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Development in conservation areas

The council must pay special regard to planning proposals in conservation areas to ensure that any change is compatible with its architectural and historic quality and it's setting.

It is advisable to check whether permission is required for any proposals beforehand. Pre-application advice is available, or you can check about common types of work on the Planning Portal website.

There are certain additional controls within conservation areas that are aimed at managing change in a way that ensures the special character is not harmed - unsympathetic additions or alterations could diminish the local character that warranted designation.

Planning permission is required, where it would not be required if the property was not located in a conservation area, for the following:

  • total or substantial demolition of a building over 115 cubic metres in volume
  • total demolition of a wall, gate, fence, or railing over one meter in height next to a highway (this can include a footpath) or two meters in height in any other location
  • cladding external walls of a house with stone, artificial stone, pebble dash, render, timber, plastics or tiles
  • roof additions or alterations (such as a dormer window), on any part of a house
  • house side extensions and rear extensions higher than one storey
  • works to trees (rather than planning permission, this is just a formal notification to the council which gives the authority time to raise an objection if appropriate, prior to the work being carried out)
  • installation of a flue, chimney, or soil and vent pipe on any elevation or roof slope of a house which faces a highway
  • installation of a microwave antenna (such as a satellite dish) on a chimney, wall, or roof slope of a house that faces onto, and is visible from a highway - there are more detailed requirements for number, type and location of antenna on the Planning Portal website
  • installation of a microwave antenna on any part of a house that exceeds 15 meters in height
  • installation of a solar panel on any wall of a house that faces a highway; new detached enclosures, containers, and pools to the side of a house

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