Protecting conservation areas

Preserving the character of an area

Within conservation areas the council has to pay special attention to the desirability of preserving or enhancing the character or appearance of the area.

This means that:

• New development must fit in with the area's special identity and visual style
• There is a high standard of design for new development or extensions to existing buildings, particularly in relation to scale, proportions, materials and colour
• Special care is taken to ensure that important views into and out of the conservation area are protected

Controlling change

The following special controls apply in conservation areas:

• The demolition of buildings and structures
• Extensions and alterations to both residential and commercial properties
• Advertisement displays
• Works to trees

The emphasis is on preserving those buildings, features, details and spaces which give each conservation area its special character.

Planning applications

Problems often arise in planning applications over a lack of detail.

Applications need to set out details of the proposed work such as joinery details, type of mortar or render, materials, colour etc. as the combined effect of poor details can often be harmful.

Typical problems include loss of enclosure and too many new openings. Applications also need to show the context, including boundary details, planting, etc.