Apply for planning permission in a conservation area

Being located within a conservation area can affect some of your permitted development rights, such as carrying out works to trees and installing satellite dishes on your property.

You'll also need to get planning permission to demolish some buildings in a conservation area.
 

Works that need permission

These controls are intended to manage development and ensure that the special characteristics of the conservation area are preserved.

Permitted development

Your permitted development rights rights are slightly different in conservation areas compared to other areas. This means that you need to make a planning application for some forms of development which would not need such applications outside conservation areas. For example: 

• small extensions
• roof extensions including dormer windows
• cladding or rendering
• some satellite dishes and radio masts
• some chimneys, flues, soil and vent pipes
• some solar panels

New development

Any new development that needs planning permission in or on the outskirts of conservation areas, needs to be of a particularly high standard.  We would usually require any such development to incorporate traditional materials and building forms that are in scale and harmony with nearby properties.

There is further information on the council's policies in the Local Plan 2005.

Demolition

You'll need to get planning permission to demolish some buildings in a conservation area. The exceptions to this are:         

• buildings with a volume not exceeding 115 cubic metres
• gates, walls and fences less than 1 metre high fronting a highway or open space
• gates, walls and fences less than 2 metres high elsewhere
• agricultural buildings constructed since 1 January 1914

If the building is listed you will also need to get listed building consent.
 

Pre-application heritage advice

If you need help, you can use our planning pre-application advice service to get advice before you apply for planning permission for works or development in a conservation area. There is a charge for this service.

If you're not sure whether you need planning permission you can find guidance on the Planning Portal.

We've also published some planning application FAQs.
 

Apply

You can either apply for planning permission online via the Planning Portal or by downloading our PDF forms.

Online

Apply for planning permission using the Planning Portal.

Using our forms

You can also apply by completing and returning a PDF application form to us. You can refer to the guidance note to each form for help filling in the application.

Use our planning application forms and checklists to apply for planning permission.

Please be aware that your application will be available to the public via our Public Access planning system.

After you've applied

We'll let you know if planning permission has been given within 8 weeks or 13 weeks for a major development (for example 10 or more dwellings or a building of more than 1,000 square metres).

There is more information about getting a decision on a planning application on the Planning Portal.

If planning permission is granted

You'll need to carry out all the work as specified in the decision and on the approved plans.

If planning permission is refused

If permission is refused, you can appeal within 6 months of either:

•  the date on the decision notice issued by us
• when the decision was due, if you did not get one within 8 weeks (13 weeks for a major development)

Find out more about how to appeal a planning decision.

Additional information

► There is information about getting planning permission in a conservation area on the Planning Portal