Conservation Areas. Conservation Areas A homeowner s guide

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1 Alternative formats of this publication are available on request. These include large print, braille, audio cassette, computer disk and . Please contact the Press and Publicity Officer on or Conservation and Design Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford Wallingford OX10 8NJ Tel: Fax: Elemental Chlorine free paper from sustainable source Conservation Areas Conservation Areas A homeowner s guide 07/2004

2 Cuxham Introduction South Oxfordshire is a district rich in history and architecture and many village and town centres have been designated as conservation areas. This leaflet is intended to be a brief introductory guide for those living in conservation areas and answers some of the most common questions which are regularly put to the Council. It is not intended to be an exhaustive document covering every legal and technical aspect and for more detailed, specific advice please contact the Conservation and Design Team of South Oxfordshire District Council at an early stage. Do I live in a conservation area? A full set of local conservation area boundary plans is kept by the Council s Planning Service and a booklet showing these boundaries is available for public inspection. If you are unsure if your property is located within a conservation area, the Conservation and Design Team will be pleased to help you. How and why are conservation areas designated? A conservation area is defined as an area of special architectural or historic interest, the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance. They are often centred on listed buildings but may also include unlisted historic or modern buildings which can contribute to the streetscape, open spaces, trees and any other features of local interest. Occasionally, areas of lesser quality may be included to avoid a disjointed boundary or where positive enhancement is desirable. Conservation areas are important in ensuring that the natural process of renewal in urban and rural areas is controlled and to preserve and enhance the best of the past and allow for sympathetic high quality modern development. This is essential if the character of our towns and villages is to be retained for the benefit of future generations. Local Authorities have a statutory duty to designate conservation areas and in South Oxfordshire this has usually been done as part of the Local Plan process, after full consultation with the public, local groups and parish councils. New conservation areas and revisions to existing boundaries may be considered in the future. The Council has embarked upon a series of conservation area character studies which aim to define in writing and map form the special character of individual conservation areas. In accordance with government advice no further designations or extensions to existing conservation areas will take place without such a study first being carried out. A list of published character studies is available from the Conservation and Design Team. 1 2

3 3 East Hagbourne What are the benefits of living in a conservation area? The extra controls which apply to conservation areas are designed to preserve and enhance the special historic and architectural character of each town, village or hamlet for the benefit of local residents and visitors alike. They are intended to prevent our most attractive settlements from becoming dull and featureless, full of 'anywhere' housing and insensitive alterations. Every application for development within an area is assessed against the need to preserve or enhance the particular local character. Where finances allow, efforts can sometimes be made to improve the character of urban conservation areas through environmental improvement works, such as repaving in traditional materials and providing good quality street furniture. However, most rural conservation areas do not lend themselves to such works and in these cases the existing character will be protected. Financial assistance may be available for repairs to unlisted buildings where they are felt to contribute to the character of a conservation area and the Conservation and Design Team will be able to advise if a property meets the criteria and whether the proposed works are grant eligible. What additional controls are there in conservation areas? If you live in a conservation area your property is subject to certain additional controls which are not applicable elsewhere. This is to prevent the cumulative loss of character through unsympathetic alterations to unlisted buildings and features of interest. The character of conservation areas is often defined by groups of buildings, both listed and unlisted, and the loss of an individual building can disrupt the established harmony of the local scene. For this reason conservation area consent is required for the total or substantial demolition of any building exceeding 115 cubic metres. Enforcement powers are available where a building is removed without the Council s consent. Trees are also given special protection and anyone wishing to top, lop or fell a tree with a trunk over 75mm in diameter (measured 1.5 metres above the ground) must give the Council six weeks notice of their intentions. The work may then be approved or a tree preservation order served. Certain permitted development rights that apply outside conservation areas (for example small scale works of construction, extension or alteration) are not available in conservation areas. Specific advice on current permitted development rights can be obtained from the Planning Service. How do I obtain conservation area consent? The procedure for applying for conservation area consent is similar to that for listed building consent and there is no fee. Application forms are available from the Planning Service but officers will be happy to discuss the matter in advance of an application being submitted. 4

