Conservation areas

A conservation area is a place of special architectural or historic interest which needs to be preserved or enhanced.

Find out if you live in a conservation area

Conservation areas map

There are currently 85 conservation areas in the Borough. Each area has a conservation area statement, which explains why and when it was designated, plus a short history and a map showing the boundary. In addition, the Council has prepared detailed conservation studies and appraisals for a number of our conservation areas.

You can view all conservation areas across the borough using our online mapping system or download the conservation area map(pdf, 3,592KB).

See our conservation area guidance(pdf, 683KB) and supplementary planning documents and guidance for further information.

Living in a conservation area

If you live in a conservation area or have an Article 4 Direction placed on your property you may need planning permission before you can extend or alter your home in a way that would normally be allowed under permitted development.

If your permitted development rights have been removed under an Article 4 Direction you will need to apply for planning permission.

Demolition within a conservation area

You no longer need to obtain conservation area consent for the demolition of an unlisted building in a conservation area. Instead, you need planning permission for ‘relevant demolition’, that is demolition of a building that is situated within a conservation area.

Relevant demolition is not:

• A listed building, buildings subject to the ecclesiastical exemption, or scheduled monument
• A building with a total cubic content less than 115 cubic metres (as ascertained by external measurement) or any part of such a building, other than a pre-1925 tombstone
• A gate, wall, fence or means of enclosure which is less than one metre high where abutting on a highway (including a public footpath or bridleway), waterway or open space, or less than two metres high in any other case
• A building erected since 1 January 1914 and in use, or last used, for the purposes of agriculture or forestry

It is an offence to carry out ‘relevant demolition’ without planning permission or compliance with relevant conditions of a planning consent, of which you can be prosecuted.

You should contact us before you carry out any work on a building within a conservation area.