Do I need planning permission in Ealing?

Planning permission in Ealing isn't a simple yes or no — and most homeowners only discover that after they've already started planning. The rules that apply to your neighbour's extension might not apply to yours, even if you're on the same street. WhatCanIBuild exists precisely because that complexity is almost impossible to untangle without looking at your specific property.

It's not just about what you're building

Most people assume planning permission is project-led — build something big enough and you'll need it, keep it small and you won't. That's not how it works. The same loft conversion can be permitted development on one road in W5 and require full planning permission three streets away. Conservation area status, listed building designation, Article 4 directions, flood zone classifications — these all layer on top of each other, and any one of them can change what you're allowed to do without asking.

Ealing has a significant number of conservation areas spread across the borough, from Acton to Northfields. If your property falls within one — or even close to one — the permitted development rights you might be counting on could be restricted in ways that aren't obvious from a quick search.

Article 4 directions: the thing most people haven't heard of

Here's where it gets particularly complicated. Ealing has Article 4 directions in several areas, which can remove your automatic right to make changes that would normally be allowed without permission. These directions often target front elevations and boundaries — the kinds of changes homeowners assume are too minor to need permission.

Most people have never heard of Article 4 directions. That's the problem. You won't know one applies to your street unless you specifically check — and knowing one applies is only the beginning. The real question is what it means for your particular project, on your particular property, given everything else that might also apply.

WhatCanIBuild is the best way to see not just whether constraints apply to your address, but what they've actually meant for similar projects nearby — what's been approved, what's been refused, and why.

What's been approved on your street tells you more than the rules do

The rulebook is one thing. What actually happens in practice is another. Two properties with identical constraints can have very different outcomes depending on the specifics of the project and how it sits within that property's planning history. Most homeowners don't realise that prior applications — on their own property or nearby — can influence how a new application is assessed.

That's the layer of context that's almost impossible to access without digging through application records, cross-referencing refusal reasons, and understanding what patterns look like in your specific corner of Ealing.

WhatCanIBuild pulls together your property's constraints, nearby application outcomes, and approval patterns to show you what your project is actually likely to face — not just the rules in the abstract, but what they've meant for properties like yours.