Planning Permission in Conservation Areas

Conservation Areas are designated by the District Council as places with a special character and/or heritage. This designation comes with a character appraisal and additional protections.

Development in a conservation area can be more difficult to achieve due the increased planning restrictions to protect the heritage of an area, and requires a more sensitive design approach. This doesn't mean the design needs to be an exact replica of the local historic architectural style - a good design can be sensitive to the existing context and have a contemporary aesthetic. Often this approach is actually preferred by planners as it distinguishes the new development from the surroundings, as long as the design isn’t causing harm to the area or insensitively placed.

Permitted development rights do still exist for houses in a conservation area - however in a reduced form. Often what is allowed by these is insufficient and planning permission is required. There are also additional scrutinies in conservation areas on: trees, views, appearance, form and placement. A Heritage Statement needs to be submitted for any application in a conservation area. If the house is also listed an application for listed building consent would also have to be made.

The council can additionally impose restrictions on an area removing permitted development rights or restricting other kinds of development (known as an Article 4 Directions). We always check these restrictions at the feasibility stage so as not to waste time on a design which would not be achievable.

Achieving planning permission in a conservation area often requires sensitive design that respects the existing house. For example this extension (below) to a locally listed building in a conservation area was achieved by respecting the existing hierarchy of the building, careful selection of materials (matching stone and red standing seam zinc), and considered junctions (parapet detail to reflect existing part of building).

Once planning permission is approved, the council might also require certain conditions to be met that wouldn’t normally be considered for development outside of a conservation area. For example, for this 2-storey extension (below) we had to submit 1:5 details of the windows and building junctions in order to ensure quality of construction.

One of our projects (below) currently having planning permission determined in a conservation area is a deep retrofit and extension that completely changes the external appearance of the building. Taking cues from the surrounding buildings and materials it is both contemporary and respectful of the surrounding character area.

Many older buildings in conservation areas need updating to adapt to modern 21st century living. We’ve worked on, and achieved planning permission for, a lot of such houses to create unique spaces with a contemporary aesthetic, co-designed to meet client requirements, whilst enhancing the existing house and immediate surroundings.