What planning rules in Medway catch homeowners out?

Planning permission in Medway seems straightforward — until it isn't. Most homeowners assume they know whether their project needs permission, but Medway's patchwork of designations, directions, and local conditions means the rules can shift dramatically from one street to the next. Tools like WhatCanIBuild exist precisely because the answer is almost never as simple as it looks.

The permitted development trap

Permitted development rights are the reason most homeowners think they don't need planning permission. And sometimes they're right. But what most people don't realise is that those rights can be quietly removed or restricted depending on where your property sits — and you won't necessarily know unless you check.

Medway has 47 Article 4 directions affecting specific streets. These directions remove permitted development rights that would otherwise apply. That means something your neighbour did without any permission might require a full application from you — because your street is affected and theirs isn't. It's one of the most common ways Medway homeowners get caught out.

Conservation areas and what they actually mean for your project

Knowing you're in a conservation area is one thing. Understanding what it means for your specific project is another. Medway has 24 conservation areas, and they don't all work the same way. The type of work, the materials involved, the visibility from the street — all of it can affect whether permitted development applies or whether you need permission.

Most homeowners in conservation areas assume the rules are stricter but manageable. What they don't account for is how their property's specific combination of factors — age, position, previous alterations — interacts with those rules. That's the bit that surprises people.

The AONB boundary problem

Medway includes and borders the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Properties on or near that boundary sit on what's called Article 1(5) land, where permitted development rights are already more restricted than elsewhere — before any Article 4 directions or conservation area rules even come into play.

The problem is that the boundary isn't always obvious. You might be outside the AONB proper but still subject to its restrictions. You might assume your property is unaffected and start work, only to find out otherwise. It depends on your property's exact location — not your general area, your specific address.

What's actually been approved nearby

Here's what most homeowners skip: even if the rules technically allow your project, the pattern of decisions in your area matters. What's been approved and refused on your street — and why — tells you something the rulebook doesn't. WhatCanIBuild surfaces that local decision history so you're not going in blind.

Knowing you're in a conservation area doesn't tell you whether a two-storey rear extension on your specific plot has a realistic chance of approval. Knowing you have an Article 4 direction doesn't tell you how strictly it's been enforced nearby. Those are the questions that matter when you're weighing up whether to spend £548 on an application.

The best way to know what actually applies to your property — and what's likely to happen if you apply — is to check your specific address before you commit to anything. WhatCanIBuild combines your property's constraints with local approval data to give you a picture that no general guide can.