Brighton and Hove is one of the most layered planning environments in the south east. With 32 conservation areas, over 1,200 listed buildings, and a boundary that brushes up against the South Downs National Park, the rules that apply to your neighbour's house can be completely different from the ones that apply to yours. Most homeowners don't realise how property-specific this gets — WhatCanIBuild exists precisely because a postcode alone won't tell you what you're dealing with.
The short version
- Brighton and Hove has 32 conservation areas — many streets have restricted permitted development rights
- Properties near or within the South Downs National Park face additional constraints on what can be done without permission
- Over 1,229 listed buildings means listed building consent may be needed on top of — or instead of — planning permission
- What was approved on your street isn't a reliable guide to what will be approved for your property
Conservation areas cover more of Brighton than most people expect
When people think conservation areas, they picture obvious heritage streets — the Lanes, Kemp Town, Hove's seafront squares. But Brighton and Hove's 32 conservation areas reach much further into suburban streets than most homeowners assume. If your property falls inside one, a range of external works that would normally be permitted development — roof alterations, cladding changes, certain extensions — require a full planning application instead.
The catch? The boundary doesn't follow obvious logic. One side of a street can be inside a conservation area; the other side isn't. Most homeowners don't check until they've already committed to a project.
The South Downs boundary changes everything nearby
Properties in or near the South Downs National Park sit on what's called Article 1(5) land. That designation restricts permitted development rights in ways that go beyond standard conservation area rules. But "near" is doing a lot of work in that sentence — and it depends on your specific address, not just your general area of Brighton or Hove.
If your property is affected, projects that your neighbour three streets away could build without any permission at all might require a full application from you. It depends on your property, not your postcode.
Don't assume because it was approved nearby
Approval decisions in Brighton and Hove vary street by street. A project approved two doors down may have been decided under different constraints — or before an Article 4 direction was applied. Past approvals are not a reliable guide to your own chances.
Article 4 directions remove rights you didn't know you had
Beyond conservation areas, Brighton and Hove City Council has issued Article 4 directions across parts of the city. These are local decisions that remove specific permitted development rights — meaning works you'd otherwise be free to carry out without permission suddenly require a planning application.
Most homeowners don't realise an Article 4 direction applies to their street until they're already mid-project. There's no universal list that's easy to check, and the directions aren't always tied to conservation area status. Your property could be affected even if you're not in a heritage zone.
What this means for your project
The combination of conservation areas, South Downs proximity, listed building status, and Article 4 directions means the planning picture in Brighton and Hove is genuinely complicated — even for projects that seem straightforward. A loft conversion, a rear extension, new windows, a front garden dropped kerb: any of these can tip into requiring permission depending on factors specific to your address.
The best way to understand what applies to your property — including what similar projects nearby have been approved or refused, and why — is WhatCanIBuild. It goes beyond listing your constraints and shows you what those constraints actually mean for your specific project.
Enter your address and find out what you're actually working with before you commit to anything.
WhatCanIBuild shows you approval patterns for your project type in your area, so you're not guessing.
These rules vary by property
Conservation areas, Article 4 directions, and other constraints can change everything. Check what actually applies to your address.
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