Local planning authorities are obliged to designate as conservation areas any parts of their own area that are of special architectural or historic interest, the character and appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance.
Local planning authorities also have a duty to review past designations from time to time to determine if any further parts of their area should be conservation areas.
Conservation area designation introduces a general control over the demolition of unlisted buildings and provides a basis for planning policies whose objective is to conserve all aspects of character or appearance, including landscape and public spaces, that define an area’s special interest.
The special character of conservation areas does not come only from the quality of their buildings. Elements such as the historic layout of roads, paths and boundaries and characteristic building and paving materials all contribute to the familiar and cherished local scene.
Designation of a conservation area gives broader protection than the listing of individual buildings. All the features, listed or otherwise, within the area, are recognised as part of its character. Conservation area designation is the means of recognising the importance of all these factors and of ensuring that planning decisions address the quality of the landscape in its broadest sense.
Local planning authorities are under a positive legal duty to assess their area and review it from time to time to consider whether areas are suitable for designation, or to remain designated.
The more clearly the special architectural or historical interest that prompted designation is defined and recorded, the better local plan policies and development control decisions will be in achieving the objective of sustaining and enhancing the area’s character.
Changes to the external appearance of a building in a conservation area may require planning permission from the local planning authority that is not required elsewhere as some permitted development rights are curtailed.
Demolition or substantial demolition of a building within a conservation area will require planning permission(opens in a new window) from the local planning authority.
Any work planned to a tree in a conservation area must be notified to the local planning authority six weeks in advance so that the local planning authority may determine whether or how the work to the tree should take place.
Under the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) conservation areas are designated heritage assets and their conservation is to be given great weight in planning permission decisions.
