Conservation areas

About conservation areas

Conservation areas were first introduced by the Civic Amenities Act 1967, which gives local councils the power to designate areas which people generally feel have a special character worth protecting or enhancing. They depend on much more than the quality of individual buildings, and take into account features such as building layout, open spaces, boundaries, thoroughfares, the mix of uses, use of materials and street furniture. It is also common for a conservation area to include a number of listed buildings.

The designation of a conservation area by the council introduces additional planning procedures that are intended to make sure that any alterations do not detract from an area's character and appearance. The designation of a conservation area aims to guide not prevent change.

In order to provide a clear and sound understanding of a conservation area's special interest and how best to manage potential change, the council is preparing detailed appraisals and management plans.

What is a conservation area?
A conservation area is an 'area of special architectural or historic interest, the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance'.

There are 11 conservation areas in South Tyneside. They are:

  • Cleadon conservation area
  • Cleadon Hills conservation area
  • East Boldon conservation area
  • Hebburn Hall conservation area
  • Mariners' Cottages conservation area
  • Mill Dam conservation area
  • Monkton conservation area
  • St Paul's conservation area
  • West Boldon conservation area
  • Westoe conservation area
  • Whitburn conservation area

Conservation areas are very much part the familiar and cherished local scene and can vary considerably in terms of their special qualities, character and appearance. Conservation areas are predominantly of local value although in some instances they are of regional and national significance. It is the whole area rather than individual buildings that is of special interest.

South Tyneside Council has a statutory duty to designate conservation areas under the 1990 Planning (listed buildings and conservation areas) Act. Conservation area designation is a means of recognising the importance of the quality and interest of the area as a whole.

While buildings, both listed and unlisted, make a large contribution to an area's distinctive character or appearance and usually form the basis of a conservation area, designation recognises that buildings do not exist in isolation but are part of a wider environment.

The historic layout of roads and paths, characteristic building and paving materials, public and private spaces, greens and trees, and the different uses of the buildings all contribute to the quality and appearance of a historic area.

South Tyneside Council designates conservation areas to preserve and enhance their character and appearance, and to manage change within those areas to ensure that what is special to the area is not lost.

Living in a conservation area
The effects of designation:
Conservation areas are not about preserving areas exactly as they are and preventing any further development from taking place. They are concerned with how change should happen and where, ensuring that through the management of change, the special qualities of the conservation area are protected and enhanced.

Conservation areas enjoy special protection under law. The key elements are:

  1. You will need conservation area consent to demolish a building in a conservation area.
  2. You must give 6 weeks notice, in writing, before carrying out any works to a tree within a conservation area.
  3. The council is required by law to consider the impact of any proposed development on the character and appearance of the conservation area and to pay special attention to the desirability of preserving and or enhancing the character and or appearance of the area.

For further information about the implications of owning a property in a conservation area, please refer to the document Error whilst rendering inline with type ID 3 (Document Link Inline): Exception: 'System.ArgumentException', message '[Error: The media could not be found]'

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Do I need additional permissions?

It is always advisable to contact the Area Planning Group if you are contemplating work on a property within a Conservation Area to ensure you know which permissions you will need.
Please note that the following information is provided as guidance only. For further information, please see Planning Permission and Applications

Pre-application enquiries
Please consult us before lodging applications or making any changes. You may contact us via

Planning Permissions & Conservation Area consent

Article 4 directions
A number of Article 4 directions removing certain permitted development rights are in force within our conservation areas. Please see our page on Article 4 Directions.

What is an Article 4 direction?
An Article 4 direction can remove all or part of the permitted development rights set out in the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995 (as amended). This requires the owner/occupier to obtain planning permission before undertaking certain works to their property, from which the permitted development rights have been removed.

The council issues Article 4 directions in circumstances where specific control over development is required, primarily where the character of a building or an area of acknowledged importance would be threatened.

Conservation Area consent
Conservation Area Consent may well be required, especially for certain types of demolition. For more information, please see our page on Conservation Area consent.

Listed Buildings
Any works to a listed building will normally require Listed Building Consent

What we encourage
Whether or not development within a historic area or to a historic building requires formal Listed Building or Conservation Area Consent we positively encourage owners and occupiers to:

  • Ensure changes are sympathetic to the character of the conservation area.
  • Retain original character.
  • Use like for like materials.

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What is an urgent works notice?

An Article 4 direction can remove all or part of the permitted development rights set out in the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995 (as amended). This requires the owner/occupier to obtain planning permission before undertaking certain works to their property, from which the permitted development rights have been removed. The Council issues Article 4 directions in circumstances where specific control over development is required, primarily where the character of a building or an area of acknowledged importance would be threatened.

For further information, please visit our page on Article 4 directions.

Is your property covered by an article 4 direction?
If you would like to know if your property is covered by an Article 4 direction please contact the Area Planning Office on:

Area Planning Group
Neighbourhood Services
South Tyneside Council
Town Hall
Westoe Road
South Shields
NE33 2RL
Tel: (0191) 424 7421
Fax: (0191) 427 7171
Email:

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Character appraisals and management plans

What is a character appraisal?

 A conservation area character appraisal is a document which sets out why the conservation area was designated and what its special architectural or historical interest is.

The appraisal contains an assessment of elements which contribute to the special interest and those which detract from it and covers issues such as: topography, street patterns, boundaries, the historical development of the area, archaeological significance, common building materials, open spaces, quality and relationship of buildings and trees.

What is the purpose of character appraisals?

