Which Article 4 geography is described?
The national Planning Data API lists Article 4 Direction: Houses in Multiple Occupation as mapped area 7010010057, with local reference A4Da4-9. Its representative point is at approximately 53.79409°N, 2.27854°W (WGS84). This point is a navigation aid, not the mapped boundary or a particular building.
Source notes: The Direction relates to development comprising the change of use of a building from a use falling within Class C3 (dwellinghouses) of the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 (as amended) to a use falling within Class C4 (houses in multiple occupation) of that Order and removes permitted development rights for this type of development from the date when the Direction comes into force.
| Area entity | 7010010057 |
|---|---|
| Area reference | A4Da4-9 |
| Originating organisation identifier | 68 |
| Representative longitude / latitude | -2.278543 / 53.794089 |
| Area start-date field | 2024-10-14 |
| Area end-date field | Not provided; this does not establish current operation |
| Last government record entry | 2024-10-14 |
| Linked HMO-related direction | #6103181 — A4D4 |
Check the location and actual boundary
Explore the representative point on OpenStreetMap ↗. This is intentionally not a building-level boundary check. Open the government record below to inspect the underlying polygon geometry; planning officers should confirm the authoritative mapped area and any amendments before investment or conversion decisions.
- Inspect the exact government's polygon and source fields ↗
- Examine associated direction A4D4 and published dates →
- Read the direction document linked by the local authority ↗
- Read supporting council documentation ↗
Its related planning instrument
The same source organisation's direction Article 4 Direction: Houses in Multiple Occupation (#6103181) carries local reference A4D4. The instrument dataset supplies a start date of 2024-10-14. This link does not establish that the direction currently applies to a specific property.
Other mapped areas under the same direction
8 other geographic records share this source direction identifier and publisher. Compare the separate area IDs rather than treating one centre point as the entire direction:
- Article 4 Direction: Houses in Multiple Occupation — reference A4Da4-1 · area #7010010049 →
- Article 4 Direction: Houses in Multiple Occupation — reference A4Da4-2 · area #7010010050 →
- Article 4 Direction: Houses in Multiple Occupation — reference A4Da4-3 · area #7010010051 →
- Article 4 Direction: Houses in Multiple Occupation — reference A4Da4-4 · area #7010010052 →
- Article 4 Direction: Houses in Multiple Occupation — reference A4Da4-5 · area #7010010053 →
- Article 4 Direction: Houses in Multiple Occupation — reference A4Da4-6 · area #7010010054 →
- Article 4 Direction: Houses in Multiple Occupation — reference A4Da4-7 · area #7010010055 →
- Article 4 Direction: Houses in Multiple Occupation — reference A4Da4-8 · area #7010010056 →
Practical next checks for a prospective HMO
- Determine the property's complete address, building footprint and current lawful use; never substitute this area centroid for the property's coordinates.
- Read the government's full polygon and the signed local direction, including permitted-development rights withdrawn, commencement, modification, exceptions and any expiry.
- Compare the local authority document linked above against the property site plan.
- Check HMO licensing independently. A planning Article 4 direction neither grants nor replaces an HMO licence, and a licence cannot establish planning permission.
HMO Article 4 explained → · Indicative property checker → · All API evidence pages →
Source: Planning Data Article 4 direction-area dataset, Open Government Licence v3.0, © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Source collection: 2026-10-16.