Chorley Council

Chorley Council resolved on 23rd September 2025 to introduce an immediate Article 4 direction to remove the permitted
development rights to materially change the use of a building and any land within its curtilage from a use falling within
Class C3 (dwellinghouse) to a use falling within Class C4 (Houses in Multiple Occupation) across the borough of Chorley.
Further information can be found here: Chorley Council approved the making of an immediate Article 4 Direction
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A public consultation on the immediate Article 4 direction followed this resolution from 24th
September 2025 to 16th October

The representations to this public consultation were assessed and addressed by the Council, and it was therefore
deemed appropriate for the Council to progress with the confirmation process.
The immediate Article 4 Direction was confirmed by an Executive Member’s decision on 24th February 2026, following a
recommendation from Council on 27th January 2026.
The confirmation of this Article 4 direction will allow better regulation and monitoring of HMOs, as HMOs will be identified
for mandatory licensing and routine monitoring, and conditions can be attached to planning permissions. It will improve the
Council’s ability to ensure the management standards of HMOs are maintained.
An Article 4 direction is not an automatic ban on new HMOs. The Article 4 direction does not prevent the conversion of
dwellings to HMOs, as planning permission may still be granted for such conversions, where they are appropriate, and can
still provide a valuable role in meeting housing needs.
Without an Article 4 direction, any future policy in the Central Lancashire Local Plan or a future Supplementary Planning
Document or equivalent, which has a policy on conversion of dwelling houses to HMOs would not apply to conversions for
six or fewer residents as these would have permitted development rights.
The direction applies to the administrative area of Chorley Council. A copy of the direction including the map defining the
area, and other related documents can be viewed online at Planning policy consultations and news | Chorley or at Chorley
Town Hall or the Council offices at the Civic Offices, Union Street, Chorley, Lancashire, PR7 1AL during normal opening
hours