Conservation AreasIntroductionIf you live or own property in a conservation area, you must comply with the normal planning controls which affect everyone else and which are not covered by these Guidance Notes. How am I affected?Extra controls also apply in your case, and written authority from the Council is needed for the following:
The above list is not definitive. If you are thinking about carrying out work in a conservation area, we advise you first to talk to the conservation officers in the Planning Department at Wallfields, Hertford, to avoid breaking the law (Telephone 01279 655261 Extension 1590 for advice) Are there things I can do without consent?Yes, but remember that too many small changes can change the character of the area adversely. The Council may also have extra powers of detailed control in certain Conservation Areas. Independent 'specialist' advice may not always be fully informed or reliable so it is VERY important to get the advice of the District Council Planning Officer before making changes. Introducing the following can spoil the historic character of many streets:
Is further information available?Yes, this leaflet is one of a series being produced by the Council. The following titles are included in the series:
What about new development?Conservation areas are not meant to be museum pieces and new development frequently takes place. The Council, however, looks very carefully at the design of such developments and has special policies in the District Plan to control them. New development is always advertised on the site before a decision is made on it so you have a chance to let the Council know your views. Please do this, either by letter to the district Council or through your local Town Council, Parish Council; or Amenity Society, so that acccount can be take of your views. Initial design advice for conservation area developments is available as far as practicable from the Planning Department who will be pleased to help and who particularly welcome involvement at an early stage in the design process. You are strongly advised, however, to use the services of an architect experienced in designing for conservatin areas when preparing new development proposals, as very close attention to the setting and detail of the design is essential. Conservation Area EnhancementMany conservation areas have scope for improvement and the legislation emphasises the importance of "enhancing" as well as "preserving" them. This is why the Council has carried out a number of enhancement schemes, both small and large, in conservation areas and intends to keep on with this work. Local Amenity Societies and volunteer groups also do very effective work in this respect. Please get in touch with the Planning Department if you have any ideas which will enhance your area or want to know more about what is being done in East Hertfordshire's conservation areas. Conservation Area LegislationConservation Area legislation emphasises the importance of character as a key consideration when decisions are made in respect of development proposals. Since no two areas are the same in character, it is important to make an assessment of each: ie what are their individual attractions and their less satisfactory points. The District Council is therefore producing character assessments for each of the Conservation Areas in East Hertfordshire. As well as being informative and helpful in general terms, they will be particularly valuable for development control and in deciding where environmental improvements are required. The assessments will not necessarily be detailed and typically comprise an A4 size double-sided sheet, including a map of the Conservation Area concerned. Both individually, and collectively, the assessment sheets complement this leaflet and they should be read in conjunction. The first of the assessments will be published in 1992 and followed by the remainder at intervals thereafter. With over 40 Conservation Areas to be assessed, the task of producing all the sheets will take some time; you are therefore advised to contact the Planning Department at Hertford 01279 655261 (Conservation Section) to ascertain which areas are currently covered by a published sheet. How are Conservation Areas Chosen?There is no standard specification and areas are of many different kinds ranging from small rural groups to large central areas of urban Hertford, Ware and Bishop's Stortford. The one thing which they all have in common is that their architectural or historic interest and their special character or appearance is worth conserving and enhancing. In East Hertfordshire we have forty two conservation areas, so many people do live or work in one. The full list and a map showing their locations is included with this leaflet. The extent of conservation areas is shown by the East Hertfordshire Local Plan Proposals Maps. The definitive larger scale maps which show the individual area boundaries more clearly can be inspected in the Planning Department offices at Wallfields in Hertford. Copies of these can also be purchased. What is the point of designating them?In 1967, it was decided that the individual listing of historic buildings, while a very good protection measure in its own right, was inadequate to protect groups of buildings and their settings. It was becoming clear that many such groups, full of character and interest, contained buildings which although not sufficiently outstanding individually to be listed of special architectural or historic importance, nevertheless made a strong contribution to the character of the place as a whole and that these were not being adequately protected. The spaces between building, both private and public, were also of importance and so, of course, were the trees. It was therefore decided to statutorily protect whole areas and to call them Conservation Areas. The legislation and policies have developed over the intervening years so that today designated conservation areas are covered by more controls than other areas. How are the conservation areas chosen?There is no standard specification and areas are of many different kinds ranging from small rural groups to large central areas of urban Hertford, Ware and Bishop's Stortford. The one thing which they all have in common is that their architectural or historic interest and their special character or appearance is worth conserving and enhancing. In East Hertfordshire we have 42 conservation areas, see full list and location map below. The extent of these areas is shown by the East Hertfordshire Local Plan Proposals Maps. Larger scale maps showing the individual area boundaries more clearly can be inspected in the Planning Department offices at Wallfields in Hertford. Copies of these can also be purchased. What is the point of designating them?In 1967, it was decided that the individual listing of historic buildings was not enough to protect groups of buildings and their settings. Many groups contained buildings which, although not individually listed, contributed to the character of the place as a whole. The spaces between buildings and the trees were also important. It was therefore decided to protect whole areas, called Conservation Areas. Conservation Areas in East Hertfordshire
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