Planning permission in Sefton
Most single-storey rear extensions within the national permitted development limits don't need planning permission in Sefton. The rules are stricter in its 25 conservation areas, where side extensions, two-storey extensions and loft dormers need permission. 2 of its Article 4 areas remove some or all house extension rights. Check your address to see which rules apply.
Sefton at a glance
- Conservation areas
- 25
- Article 4 areas
- 6
- Protected landscapes
- None
- Planning decisions
- Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council
How many conservation areas are there in Sefton?
Sefton has 25 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.
- Birkdale Park Conservation Area
- Birkdale Village Conservation Area
- Blundellsands Park Conservation Area
- Carr Houses Conservation Area
- Christ Church Conservation Area
- Churchtown Conservation Area
- Crosby Hall Conservation Area
- Damfield Lane Conservation Area
- Derby Park Conservation Area
- Gloucester Road Conservation Area
- Green Lane Conservation Area
- Hesketh Road Conservation Area
- Homer Green Conservation Area
- Ince Blundell Conservation Area
- Little Crosby Conservation Area
- Lord Street Conservation Area
- Lunt Village Conservation Area
- Lydiate Hall and Chapel Conservation Area
- Moor Park Conservation Area
- North Meols Conservation Area
- Promenade Conservation Area
- Sefton Village Conservation Area
- Waterloo Conservation Area
- Waterloo Park Conservation Area
- West Birkdale Conservation Area
Read more: extensions, loft dormers, garden rooms and solar panels in a conservation area.
Does Sefton have Article 4 directions?
Sefton has published 6 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:
- Turning a house into a small shared house (HMO) (Part 3 Class L, in 3 of the areas)
- House extensions (Part 1 Class A, in 2 of the areas)
- Other roof alterations, such as rooflights (Part 1 Class C, in 2 of the areas)
- Porches (Part 1 Class D, in 2 of the areas)
- Hard surfaces, such as paved driveways (Part 1 Class F, in 2 of the areas)
- Walls, fences and gates (Part 2 Class A, in 2 of the areas)
- Painting the outside of a building (Part 2 Class C, in 2 of the areas)
- Part 31 Class B (Part 31 Class B, in 2 of the areas)
- Chimneys, flues and soil pipes (Part 1 Class G, in 1 of the areas)
- Loft dormers and other roof extensions (Part 1 Class B, in 1 of the areas)
Directions listed by Sefton:
- Aintree HMO
- Bootle and Waterloo HMO
- Moor Park Conservation Area
- Park House
- Sefton Village Conservation Area
- Southport HMO
What is an Article 4 direction?
Is any of Sefton in a national park, National Landscape or green belt?
- There is green belt in or bordering Sefton. Householder permitted development rights apply as normal in the green belt, but if you need planning permission, green belt policy limits how much a home can be enlarged.
Listed buildings and protected trees in Sefton
Listed buildings everywhere in England are recorded by Historic England, and the checker looks for them at every address. Sefton also publishes 569 listed building outlines, which show exactly which building is listed.
Sefton publishes its tree preservation orders (5,272 areas and individual trees), so we can flag protected trees near an address.
What planning data does Sefton publish?
| Data | Status | Records |
|---|---|---|
| Conservation area boundaries | Published | 25 |
| Article 4 direction boundaries | Published | 6 |
| Listed building outlines | Published | 569 |
| Tree preservation order areas | Published | 478 |
| Protected trees | Published | 4,794 |
Planning work on a home in Sefton? 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 Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council and national bodies under the Open Government Licence, last updated here on 31 October 2026. Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council website.