4 How else can the character of a conservation area be protected? Many conservation areas have a distinct local character which is unique to that particular town or village. Alongside major features such as the materials, style and size of the houses, smaller elements such as the shape and detailing of windows and doors and the colour of joinery can contribute a great deal to the local character. This is particularly so if there was an intentional unity in the original design of the buildings. In cases where there is a danger that the general legislation regarding development within a conservation area may not be able to prevent the loss of the unique local character, the Council may recommend that an Article 4 Direction be served. This Direction would remove the right to carry out certain works, such as replacing or painting doors and windows where the existing colour is essential to the character, without first applying for planning permission. No fee would be charged for such an application. What about ancient monuments? South Oxfordshire is an area particularly rich in archaeological remains and special regard must be paid to their protection. If you wish to carry out any works to a Scheduled Ancient Monument i.e. an archaeological site or monument designated by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport as being particularly significant, you will need to obtain scheduled monument consent as well as any necessary planning permissions. Applications should be made directly to the Department and there is Planning Service when a planning application is registered. You may then be required to allow an archaeological assessment to be made of the land pending the determination of the application or to allow an excavation as a condition of permission. It is advisable to contact the Planning Service at an early stage if you propose to carry out works to a Scheduled Ancient Monument. The Council would only no fee involved. If a building consider the serving of an is both listed and a scheduled Article 4 Direction in ancient monument then the exceptional circumstances. ancient monument legislation takes precedence. If you wish to develop land in an area of archaeological constraint i.e. land which is not a scheduled monument but which may still be of potential archaeological 5 Station Road, Didcot A Conservation Area and an Article 4 Direction Area significance, you will be notified of this by the 6

5 Sinodun Hill Camp Ancient Monument (Reproduced from 1912 Ordnance Survey map) South Oxfordshire Conservation Areas Aston Rowant Little Wittenham Aston Tirrold / Upthorpe Long Wittenham Beckley Mackney Benson Mapledurham Berrick Salome Marsh Baldon Brightwell Baldwin Moreton Brightwell-cum-Sotwell Nettlebed Britwell Salome North Moreton Chalgrove North Stoke Checkendon Nuneham Courtenay Chinnor Oakley Cholsey Overy Clifton Hampden Preston Crowmarsh Culham Pyrton Cuxham Rotherfield Peppard Didcot-Old Shepherds Green Didcot-Northbourne Shillingford Didcot-Station Road Shirburn Dorchester Sonning Eye East Hagbourne South Moreton Elsfield Stanton St.John Ewelme Stoke Row Forest Hill Stonor Garsington Sydenham Gatehampton Thame Goring Toot Baldon Great Haseley Towersey Great Milton Wallingford Greys Green Warborough Henley - Main Area Waterstock Henley - St. Marks Rd Watlington Kingston Blount West Hagbourne Lewknor Wheatley Little Haseley Whitchurch Little Milton Woodeaton 7 8

6 Useful contacts English Heritage 23 Saville Row London W1S 2ET Office of the Deputy Prime Minister 26 Whitehall London SW1A 2WH Department for Culture, Media and Sport 2-4 Cockspur Street London SW1Y 5DH Ancient Monuments Society St. Ann s Vestry Hall 2 Church Entry London EC4V 5HB Council for British Archaeology Bowes Morrell House 111 Walmgate,York YO1 9WA Georgian Group 6 Fitzroy Square London W1T 5DX Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings 37 Spital Square London E1 6DY Victorian Society 1 Priory Gardens, Bedford Park London W4 1TT Oxfordshire Architectural and Historical Society (Listed Building Sub-Committee) c/o Dr A. Dodd (Hon. Secretary) 53 Radley Road, Abingdon OX14 3PN Oxfordshire County Archaeological Services Centre For Oxfordshire Studies Central Library Westgate Oxford OX1 1DJ Garden History Society 70 Cowcross Street London EC1M 6EJ Useful contacts The Twentieth Century Society 70 Cowcross Street London EC1M 6EJ