Permitted development for extensions in the Cotswolds

What Article 2(3) land is

Article 2(3) land is a planning term for protected places. The Planning Portal lists conservation areas, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, National Parks, the Broads and World Heritage Sites.

The Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is now called the Cotswolds National Landscape. Much of the area is inside it, and most towns also have conservation areas.

Check your address on your council’s conservation area map, and ask the council if your home is in the National Landscape.

What you can still build

A single-storey rear extension can be permitted development on designated land, within these limits from the Planning Portal.

• Depth: no more than 4 metres beyond the original rear wall of a detached house, or 3 metres for other houses.
• Height: no more than 4 metres. Within 2 metres of a boundary, the eaves can be no higher than 3 metres.
• Land: extensions and other buildings can cover no more than half the land around the original house.
• Materials: the outside must look similar to the existing house.

What needs planning permission here

On designated land, these need a householder planning application.

• Any side extension.
• Any rear extension of more than one storey.
• Cladding on the outside of the house, such as stone, timber or render.
• A loft enlargement, such as a dormer or a hip-to-gable change. Roof enlargement rights do not apply on designated land.
• A rear extension deeper than the limits above. The prior approval route for 6 to 8 metre extensions is not available on designated land.

Other things that remove rights

An Article 4 direction can remove permitted development rights in a street or area. A planning condition on your house can do the same.

Permitted development does not cover listed building consent. A listed house needs consent for an extension that affects its character, whatever its size.

Building regulations still apply to every extension, with or without planning permission.

Get it confirmed

If you think your extension is permitted development, you can apply for a lawful development certificate. It proves the work was lawful when you sell.

For a householder planning application, the national fee in England is £548, from 1 April 2026. Cotswold District Council also offers pre-application advice.

For the order of work and the trades you need, see the Cotswolds Trades guide to extensions in a conservation area. The link is in the sources below.

Questions

Sources