Planning permission in Bedford
Most single-storey rear extensions within the national permitted development limits don't need planning permission in Bedford. The rules are stricter in its 29 conservation areas, where side extensions, two-storey extensions and loft dormers need permission. Check your address to see which rules apply.
Bedford at a glance
- Conservation areas
- 29
- Article 4 areas
- Not published
- Protected landscapes
- None
- Planning decisions
- Bedford Borough Council
How many conservation areas are there in Bedford?
Bedford has 29 conservation areas. In a conservation area, permitted development rights are reduced: side extensions, two-storey extensions, loft dormers and cladding all need planning permission, and many councils add Article 4 directions on top.
- Bedford
- Biddenham
- Bletsoe
- Cardington
- Carlton and Chellington
- Elstow
- Farndish
- Felmersham
- Great Barford
- Great Barford Green End
- Great Barford Hill
- Harrold
- Hinwick
- Kempston
- Little Barford
- Odell
- Pavenham
- Podington
- Riseley
- Riseley North
- Roxton
- Sharnbrook
- Stevington
- Stewartby
- Swineshead
- Thurleigh
- Turvey
- Upper Dean
- Wootton
Read more: extensions, loft dormers, garden rooms and solar panels in a conservation area.
Does Bedford have Article 4 directions?
Bedford hasn't published any Article 4 boundaries on planning.data.gov.uk. Most councils have at least one Article 4 direction, often in conservation areas, so check the council's website or ask its planning team before relying on permitted development.
What is an Article 4 direction?
Is any of Bedford in a national park, National Landscape or green belt?
There are no national parks, National Landscapes, World Heritage Sites or green belt in or bordering Bedford.
Listed buildings and protected trees in Bedford
Listed buildings everywhere in England are recorded by Historic England, and the checker looks for them at every address. Bedford doesn't publish listed building outlines, so where a listed building is recorded near an address, we ask the homeowner to check whether it's theirs.
Bedford doesn't publish its tree preservation orders as data. If there are mature trees near your project, ask the council whether any are protected before you start.
What planning data does Bedford publish?
| Data | Status | Records |
|---|---|---|
| Conservation area boundaries | Published | 29 |
| Article 4 direction boundaries | Not published | 0 |
| Listed building outlines | Not published | 0 |
| Tree preservation order areas | Not published | 0 |
| Protected trees | Not published | 0 |
Planning work on a home in Bedford? Put a pin on your house and we'll check it against all of this.
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Data from planning.data.gov.uk, published by Bedford Borough Council and national bodies under the Open Government Licence, last updated here on 30 October 2026. Bedford Borough Council website.