Planning permission in Exeter

Most single-storey rear extensions within the national permitted development limits don't need planning permission in Exeter. The rules are stricter in its 20 conservation areas, where side extensions, two-storey extensions and loft dormers need permission. 1 of its Article 4 areas remove some or all house extension rights. Check your address to see which rules apply.

Exeter at a glance

Conservation areas: 20
Article 4 areas: 16
Protected landscapes: None
Planning decisions: Exeter City Council

How many conservation areas are there in Exeter?

Exeter has 20 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.

Alphin Brook
Alphington
Belmont
Central
Cowick Street
Exwick
Heavitree
Longbrook
Lower Summerlands
Midway Terrace and Ide Lane
Mont Le Grand
Pennsylvania
Princes Square
Riverside
Southernhay and the Friars
St. David's
St Leonards
St Sidwells
Taddyforde
Topsham

Read more: extensions, loft dormers, garden rooms and solar panels in a conservation area.

Does Exeter have Article 4 directions?

Exeter has published 16 Article 4 areas. Inside them, some permitted development rights are removed, so work that would normally be allowed needs planning permission.

The rights they remove most often:

Part 24 Class A (Part 24 Class A, in 7 of the areas)
Walls, fences and gates (Part 2 Class A, in 2 of the areas)
Part 31 Class B (Part 31 Class B, in 2 of the areas)
Part 4 Class B (Part 4 Class B, in 1 of the areas)
Part 5 Class A (Part 5 Class A, in 1 of the areas)
Part 6 Class A (Part 6 Class A, in 1 of the areas)
House extensions (Part 1 Class A, in 1 of the areas)
Other roof alterations, such as rooflights (Part 1 Class C, in 1 of the areas)
Porches (Part 1 Class D, in 1 of the areas)
Satellite dishes and antennas (Part 1 Class H, in 1 of the areas)

2 of the published areas don't say which rights they remove. Our checker tells people at those addresses to check with the council.

Directions listed by Exeter:

2023 Article 4 Direction
Land Adjacent to St Davids Station, Bonhay Road
Land at Duryard
Land at Junction of Belmont Road and Western Way
Land at Sidwell Street
Land at the Exebridge Centre Car Park
Land at the Junction of Leypark Road and Hill Barton Road
Land at the Junction of Prince Charles Road and Stoke Hill
Land at the Strand, Topsham
Land North of Exwick Lane
Midway Terrace and Ide Lane, Alphington
Riverside Pastures, Stoke Road
St Leonard's Church Hall
The Crawford Hotel

What is an Article 4 direction?

Is any of Exeter 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 Exeter.

Listed buildings and protected trees in Exeter

Listed buildings everywhere in England are recorded by Historic England, and the checker looks for them at every address. Exeter 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.

Exeter 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 Exeter publish?

Planning data published by Exeter City Council
Data	Status	Records
Conservation area boundaries	Published	20
Article 4 direction boundaries	Published	16
Listed building outlines	Not published	0
Tree preservation order areas	Not published	0
Protected trees	Not published	0

Planning work on a home in Exeter? Put a pin on your house and we'll check it against all of this.

Start a check

Other councils in South West

Data from planning.data.gov.uk, published by Exeter City Council and national bodies under the Open Government Licence, last updated here on 31 October 2026. Exeter City Council website.