Planning permission in West Devon
Most single-storey rear extensions within the national permitted development limits don't need planning permission in West Devon. The rules are stricter in its 24 conservation areas, where side extensions, two-storey extensions and loft dormers need permission. Check your address to see which rules apply.
West Devon at a glance
- Conservation areas
- 24
- Article 4 areas
- Not published
- Protected landscapes
- Dartmoor, Tamar Valley
- Planning decisions
- West Devon Borough Council
How many conservation areas are there in West Devon?
West Devon has 24 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.
- Bere Alston
- Bere Ferrers
- Bondleigh
- Bratton Clovelly
- Bridestowe
- Broadwood-kelly
- Buckland Monachorum
- Eworthy
- Exbourne
- Germansweek
- Hatherleigh
- Lamerton
- Lifton
- Milton Abbot
- Milton Combe
- Northlew
- North Tawton
- Okehampton
- Sampford Courtenay
- Stowford
- Tavistock
- Tavistock and Bere Alston Railway Line
- Weir Quay
- Whitchurch
Read more: extensions, loft dormers, garden rooms and solar panels in a conservation area.
Does West Devon have Article 4 directions?
West Devon 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 West Devon in a national park, National Landscape or green belt?
- National park in or bordering West Devon: Dartmoor.
- National Landscape (Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty) in or bordering West Devon: Tamar Valley.
- World Heritage Site: Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape.
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 West Devon
Listed buildings everywhere in England are recorded by Historic England, and the checker looks for them at every address. West Devon 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.
West Devon 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 West Devon publish?
| Data | Status | Records |
|---|---|---|
| Conservation area boundaries | Published | 24 |
| 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 West Devon? Put a pin on your house and we'll check it against all of this.
Start a checkOther councils in South West
- Bath and North East Somerset
- Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
- Bristol
- Cheltenham
- Cornwall
- Cotswold
- Dorset
- East Devon
- Exeter
- Forest of Dean
- Gloucester
- Isles of Scilly
- Mid Devon
- North Devon
- North Somerset
- Plymouth
- Somerset
- South Gloucestershire
- South Hams
- Stroud
- Swindon
- Teignbridge
- Tewkesbury
- Torbay
- Torridge
- Wiltshire
Data from planning.data.gov.uk, published by West Devon Borough Council and national bodies under the Open Government Licence, last updated here on 30 October 2026. West Devon Borough Council website.