions and alterations, "irrespective of whether or not the proposal requires planning permission". Each conservation area also has a statement, and many have a fuller appraisal, linked from the conservation areas page.

Steps we'd suggest

1. Confirm your constraints. Is the house in a conservation area? Is it covered by an Article 4 Direction? Is it listed or a Building of Townscape Merit?
2. Read the conservation area statement or appraisal and the House Extensions SPD before design starts.
3. Look at what's been approved on your street. Use the council's planning applications search.
4. Consider pre-application advice for sensitive schemes. Richmond offers a pre-application advice service.
5. Submit a householder application. The fee is £548 from 1 April 2026 (government fee schedule), and the target for a decision is eight weeks.

How busy is Richmond?

Based on the Planning London Datahub, 2 October 2026 pull (applications validated 2 October 2025 to 1 October 2026), Richmond had 1,127 householder applications and 421 proposed-use Lawful Development Certificate applications. That's more of each than Wandsworth or Merton over the same period.

Caveat: Richmond's records in the Datahub don't use a "Refused" decision code. Decisions show as Approved, Closed or pending, so we don't publish a refusal rate for Richmond. The Datahub updates continually, and figures are indicative only.

FAQ

How do I know if my Richmond home is covered by an Article 4 Direction?

Check the council's Article 4 conservation-areas page and the Article 4 register PDF for your street and house number. Then confirm with the council if you're unsure. The council says any home in the borough can be subject to one.

Can I build a rear extension without planning permission in a Richmond conservation area?

Possibly, if it fits within the reduced PD limits for conservation areas and no Article 4 Direction removes extension rights for your house. If a direction covers "extensions and additions", you'll need planning permission.

Do I need permission to replace windows or paint brickwork in Richmond?

If your home is covered by an Article 4 Direction, the council lists new doors and windows and painting or rendering brickwork among the changes that need planning permission.

How many conservation areas are there in Richmond upon Thames?

The council says there are currently 85 conservation areas in the borough.

Is there design guidance for extensions in Richmond?

Yes. The House Extensions and External Alterations SPD (2015) sets out the council's approach to side and rear extensions, lofts and other alterations. Conservation area statements and appraisals add area-specific guidance.

Thinking about extending in Richmond?

If you'd like a builder's view on what's realistic for your house and street, we're happy to talk it through before you commit to drawings. See our house extensions in Richmond and loft conversions in Richmond pages, then call 07564 041115 or email admin@bluebirdspaces.co.uk.

General guidance, not planning advice. Article 4 coverage is property-specific, so always confirm with Richmond Council. Sources checked 2 October 2026.