Planning permission in Reading
Most single-storey rear extensions within the national permitted development limits don't need planning permission in Reading. The rules are stricter in its 15 conservation areas, where side extensions, two-storey extensions and loft dormers need permission. Check your address to see which rules apply.
Reading at a glance
- Conservation areas
- 15
- Article 4 areas
- Not published
- Protected landscapes
- Chilterns
- Planning decisions
- Reading Borough Council
How many conservation areas are there in Reading?
Reading has 15 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.
- Alexandra Road
- Christchurch
- Downshire Square
- Eldon Square
- Horncastle
- Kendrick Road
- Market Place and London Street
- Redlands
- Routh Lane
- Russell Street and Castle Hill
- South Park
- St Mary's Butts and Castle Street
- St Peter's
- Surley Row
- The Mount
Read more: extensions, loft dormers, garden rooms and solar panels in a conservation area.
Does Reading have Article 4 directions?
Reading 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 Reading in a national park, National Landscape or green belt?
- National Landscape (Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty) in or bordering Reading: Chilterns.
National parks and National Landscapes restrict permitted development in similar ways to conservation areas. Read more: extensions, loft dormers and garden rooms.
Listed buildings and protected trees in Reading
Listed buildings everywhere in England are recorded by Historic England, and the checker looks for them at every address. Reading 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.
Reading 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 Reading publish?
| Data | Status | Records |
|---|---|---|
| Conservation area boundaries | Published | 15 |
| 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 Reading? 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 Reading Borough Council and national bodies under the Open Government Licence, last updated here on 31 October 2026. Reading Borough Council website.