Conservation areas are defined in the Civic Amenities Act 1967 as “areas of special architectural or historic interest the character and appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance”. Designed to give local authorities more control over the development of certain areas – conservation area consent needs to be obtained for work done in that area – and the council will take into account the potential impact of any work that you do on the conservation area – doesn’t automatically mean that permission will be refused – can also have an impact on development of surrounding areas as well – councils are not required to keep a statutory list but will be able to advise whether an area is covered – should also be revealed on your Local Search. Conservation Area consent dealt with through normal planning processes – Important to remember that all trees in a Conservation Area are usually protected as if they were the subject of a tree preservation order.
