Yes, in most of Aylesford, but the old village by the river is a different matter. Fifty buildings are listed. The historic core is a conservation area. There's a scheduled monument too. The neighbours file planning applications at a steady pace, which tells you extensions do happen here, as long as you pick your street.
Historic England lists 50 buildings in the area: 2 at Grade I, 4 at Grade II* and 44 at Grade II. Listing covers the whole building, inside and out, so in a listed house changing a window, knocking through a wall or replacing a staircase needs listed building consent on top of any planning permission. Grade I and II* are the top tiers, and the six buildings in them get the closest scrutiny of all. Most of the 44 at Grade II are ordinary homes and outbuildings, not landmarks, which is exactly why buyers get caught out. Nobody remembers to ask about the cottage until the builder is already quoting.
There's 1 conservation area, covering Aylesford itself. Conservation-area status controls how the old village looks from the street, so work that would go ahead without an application elsewhere, such as some demolition or changes to the front of a house, can need permission here. The rules are set out in the council's guidance for the area, and it's worth reading before you fall for the house, not afterwards.
The area has 1 scheduled monument, the strictest level of heritage protection. It matters mainly if your land sits next to it or your plans involve digging.
The neighbours are applying all the same. The area logged 519 planning applications between April 2024 and June 2026, 221 of them in the most recent twelve months. That doesn't tell you how many were approved. It does tell you that plenty of people here are submitting plans for extensions, conversions and alterations, and that the council's planning inbox is kept busy.
Outside the conservation area, on the semis and newer estates that make up most of the housing, permitted development rights will usually cover a modest rear extension or loft conversion without a full application, subject to the national limits on size and height. Inside the conservation area, or in a listed building, assume you'll need consent and plan the time for it. Before exchanging contracts, check whether the house is listed, whether it's in the conservation area, and what the planning history shows next door.
Your freedom to extend in Aylesford is middling. The newer streets are easy, and the old village expects you to apply properly and wait for an answer.