For architects

Conservation area, Article 4, listed, flood: know before you quote

A householder enquiry usually arrives with a postcode and a question about what is allowed. Check the constraints on the property first, then decide what to price and what to ask the council.

Check a site freeSee a sample report

What changes the advice you give

  • Conservation area. Permitted development is restricted for some work, and design and materials get closer scrutiny.
  • Article 4 direction. The council has removed specific permitted development rights, so work that normally needs no application may need one.
  • Listed buildings. A listed property needs listed building consent for most alterations. A listed neighbour can affect the setting.
  • Tree preservation orders. Consent is needed to prune or fell protected trees, which can shape where an extension goes.
  • Flood. Flood zone or flood likelihood can change what the council asks you to submit.

Each line shows the source, so you can open the council’s own record before relying on it.

How it fits your enquiry process

  1. Enter the client’s postcode or address. The free check shows whether the property is in a conservation area, which council it falls under, and basic flood risk.
  2. For the full picture, get the site report for £9.99, one-off. It covers everything we can check within 500 m of the pin, for 30 days.
  3. Send the client the PDF or the hosted link, or use it to decide what to ask at pre-application stage.

A check does not replace pre-application advice, a lawful development certificate or listed building consent. Those come from the council.

What it will not do

Planning Constraints does not predict whether an application will succeed, and it is not an official search, a CON29 or an LLC1. Some councils do not publish every dataset, and the report says when a source could not be checked instead of showing it as clear. Where it matters, ask the council.

It covers England, Wales and Scotland. Wales has no green belt and uses Planning Policy Wales and TAN15 for flood. Scotland uses NPF4 and SEPA flood likelihood. Northern Ireland is not covered.

For a practice that checks every week

Pro is £19 a month for one person: unlimited sites, saved work, monitoring and exports. Team is £49 a month for five, month to month, with a VAT invoice. All prices include VAT.

See plans for practicesPricing

Questions first? Talk to us.