Planning permission in York

Most single-storey rear extensions within the national permitted development limits don't need planning permission in York. The rules are stricter in its 35 conservation areas, where side extensions, two-storey extensions and loft dormers need permission. Check your address to see which rules apply.

How many conservation areas are there in York?

York has 35 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.

• Acomb Conservation Area
• Askham Bryan Conservation Area
• Askham Richard Conservation Area
• Bishopthorpe Conservation Area
• Central Historic Core Conservation Area
• Clifton (Malton Way/Shipton Road) Conservation Area
• Clifton Conservation Area
• Copmanthorpe Conservation Area
• Dunnington Conservation Area
• Elvington Conservation Area
• Escrick Conservation Area
• Fulford Road Conservation Area
• Fulford Village Conservation Area
• Haxby Conservation Area
• Heslington Conservation Area
• Heworth Green/East Parade Conservation Area
• Huntington Conservation Area
• Middlethorpe Conservation Area
• Murton Conservation Area
• Nestle/Rowntree Conservation Area
• Nether Poppleton Conservation Area
• New Earswick Conservation Area
• New Walk/Terry Avenue
• Osbaldwick Conservation Area
• Skelton Conservation Area
• St. Paul's Square/Holgate Road Conservation Area
• Stockton-on-the-Forest Conservation Area
• Strensall Railway Buildings Conservation Area
• Strensall Village Conservation Area
• Tadcaster Road Conservation Area
• The Racecourse and Terry's Factory Conservation Area
• The Retreat
• Towthorpe Village Conservation Area
• Upper Poppleton Conservation Area
• Wheldrake Conservation Area

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

Does York have Article 4 directions?

York has published 4 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 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 York:

• East Mount Road
• Heslington Conservation Area
• HMO

What is an Article 4 direction?

Is any of York in a national park, National Landscape or green belt?

• There is green belt in or bordering York. 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 York

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

York 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 York publish?

Other councils in Yorkshire and the Humber

• Barnsley
• Bradford
• Calderdale
• Doncaster
• East Riding of Yorkshire
• Hull
• Kirklees
• Leeds
• North East Lincolnshire
• North Lincolnshire
• North Yorkshire
• Rotherham
• Sheffield
• Wakefield

Data from planning.data.gov.uk, published by City of York Council and national bodies under the Open Government Licence, last updated here on 30 October 2026. City of York Council website.