Conservation Areas

Conservation Areas can be created where a local planning authority identifies an area of special architectural or historic interest, which deserves careful management to protect that character. The first Conservation Areas were designated in 1967 under the Civic Amenities Act, and there are now nearly 10,000 in England. 

There’s general information about planning permission and building regulations on the Planning Portal for England. In Conservation Areas the expectation is that new development is to a high standard of design. Being in a designated Conservation Area does not mean that all changes will be prevented; it simply means that the Planning Authority must, and will, pay special regard to whether the proposed change will ‘preserve or enhance’ the character or appearance of the area.  

Within the areas, individual buildings may also be listed or locally listed to ensure they are identified as significant within the planning system.

St Albans City and District Council (SADC) has designated 19 Conservation Areas. Within some of these, SADC has issued Article 4 Directions, and these apply to two areas within central St Albans. In Article 4 areas, planning permission must be sought for some works which would otherwise be permitted development. The purpose is to contain the gradual erosion of character through unsympathetic external alterations to buildings and the streetscene. 

Central St Albans includes one of SADC’s 19 Conservation Areas and it is further sub-divided into 27 smaller areas. There is a Character Statement for each sub-area with photographs, observations and points about the area’s heritage and history and the statements can make interesting reading.

The St Albans Civic Society Planning Group considers the impact on Conservation Areas when reviewing planning applications and deciding whether and when to comment. The Society looks for projects that contribute to the preservation and enhancement of the character of St Albans, and achieve the highest standards of architecture, planning, landscaping and civic design when identifying its awards winners.