Environment
07 September 2008


Conservation Areas

South Bucks has seventeen Conservation Areas:

Conservation Area/ Map Date of Designation/Re-Designation Appraisal
Beaconsfield 2006 (Re-designation including boundary changes. Originally designated 1969) April 2008
Boveney 1996
Burnham 2002 (Re-designation including boundary changes. Originally designated 1977 with Huntercombe)

Denham

 2006 (Re-designation Including boundary charges. Originally designated 1971)
Dorney 1996
Fulmer 1979
Gerrards Cross Common  1987 (currently being reviewed)
Hampden Hill 2005 October 2007
Hedgerley Village 1981
Hedgerley Green 1987
Huntercombe 1977
Iver 1982
Stoke Green 1987
Stoke Park 1987
Taplow 2006 (Re-designation including boundary changes. Originally designated 1975) July 2007
Taplow Riverside 2006 (Re-designation including boundary changes. Originally designated 1975) October 2007
Uxbridge Lock 2006
 January 2008

The Council is carrying out a review of Conservation Areas, with consideration being given to whether any changes are needed to existing Conservation Areas, and whether any new areas should be designated as Conservation Areas. Consultation will take place with the local community when an area is being considered for designation/re-designation. Where areas are re-designated, or where additional areas are designated, the Council will prepare a Character Appraisal which outlines the special interest that has contributed to its designation as a Conservation Area.

For more information, the Conservation & Design Officers can be contacted via the switchboard 01895 837 200 or via email: conservation@southbucks.gov.uk

What is a conservation area?
A conservation area is a place of special architectural or historic interest, worthy of protection.  The designation is normally made by a local authority.
The local authority provides advice and consultation to local residents who are considering carrying out any works on property within a conservation area. The authority can advise on the need for permission, their procedures, what should be submitted with an application and the matters that will be taken into account in deciding an application.


Conservation Area Consent and Planning Permission in Conservation Areas
No work is automatically ruled out by Conservation Area designation.  However it does impose an additional requirement on residents to apply to the Council for consent and permission for certain works, and in some cases a specific Conservation Area Consent is needed.Some permitted development rights are withdrawn, so that planning permission is needed for specific minor works which do not require planning permission elsewhere.  These include extensions over 50 cubic metres, outbuildings over 10 cubic metres, cladding, roof enlargement and dormer windows, and satellite antennae in certain positions.  Designation also means that a building above a certain size in a conservation area may be demolished only with Conservation Area Consent from the Council, and that notice of certain work to trees must be given to the Council.

All applications for planning permission are considered from the conservation point of view and can be refused on conservation grounds alone.  This applies to planning applications not only in the conservation area itself but also in the vicinity.  Permission or consent should be granted only if a proposal enhances or preserves the character or appearance of the Conservation Area.
An applicant has a right to appeal against a refusal, or against any conditions attached to a permission or consent.

Listed building and conservation area legislation
Listed building and conservation area controls are provided under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990.  Government guidance to this legislation is provided by Planning Policy Guidance Note 15, Planning and the Historic Environment (known as PPG15), and circular advice, which can be found on the web site of the  Department for Communities and Local Government . (Opens new window)

Section 69 of the Civic Amenities Act 1969 gives local Councils the power to designate as Conservation Areas, "areas of special architectural or historic interest, the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance". It is the responsibility of the council to ensure that any new development should be sympathetic to the special architectural and aesthetic qualities of the area, particularly in terms of scale, design, materials and space between buildings.

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