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. They are designated by the Council.

Currently, there are 42 conservation areas in East Herts. To find out if your property is within a conservation area please use the East Herts Online Map.

For further advice on conservation areas please read our Conservation Areas: Guidance for owners and occupiers leaflet. [2MB]

Development in Conservation Areas

If you are thinking of undertaking any development within a Conservation Area, please take a look at our pre-application service.

To make a planning application please visit the Planning Portal.

The Council publishes some general heritage advice on repairs and alterations in our East Herts Heritage Guidance Notes

If you have any questions about trees in Conservation Areas, please read the information on our Trees page.

Conservation Areas in East Herts

The Council is carrying out a review of its conservation areas. It is producing a Conservation Area Character Appraisal for each one including Management Proposals showing how they could be enhanced or improved. This is a long-term project. The table below shows the current stage of progress for each conservation area.

On the 23rd October 2018 the Council adopted a new District Plan. Conservation Area Character Appraisals and Management Proposals that were adopted before that date make reference to policies in the previous Local Plan 2007. These policies are now obsolete and replaced by the 2018 policies. All future development proposals will be considered against the District Plan 2018 policies. The public are recommended to review those 2018 policies when considering the documents in the following table. Please see the District Plan for more information.

Conservation Area Character Appraisals and Management Proposals

Town Documents
Anstey
Ardeley
Aspenden
Aston
Benington

Bishop's Stortford

Braughing

Brent Pelham

Brickendon

Buntingford
Bury Green
Crabbs Green
Cottered
East End Green
Furneux Pelham

Great Amwell

Great Hormead

Green Tye

Hadham Ford
Hertford
Hertingfordbury
High Wych
Hunsdon

Little Amwell

Little Berkhamsted
Little Hadham
Moor Green
Much Hadham
Patmore Heath
Puckeridge
Sawbridgeworth
Standon
Stanstead Abbotts
Tewin
Thundridge and Wadesmill
Walkern
Ware
Wareside
Watton-at-Stone
Westmill
Widford
Wood End

Article 4 Directions

The Council on the 14 June 2017 made two new Article 4 Directions for Bishop's Stortford Conservation Area. Following public consultation, the Council has carefully considered the representations received and has, on the 15 November 2017, confirmed and made permanent both Article 4 Directions: A4D Immediate for Householders [59KB] A4D for All Properties [52KB]

These withdraw a number of permitted development rights within the area. This has the effect of requiring owners and occupiers to obtain planning permission for a range of minor building works prior to their commencement. The purpose of the Article 4 directions is to preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the Conservation Area. As such, with the exception of chimneys, most works that would not be visible from the public realm will not be affected. Similarly most like-for-like works (e.g. the repainting of houses in the existing or traditional colour scheme), may not need permission.

Further advice can be found in the Bishop's Stortford Article 4 leaflet.