Home / Conservation areas / City of Westminster
LondonConservation areas in City of Westminster
56 conservation areas and 10 Article 4 directions on the official register. If your property is in one, extensions, lofts, cladding, outbuildings and demolition follow stricter rules.
Conservation areas
Adelphi
Designated 2008 · ref. CONARA/1320
Rules & recordAlbert Gate
Designated 2008 · ref. CONARA/1360
Rules & recordAldridge Road Villas And Leamington Road Villas
Designated 2008 · ref. CONARA/1180
Rules & recordBayswater
Designated 2010 · ref. 10/00025/CONARA
Rules & recordBelgravia
Designated 2008 · ref. CONARA/1350
Rules & recordBirdcage Walk
Designated 2008 · ref. 07/01591/CONARA
Rules & recordBroadway And Christchurch Gardens
Designated 2008 · ref. 08/00069/CONARA
Rules & recordCharlotte Street, West
Designated 2008 · ref. CONARA/1190
Rules & recordChinatown
Designated 2008 · ref. CONARA/1590
Rules & recordChurchill Gardens
Designated 2008 · ref. CONARA/1500
Rules & recordCleveland Street
Designated 2008 · ref. CONARA/1140
Rules & recordCovent Garden
Designated 2008 · ref. 08/01260/CONARA
Rules & recordDolphin Square
Designated 2008 · ref. CONARA/1510
Rules & recordDorset Square
Designated 2009 · ref. 09/00004/CONARA
Rules & recordEast Marylebone
Designated 2008 · ref. CONARA/1170
Rules & recordFisherton Street Estate
Designated 2008 · ref. CONARA/1100
Rules & recordGrosvenor Gardens
Designated 2008 · ref. 08/01420/CONARA
Rules & recordHallfield Estate
Designated 2008 · ref. CONARA/1550
Rules & recordHanway Street
Designated 2008 · ref. CONARA/1220
Rules & recordHarley Street
Designated 2008 · ref. 07/01600/CONARA
Rules & recordHaymarket
Designated 2008 · ref. CONARA/1310
Rules & recordKnightsbridge
Designated 2008 · ref. CONARA/1370
Rules & recordKnightsbridge Green
Designated 2008 · ref. CONARA/1380
Rules & recordLeicester Square
Designated 2008 · ref. CONARA/1280
Rules & recordLillington Gardens
Designated 2008 · ref. CONARA/1490
Rules & recordLisson Grove
Designated 2008 · ref. CONARA/1120
Rules & recordMaida Vale
Designated 2008 · ref. 08/01080/CONARA
Rules & recordMayfair
Designated 2008 · ref. CONARA/1270
Rules & recordMedway Street
Designated 2008 · ref. CONARA/1460
Rules & recordMillbank
Designated 2008 · ref. CONARA/1470
Rules & recordMolyneux Street
Designated 2008 · ref. CONARA/1200
Rules & recordPaddington Green
Designated 2008 · ref. CONARA/1150
Rules & recordPage Street
Designated 2010 · ref. 10/00026/CONARA
Rules & recordPeabody Avenue
Designated 2008 · ref. CONARA/1520
Rules & recordPeabody Estates: South Westminster
Designated 2008 · ref. 08/00045/CONARA
Rules & recordPimlico
Designated 2008 · ref. CONARA/1530
Rules & recordPortman Estate
Designated 2008 · ref. CONARA/1160
Rules & recordQueens Park Estate
Designated 2008 · ref. CONARA/1090
Rules & recordQueensway
Designated 2008 · ref. CONARA/1540
Rules & recordRegency Street
Designated 2008 · ref. CONARA/1480
Rules & recordRegent Street
Designated 2008 · ref. 08/01602/CONARA
Rules & recordRegent's Park
Designated 2008 · ref. 08/01070/CONARA
Rules & recordRoyal Parks
Designated 2008 · ref. CONARA/1570
Rules & recordSavoy
Designated 2008 · ref. CONARA/1290
Rules & recordSmith Square
Designated 2008 · ref. CONARA/1430
Rules & recordSoho
Designated 2008 · ref. 08/01230/CONARA
Rules & recordSt James's
Designated 2008 · ref. CONARA/1330
Rules & recordSt John's Wood
Designated 2008 · ref. 08/01601/CONARA
Rules & recordStrand
Designated 2008 · ref. CONARA/1240
Rules & recordStratford Place
Designated 2008 · ref. CONARA/1250
Rules & recordTrafalgar Square
Designated 2008 · ref. CONARA/1300
Rules & recordVincent Square
Designated 2008 · ref. CONARA/1450
Rules & recordWestbourne
Designated 2008 · ref. CONARA/1560
Rules & recordWestminster Abbey And Parliament Square
Designated 2008 · ref. CONARA/1400
Rules & recordWestminster Cathedral
Designated 2008 · ref. CONARA/1440
Rules & recordWhitehall
Designated 2008 · ref. CONARA/1340
Rules & recordWhat a conservation area changes
Extensions
Side extensions, and rear extensions of more than one storey, are not permitted development — they need planning permission. Single-storey rear extensions keep their normal limits, but the Larger Home Extension prior-approval route is not available.
Lofts and roofs
Roof extensions such as dormers are not permitted development. Rooflights are usually fine if they don't project more than 15 cm.
Cladding
Cladding the outside of a house in stone, artificial stone, pebble dash, render, timber, plastic or tiles needs planning permission.
Outbuildings
Garden rooms, sheds and other outbuildings to the side of the house need planning permission.
Demolition
Demolishing a building larger than 115 m³ needs planning permission. Taking down a wall, gate or fence over 1 m high next to a road (or 2 m elsewhere) also needs permission.
Trees
You must give the council six weeks' notice before cutting down or pruning most trees (trunk over 7.5 cm across at 1.5 m high), even if they are not protected by a tree preservation order.
Article 4 directions
Councils can remove more permitted development rights — for example for windows, doors, porches or front boundaries — with an Article 4 direction. Check the council's list below.
Article 4 directions in City of Westminster
These remove some permitted development rights in the areas they cover — check whether one applies to your property before you rely on permitted development.
- 1-27 Bridstow Place, W2 (6 November 1974)
- 1-37 Bristol Gardens, W9 (24 March 1981)
- 1-47 And 2-56 Abbey Gardens, NW8 (22 August 1969)
- 1, 4, 8, 11, 12, 13 Relton Mews, SW7 (26 November 1992)
- 168-208 Sussex Gardens, W2 (8 December 1982)
- 6-10 Moncorvo Close, SW7 (26 October 1984)
- Article 4 Basement Development Permitted Rights Removed (31 July 2016)
- Article 4 Direction Class E To C3 In Central Activities Zone (22 July 2022)
- Article 4 Direction Class E To C3 Out Central Activity Zone (5 December 2021)
- Queens Park Estate (29 October 1992)
Conservation area and Article 4 data: planning.data.gov.uk. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Always confirm boundaries and rules with the council before starting work. General information, not legal advice.