Do I need planning permission in Ealing?

Planning permission in Ealing feels straightforward until it isn't. With over 30 conservation areas, a high density of listed buildings, and Article 4 Directions that quietly remove rights most homeowners assume they have, the rules that apply to your neighbour's house may not apply to yours — and most people only find that out after they've started work.

Bedford Park changes everything — if you're in it

Bedford Park is England's first garden suburb and one of the most tightly controlled heritage areas in the country. Ealing Council's conservation enforcement team is consistently active here, and Article 4 Directions mean that works you could carry out without permission almost anywhere else in London — replacing windows, changing external materials, altering front elevations — require a full planning application in Bedford Park.

Most homeowners don't realise their permitted development rights have been removed until they apply retrospectively, or receive an enforcement notice. And Bedford Park isn't the only area with these restrictions. Ealing Common, Hanwell, Northfields, and Walpole are all conservation areas with their own character appraisals and expectations. Knowing you're in a conservation area is one thing — knowing what that actually means for your specific project is another entirely. The best way to understand your property's exact constraint picture is to find out what your combination of constraints means for your specific address — free, takes about a minute.

The permitted development trap

Outside of Article 4 areas, many common projects — loft conversions, rear extensions, outbuildings — fall under permitted development and don't need a planning application. But the conditions that determine whether your project qualifies are property-specific. The size of your plot, your property type, what's already been built, your proximity to a boundary — all of these interact in ways that aren't obvious from a general guide.

Ealing's housing stock is varied. Victorian terraces in W5 sit alongside Edwardian semis in W13 and postwar housing in UB1 and UB2. What sailed through on one street may be refused on the next. The approval and refusal history for projects like yours, on streets like yours, tells you far more than any rulebook — and it's the kind of detail most homeowners never think to look for.

What actually determines your chances

Ealing's planning committee considers design quality, heritage impact, and precedent. A project that looks straightforward can stall because of a detail that contradicts the character of the local conservation area — or sail through because similar schemes nearby have already set a precedent. Neither outcome is predictable from the rules alone.

The £548 householder application fee is non-refundable. The 8-week decision window means a refused application costs you months, not just money. Before you commit to either a full application or assuming you don't need one, the best way to know where you stand is to see what's been approved and refused for similar projects near your street.

Ealing is not a borough where guessing pays off. Your property's history, its constraints, and what's happened nearby all shape your odds — and most of that information is available if you know where to look. With WhatCanIBuild, you can get your property's approval odds based on real local decisions — no signup required, completely free.