Conservation Areas
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
currently 20 Conservation Areas in Thanet which vary considerably
in age, size, character and style. Better known Conservation Areas
include Ramsgate, and Margate Seafront.
- You can check whether a particular property is within a
Conservation Area by looking at our Conservation Area maps.
Conservation Area designation is a means of
recognising the importance of the quality of the area as a whole,
as well as protecting individual buildings. It enables us to
preserve and enhance a Conservation Area’s character and
appearance, and to control and manage change.
-
Conservation Area Appraisals
Montefiore Ramsgate - January 2007
Royal Esplanade Ramsgate
- April 2006 (pdf)
Westgate-on-Sea South -
December 2006 (pdf)
Westgate-on-Sea East - December
2006 (pdf)
Westgate-on-Sea
extension December 2006 (pdf)
Documents are available in hard copy
on request for a small fee
What are the effects of designation?
In addition to the normal planning controls,
Conservation Areas enjoy special protection under the law. These
are some of the key requirements:
- Anyone wishing to demolish a building or part
of a building within a conservation area must first obtain
conservation area consent from the District Council as Local
Planning Authority. Certain buildings are excluded from this
requirement.
- Anyone wishing to cut down, lop, top, uproot
or do any work to trees, must give 6 weeks prior notification to
the District Council. However, if the trees are already protected
by a Tree Preservation Order then a
formal application for consent is required.
- The District Council has adopted policies in
the Local Plan, which aim to ensure the
preservation and enhancement of the area.
- Planning applications for development, which
would, in the opinion of the Local Planning Authority, affect the
character or appearance of a Conservation Area, must be given
publicity. Representations received will be taken into account in
determining the application.
Conservation Area Consent
Conservation Area Consent applications
should normally accompany a planning application for redevelopment
of a particular site; we will consider the applications together.
We normally require a statement supporting an application for
Conservation Area Consent, including any structural or economic
viability evidence, which needs to be analysed in detail by us and
the government’s built heritage adviser, English
Heritage.
Demolition of a building in a Conservation
Area without prior consent is a criminal offence. If you wish to
completely or substantially demolish a building in a Conservation
Area, you need to have Conservation Area Consent before you
commence work.
When the Council considers your application
there is a presumption in favour of retaining buildings and
structures that make a positive contribution to the character or
appearance of the Conservation Area.
Depending on their location and height you
may also need Conservation Area Consent to demolish fences, gates
and other means of enclosure within the Conservation Area.
The Conservation Area Consent process is
therefore similar to, and runs alongside, the planning application
process. We will not normally permit the demolition of a building
in a Conservation Area before its replacement has been
approved.
If you are in any doubt about whether you
need planning permission or conservation area consent please
contact
National guidance on Conservation Areas is
set out in legislation and in Planning Policy Guidance Note No. 15
entitled “Planning and the Historic Environment” (available to view
on-line at http://www.communities.gov.uk/)