Conservation Areas

Conservation Area Advisory Groups (CAAGs) are small, self governing groups consisting primarily of people who are not members or officers of the authority. CAAGs help to provide valuable local input into conservation areas and will help to ensure that important and much valued local sites are commented upon in terms of new development and enhancement.

Following approval at Cabinet on 1 November 2007, Thanet District Council is helping to set up three of these small self-governing voluntary groups in Thanet, covering Ramsgate, Broadstairs and Margate, with each including a proportion of the surrounding towns and villages.

Such groups will help provide valuable dialogue between the Council and the public and may eventually be able to set up funding initiatives to seek financial support from outside bodies.  Members of these groups are likely to include a wide section of the community, including residents, community representatives, local architects and historians.

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.
• National Planning Policy sets out requirements for consideration of applications affecting conservation areas. [NPPF]
• 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 go to Do I need Planning Permission? pages.

New planning measures affecting properties within Ethelbert Road and Athelstan Road Conservation Area are being brought in to protect the character and appearance of the area.

These changes are to be introduced in response to public support demonstrated through a consultation carried out last year and a long-term commitment from Thanet District Council to protect its conservation areas.

Introducing these measures progresses the introduction of an ‘Article 4 Direction’ which removes what are known as ‘Permitted Development Rights’ under the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 2015. Permitted development rights mean that owners or occupiers can carry out certain types of work (‘development’) to their properties without the need to seek planning permission first.

This means that a broad range of work that would not have needed permission under Permitted Development Rights will need to have a planning application. A broad range of works is covered including enlargement of a dwelling house, installation of new doors, windows, porches, satellite dishes and even works to chimneys, walls, fences or painting the property. This is not a full list of the development covered and individuals considering this are encouraged to read our document on the proposed Article 4 Direction summarising the implications of the new measures. This change will ensure that traditional features, which often add value to properties, are preserved and repaired rather than replaced where possible.

The full Article 4 Direction can be found at www.thanet.gov.uk/planning

Individuals are invited to comment upon the proposed Article 4 Direction to: planning.services@thanet.gov.uk by Friday 31 July 2015.