This check is specific to England. An Article 4 direction removes one or more specified permitted development rights within a defined area. It does not itself prohibit the work: if a direction removes a right that would otherwise cover the proposal, the work may need a planning application. The local direction and the exact proposal determine what follows.
Use the national dataset as a locator
Search the Planning Data Article 4 direction-area dataset using the address or map, then confirm that the result is the correct parcel and direction. A mapped intersection is only a lead. The dataset publishes provider details and notes that some data were created by MHCLG. Planning Data says it is working to replace MHCLG-created data with records from authoritative sources. Check the current provider information and treat the dataset as a locator with mixed provenance; missing or uncertain geometry does not establish that no direction applies.
Open the linked direction and area records and inspect their documents. The data specification can include the direction reference, affected area geometry, the permitted development rights withdrawn, the direction’s dates, and links to supporting documents. Check the actual order or notice and any map or schedule it incorporates; do not infer the affected rights from the area outline alone.
Confirm the parcel, work, and current status
Ask the local planning authority to confirm in writing whether the parcel lies within the direction, whether it is in force for the relevant area and date, and whether the proposed building or alteration would otherwise rely on a right that the direction withdraws. Describe the work and its location clearly. A direction may affect some permitted development rights but not others, and the applicable rules depend on the work and property.
If an Article 4 direction removes the relevant right, a planning application may be required. That is a route to a decision; it is not a finding that an ADU is forbidden or that permission will be granted. Check separately for planning conditions attached to earlier permissions, other local plan or zoning rules, building regulations, and site or title constraints. Compare the direction with the official maps and underlying records and check heritage designations separately.
Keep the direction document, map, dates, authority response, and description of the proposed work together. If the national map, local map, and order disagree, ask the local planning authority which record controls before relying on a screening result. This guide does not determine the status of an unspecified property or state a general ADU permission rule for England or any other UK nation.