Proposed Article 4 Directions

Changes of use from commercial, business and service uses to dwellinghouses 

The council is consulting on a non-immediate Article 4 Direction to remove permitted development rights to change from commercial, business and service uses to dwellinghouses. This is the permitted development right covered by Class MA of Part 3 of Schedule 2 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order. 

The Article 4 Direction in relation to Class MA will apply in the following areas of the borough:  

• office and hotel growth location 
• locally significant employment locations  
• Hayes opportunity area  
• strategic industrial locations  
• locally significant industrial sites  
• primary and secondary shopping areas in metropolitan town centres 
• primary and secondary shopping areas in district town centres 
• primary and secondary shopping areas in minor town centres 
• local centres 
• local parades 

Once confirmed, this type of development in these areas will require full planning permission. This is to ensure we can control and protect important areas of economic activity within the borough, including industrial areas and high streets. Where new residential development is proposed, it will continue to be subject to consideration against the policies in the Local Plan. 

Consultation  

The council consulting on these proposed Article 4 Directions from Thursday 23 September to Thursday 21 October. Please see the Article 4 Direction Notices below for further details, including maps of the areas affected: 

• Full Council Decision
• Article 4 Direction Notice (Class MA) [265KB]
• Proposed Article 4 Direction and Plan (Class MA) [20MB]
• Appendix 1 - Whole Borough Map of Areas to be Covered by Class MA Article 4 Direction [19MB]
• Appendix 2 – (Local Parade Maps Only) Class MA Article 4 Direction [40MB]
• Appendix 3 - (Local Centre Maps Only) Class MA Article 4 Direction [4MB]
• Appendix 4 - (Primary and Secondary Shopping Areas in Minor Town Centres Only) Class MA Article 4 Direction [2MB]
• Appendix 5 - (Primary and Secondary Shopping Areas in District Town Centres Only) Class MA Article 4 Direction [4MB]
• Appendix 6 - (Primary and Secondary Shopping Areas in Metropolitan Town Centres Only) Class MA Article 4 Direction [966KB]
• Appendix 7 - (Locally Significant Industrial Sites Only) Class MA Article 4 Direction [2MB]
• Appendix 8 - (Strategic Industrial Locations Only) Class MA Article 4 Direction [7MB]
• Appendix 9 - (Hayes Opportunity Area Only) Class MA Article 4 Direction [2MB]
• Appendix 10 - (Locally Significant Employment Locations Only) Class MA Article 4 Direction [2MB]
• Appendix 11 - (Office & Hotel Growth Location Only) Class MA Article 4 Direction [1MB]

The Notices, Directions and accompanying plans are also available to view below or by appointment only at the Civic Centre, High Street, Uxbridge, UB8 1UW. 

How to comment 

If you wish to make a representation, you may do by emailing localplan@hillingdon.gov.uk or via post to: 

Planning Policy Team 
Hillingdon Council
Civic Centre 
Uxbridge 
UB8 1UW 

Any representations must include your full name, email and postal address and be received by 5pm on Thursday 21 October.

Next steps 

Subject to confirmation by the council, the non-immediate Article 4 Direction would come into force on Saturday 24 September 2022. 

Construction of new dwellinghouses in employment areas 

The council reconsulted on a non-immediate Article 4 Direction to remove permitted development rights to demolish vacant commercial buildings and construct new residential buildings in their place, together with the right to build new dwelling houses on detached or terraced buildings in commercial or mixed use. These are the permitted development rights covered by Classes ZA, AA and AB of Part 20 of Schedule 2 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order. The need for reconsultation has arisen following amendments to the Article 4 Directions to ensure that they follow the procedure outlined within Schedule 3 of the Order.

The Article 4 Direction in relation to Class ZA will apply in the following areas of the borough:

Strategic Industrial Locations

• Uxbridge Industrial Area
• Hayes Industrial Area
• Stonefield Way, South Ruislip
• North Uxbridge Industrial Estates

Locally Significant Employment Locations

• Summerhouse Lane / Salamander Quay, Harefield
• Stockley Park
• Odyssey Business Park, Ruislip

Locally Significant Industrial Sites

• Packet Boat Lane, Cowley
• Braintree Road Industrial Area, South Ruislip
• Covert Farm, Heathrow

Hotel and Office Growth Locations

• Uxbridge Town Centre

Office Growth Locations

• Stockley Park (Also Locally Significant Employment Location)

Hayes Opportunity Area

The Article 4 Direction in relation to Classes AA and AB will apply in the following areas of the borough:

Strategic Industrial Locations

• Uxbridge Industrial Area
• Hayes Industrial Area
• Stonefield Way, South Ruislip
• North Uxbridge Industrial Estates

Locally Significant Employment Locations

• Summerhouse Lane / Salamander Quay, Harefield
• Stockley Park
• Odyssey Business Park, Ruislip

Locally Significant Industrial Sites

• Packet Boat Lane, Cowley
• Braintree Road Industrial Area, South Ruislip
• Covert Farm, Heathrow

Once confirmed, these types of development in these areas will require full planning permission. This is to ensure the council can control and protect important areas of economic activity within the borough, and ensure that where new residential development is proposed it is subject to consideration against the policies in the Local Plan.

Consultation 

The council reconsulted on these proposed Article 4 Directions from 29 July to 26 August 2021. Please see the Article 4 Direction Notices below for further details, including maps of the areas affected: 

• Full Council decision
• Article 4 Direction Notice (Class ZA) [288KB]
• Proposed Article 4 Direction and Plan (Class ZA) [6MB]
• Article 4 Direction Notice (Classes AA and AB) [288KB]
• Proposed Article 4 Direction and Plan (Classes AA and AB) [9MB]

The Notices, Directions and accompanying plans remain available to view below or by appointment only at the Civic Centre, London Borough of Hillingdon, High Street, Uxbridge, UB8 1UW.

Next steps

Subject to confirmation by the council, the non-immediate Article 4 Directions would come into force on 30 July 2022.

Conversion of offices and light industrial buildings to residential

The council also consulted on modifying two existing non-immediate Article 4 Directions previously confirmed, which removed permitted development rights to: 

• convert B1(a) offices to C3 dwellinghouses
• convert B1(c) light industrial to C3 dwellinghouses. 

However, due to recent changes published by the Government regarding the new Class MA permitted development right, the two modifications to the existing Article 4 Directions are no longer pertinent and cannot be taken forward. The existing Article 4 Directions will remain in place as they are at present. 

For further details, please email localplan@hillingdon.gov.uk