Conservation areas

A conservation area aims to preserve and protect the character of an area; this can be made up of buildings, open spaces, views, trees, and other features. The objective of defining a conservation area is to provide for the preservation and enhancement of the special interest of the place. The intention is not to stifle change, but to monitor and provide positive management of these unique areas.

Currently, in the East Riding, there are 106 conservation areas which make them one of the largest designated heritage assets in our area. They range from urban town centres to rural settlement. Each conservation area has a Conservation Area Appraisal document, which describes the significance of the area looking at the historical development, architecture, landscape and other features of interest.

Permitted development rights allow some minor developments to sometimes take place without specific consent, such as the building of a fence or small extensions to the rear of a property; this is outlined within the General Permitted Development Order (GPDO) (1).

Under an Article 4 Direction, part of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 2015, the East Riding planning department may withdraw permitted development rights for various types of development that affect the external appearance of a building within a conservation area. Article 4 Directions usually apply when the character of an area has acknowledged importance and would otherwise be threatened. Therefore if there is an active Article 4 Direction in your area, you may be required to obtain planning permission before carrying out work that otherwise would not need consent.

Currently the only conservation area in the East Riding with an Article 4 Direction is the village of Atwick, which covers a small number of properties regarding external windows and doors. The conservation team has more information on this if required.

To find out if you live within a conservation area, the Conservation Area Appraisal documents include a boundary map.

Take a look at our conservation area appraisals.

Alternatively, you can search on the East Riding of Yorkshire Council's Planning Constraints interactive map.

Conservation area appraisals are a formally adopted document which aims to highlight the special interest and historic development of the conservation area. They can be useful in guiding design and materials which reflect the character and appearance of the conservation area.

Conservation area management plans are again formally adopted document which help guide future development to enhance conservation areas, these are frequently referred to in cases of heritage at risk.

Find and download the individual conservation area appraisals and conservation area management plans

Most properties within a conservation area have similar planning requirements to properties outside a conservation area. The main differences include the following:

You will need planning permission for demolition works involving more than 50% of any building that has a volume greater than 115 cubic metres (about the size of two double garages), unless it was an agricultural building built from 1914 onwards
There are additional controls for extending or altering a building/structure within a conservation area, including boundary treatments such as fences or walls
All trees are protected and you may need to give us notice before carrying out work on them
In rare cases, some permitted development rights may have been removed under an Article 4 Direction.

You can always check with the planning department prior to commencement of works where planning permission is needed by submitting a Planning Permission Enquiry or find more information on works requiring planning permission.

When considering works within a conservation area, the council has a duty to consult one of the conservation officers to ensure the proposed works do not detract from the character and appearance of the conservation area.

A heritage statement is an additional, separate document which accompanies a planning application regarding the historic environment and is required by paragraph 189 of the National Planning Policy Framework, which states:

“In determining applications, local planning authorities should require an applicant to describe the significance of any heritage assets affected, including any contribution made by their setting. The level of detail should be proportionate to the assets' importance and no more than is sufficient to understand the potential impact of the proposal on their significance. As a minimum the relevant historic environment record should have been consulted and the heritage assets assessed using appropriate expertise where necessary. Where a site on which development is proposed includes, or has the potential to include, heritage assets with archaeological interest, local planning authorities should require developers to submit an appropriate desk-based assessment and, where necessary, a field evaluation.”

Essentially, the aim of a heritage statement is to assess the significance and history of a designated heritage asset, including conservation areas, listed buildings or works considered to be within the setting of a designated heritage asset. Secondly, it should discuss any potential impacts or benefits the development may cause and provide justification for the works.

A heritage statement must consult the Historic Environment Record (HER) as a minimum, please find out more information on the HER within the Heritage Guidance section below. However the building conservation team also recommend using archival material such as historic OS maps, conservation area appraisals, listing descriptions and other secondary sources such as Pevsner's Architectural Guides or Kelly's Directory.

Whilst anyone can complete a heritage statement, we strongly recommend using appropriate expertise such as a heritage consultant, as a statement of significance should highlight specific architectural or historic details that are easily overlooked. However, the building conservation team have created a template heritage statement below that can be downloaded/edited and guides you through the various sections. Finally, we strongly recommend the addition of photographs and maps as these can illustrate a point or justification you are trying to make.

Download our template for a heritage statement (word 00kb)

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