Conservation Area Planning Controls

Properties within Conservation Areas are subject to special planning controls to help preserve the character and beauty of an area when development is proposed.

A Conservation Area is defined by English Heritage as an area of ‘special architectural or historic interest, the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance’.

Developments within a Conservation Area are subject to special planning controls. This means that within these designated areas, consent is required for some works that would usually be permitted development, including the demolition of buildings and works to trees.

Such areas represent a key part of our district’s cultural heritage and can vary in size and character, from small groups of buildings such as Cottage Homes in Ditchling, to large towns such as Lewes. The Lewes district has 35 Conservation Areas in total, the largest of which is Lewes Town Centre.

Find out if your property is within a Conservation Area using our 'Property' search tab (constraints) on Public Access.

Special controls in addition to normal ‘permitted development’ rights apply to householder development within a Conservation Area. If you are within a Conservation Area, permission is required (in addition to the normal criteria) for the following works:

Houses

Extensions and Alterations

Any extension that extends beyond a wall forming a side elevation of the original house.
Any rear extension that is more than one storey high.
Any cladding to the exterior of the property (where it is not already clad in that material).

Roof Extensions

Any enlargement of the roof, such as dormers and hip roof to gable extensions.

Garden Buildings/Development

Any building, enclosure, pool or container located between a side elevation of the house and a boundary.

Chimney, Flue, Soil or Vent Pipe

Any chimney, flue, soil or vent pipe located on a wall or roofslope forming the front or side of a house and which faces a highway.

Houses and Flats

Satellite Dishes

Any satellite dish installed on a chimney, wall or roof slope which faces onto and is visible from a highway.

Solar Panels (attached to a building)

Any solar equipment attached to a wall of a building that fronts a highway.

Solar Panels (stand alone system)

Any stand alone system that is closer to any highway than the closest part of the house or flats.

Wind Turbine (attached to a building)

Any turbine attached to a wall or roof slope of a building that fronts a highway.

Wind Turbine (stand alone system)

Any stand alone system that is closer to any highway than the closest part of the house or flats.

Conservation Area Consent

Conservation Area Consent is a separate requirement to planning permission and is only necessary for:

The demolition of an unlisted building with a total cubic content exceeding 115 cubic metres; or
The demolition of any part of a wall exceeding 1 metre in height if abutting a highway or public open space, or 2 metres in height elsewhere.

There is a general presumption in favour of retaining buildings that make a valuable contribution to the character and appearance of a Conservation Area.

Trees in Conservation Areas

Trees can be very important to the character of a Conservation Area, either in groups or as single specimens.

If you want to undertake works to trees in a Conservation Area you must give us six weeks’ notice in writing. This is called a section 211 notification. You must not carry out any work during that period without permission.

Additional Controls

Some Conservation Areas have additional protection in the form of an Article 4 Direction. These Directions further limit permitted development rights and are in addition to the rules above for Conservation Areas.

They are put in place to protect the special features of an area such as, traditional windows, locally distinctive external colour schemes, historic materials or architectural features.

Lewes Conservation Area and part of Ditchling Conservation Area are covered by Article 4 Directions.

Documents

When is a Heritage Statement required?
PDF Appendix 3 - Statement of Heritage Significance (0.03mb)

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