Conservation Area Advice

Advice on works within a conservation area, and the written assessment an application will need.

Works to buildings within a conservation area, including extensions, dormer windows, changes to boundary treatments and the demolition of unlisted buildings, will often require planning permission supported by a written assessment of how the proposals affect the character and appearance of the area. Advice at the design stage usually saves both cost and time.

Conservation area designation protects the character and appearance of an area as a whole, rather than any single building within it. That makes the test a different one from listed building consent: the question is not only what happens to your property, but what the change contributes to the wider street scene.

The practical consequence for owners is that permitted development rights are frequently narrower than expected, and an Article 4 direction can remove them altogether for things as ordinary as replacement windows, painting a front elevation, or taking down a front boundary wall. Checking this before work begins is considerably cheaper than dealing with an enforcement notice afterwards.

Charlotte has authored Conservation Area Appraisals from within local authority conservation teams, which is the document type these assessments are ultimately judged against.

You are likely to need this if

Your property sits within a designated conservation area and you are planning alterations.
You need to understand how an Article 4 direction restricts what you can do without permission.
You are proposing to demolish an unlisted building within a conservation area.
An officer has asked how your proposals affect the character and appearance of the area.

What you receive

Identification of the conservation area and the relevant appraisal and management plan.
An assessment of the character and appearance of the area, and of your property's contribution to it.
A review of any Article 4 direction and what it removes from permitted development.
An assessment of the effect of the proposals, prepared to accompany an application.

Other services

Not sure which of these you need? Describe the building and the works you have in mind and I will tell you — or read the common questions about listed buildings and conservation areas.

Start an enquiry All services