Character appraisals are prepared in accordance with government guidance (PPG15 -Planning and the Historic Environment, published 1994) and guidance from English Heritage. They are prepared before a conservation area is designated and form part of the designation process.
The character appraisals are subject to a rigorous consultation process prior to their completion. All residents and businesses within the conservation area, plus Ward Councillors, English Heritage, local amenity groups and any major developers, are given the opportunity to read and comment on the character appraisal. All local libraries hold copies of the character appraisals for reference purposes during the consultation process.
The appraisals are adopted by the Development Control Committee as planning guidance for use within the Development Control process, to help inform planning decisions.

Character appraisals 

Conservation Area Management Plans

What is a Conservation Area Management Plan?

Conservation Area Management Plans are the next step after character statements. They provide guidance through policy statements to assist in the preservation and enhancement of the Conservation Area. This is a direct response to the 1990 Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act which places a duty on local planning authorities to formulate and publish proposals for the preservation and enhancement of its conservation areas.

Each management plan is based around the following objectives:

  1. To establish and define the significance of the Conservation Area as a whole and of the individual elements found within it, such as architectural, historical, archaeological, ecological, social, industrial.
  2. To assess and define the threats and opportunities within the area and how these impact on the significance of individual elements and of the Conservation Area as a whole.
  3. To provide policy guidance to ensure that the significance of the Conservation Area will be maintained whilst changes occur rather than being lost or damaged and that opportunities for enhancement are maximised.

Whilst the character statement provides an assessment of the physical character and appearance of the Conservation Area, what the key issues are, what the opportunities for preservation and/or enhancement are and which elements detract from the Conservation Area, its overall purpose is to provide a benchmark for assessing the impact of development proposals on the character and appearance of the Conservation Area. The management plan is based on those characteristics set out in the character statement and provides policy guidance for their preservation and/or enhancement. Where gap sites and elements which detract from the Conservation Area the management plan seeks to provide guidance on how these areas could be improved in an appropriate and sympathetic manner.

Like character statements, the management plans will be subject to rigorous and extensive public consultation prior to their adoption and supplementary planning guidance.

Management Plans

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New development in conservation areas

New development in conservation areas is all about managing change to ensure new buildings are recognisably of our age whilst understanding and respecting history and context in design and character.

New buildings or alterations and extensions to existing buildings within conservation areas must be of a high quality design. Proposals must be compatible with the special characteristics of the conservation area in which it is located, its buildings, spaces and settings, land uses, scale, form and materials. Where original materials and designs exist, the effect on the building and its neighbours should be considered before introducing alternative designs. If this is not done the resulting mixture of styles and materials can lead to a decline in the character of both the property and the area. The use of non-traditional materials would only be acceptable in a conservation area where they form part of an integrated design of high quality and are not considered to harm the appearance or character of that area.

New developments within conservation areas may also have had their permitted development rights restricted, in order to control future development and thereby preserve the character or appearance of the area.

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Conservation Area Policy and Guidance

Some key documents relating to Conservation Areas are:

Future Policy Changes

A full copy of the white paper 'Heritage Protection for the 21st Century' can be downloaded from the policy section above. For a précis of the immediate points, please view our page on Heritage Protection - Future Policy Changes.

Further guidance

Guidance on government policy on the application of the Acts of parliament to specific issues is provided by the relevant government departments. Advice may be sought from your local authority.

In England, the guidance is Planning Policy Guidance 15: Planning and the Historic Environment (or PPG15 as it is more usually known) which was issued in September 1994 and slightly amended by Environment Circular 14/97.

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Section 215 Notices

A local authority may also use its general planning powers to serve a Section 215 Notice on the owner (or occupier) of any land or building whose condition is adversely affecting the amenity of the area, particularly within a conservation area. Such a notice requires the person responsible to clean up the site or building, or the local authority can carry out the work itself and reclaim the cost from the owner. Section 215 is a relatively straightforward power that can deliver important, substantial and lasting improvements to amenity. Local authorities are actively encouraged to use these powers where necessary.

See also

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Trees in conservation areas

Trees are a valuable addition to the urban landscape and within conservation areas all trees are subject to special protection. Some trees are also afforded special status through Tree Preservation Orders, which means that the Local Planning Authority's consent must be obtained before they can be cut down, topped or lopped. In addition, any work to be carried out on trees that are not the subject of a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) but are sited within the boundary of the conservation area must be notified to the Local Planning Authority (LPA) 6 weeks in advance of works. The purpose of this requirement is to give the LPA an opportunity to consider bringing the tree under their general control by issuing a TPO.

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What is an urgent works notice?

Where buildings are left in an underused and poor condition, there are some powers available to seek to remedy the situation.

An Urgent Works Notice is served under section 54 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended, and can be served on a vacant (or vacant parts of a) listed building where works are urgently necessary for the preservation of a listed building.

In exceptional circumstance there are special powers available to the Secretary of State to authorise the use of these powers to an unlisted building in a conservation area where the preservation of the building is important for maintaining the character or appearance of the area (section 76 of the above Act). The works that can be implemented include:

  • Making the building weather tight.
  • Making the building safe from structural collapse.
  • Preventing unauthorised entry, vandalism or theft.

The council must serve a notice giving the details of what is required, 7-days before it intends to enter to implement the works. There is no appeal against this Notice.

Upon completion of the works, under section 55 of the above act, Notice may be served on the owner of the building requiring repayment of the costs incurred during the works to the building. The owner does have a period of 28-days to appeal against this Notice however, on the following grounds:

  • Some or all of the works were unnecessary.
  • Temporary works have continued for an unreasonable length of time.
  • The amounts were unreasonable.
  • Recovery would cause hardship.

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