Applications, appeals, permitted development, enforcement and planning strategy across England
Planning explanations, updates and practical guidance in video form
GPDO Article 7A: review of the Order
Article 7A requires the Secretary of State to review the regulatory framework created by Articles 1 to 7ZA of the English GPDO and publish the conclusions.
Article 7A is a review duty rather than a permitted development right. It requires government to step back periodically and consider whether the framework created by the Articles is achieving its objectives and whether those objectives could be delivered with less regulation.
This is useful context for planning officers and practitioners because the GPDO is not intended to sit untouched indefinitely. The review duty sits alongside the much more frequent amendments made to individual Parts, Classes and Articles.
Need help with permitted development?
Permitted development can avoid a full planning application, but only if the right applies and every relevant limit and condition is met. Planning Geek can check the planning history, Article 4 directions and other restrictions, and help with a lawful development certificate or prior approval where needed.
What must the GPDO Article 7A review consider?
The report has to address three things in particular:
- the objectives intended to be achieved by the regulatory system created by Articles 1 to 7ZA
- the extent to which those objectives are being achieved
- whether the objectives remain appropriate and, if they do, whether they could be achieved through a system imposing less regulation
The Secretary of State must set out the conclusions in a report and publish it.
How often must the GPDO be reviewed?
The first report had to be published within five years beginning with 6th April 2016.
After that, reports must be published at intervals of no more than five years. This does not mean that every change to the GPDO waits for a five-year review. Amending Orders can, and regularly do, alter the GPDO between formal reviews.
A post-implementation review has been carried out under Article 7A. The official review report explains the objectives of the GPDO, records the subsequent amending Orders considered and concludes that the review requirements were satisfied.
The current wording is Articles 1 to 7ZA
Article 7A originally referred to Articles 1 to 7. When Article 7ZA was inserted in 2018, Article 7A was amended so that the review duty now covers Articles 1 to 7ZA.
The review provision is therefore wider than the original 2015 wording and now expressly includes the later prior approval call-in procedure.
Article 7A legislation
Review
7A.—(1) The Secretary of State must from time to time—
(a) carry out a review of articles 1 to 7ZA;
(b) set out the conclusions of the review in a report; and
(c) publish the report.
(2) The report must in particular—
(a) set out the objectives intended to be achieved by the regulatory system established by those articles;
(b) assess the extent to which those objectives are achieved; and
(c) assess whether those objectives remain appropriate and, if so, the extent to which they could be achieved with a system that imposes less regulation.
(3) The first report under this article must be published before the end of the period of five years beginning with 6th April 2016.
(4) Reports under this article are afterwards to be published at intervals not exceeding five years.
Other GPDO Articles
The Articles are the framework for the General Permitted Development Order in England. Use the links below to move between the Articles or return to the main permitted development section.
GPDO Article 7A updated: 24th September 2026