Warmington is a village that can trace its roots back to well before Domesday and has within it a substantial number of historic buildings as well as archeological sites. However unlike the vast majority of neighbouring settlements which have designated Conservation Areas, Warmington has no such protection for the character of the historic areas of the village. In parallel with the Neighbourhood Plan process East Northants Council (ENC) is now considering the possibility of making part of the village a Conservation Area. It would do this by making a formal appraisal of the village in conjunction with the community through the PC and other interested parties, before formally consulting the public with any proposal. The work done for the appraisal would also contribute to the WNP work and so it is important to take into account this work as the WNP progresses. This page has been added to this site so that the community can be informed about the process (see also the Village Design Statement page)
Planning Policy Context
The Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservations Areas Act 1990: The Act) defines Conservation Areas as “areas of architectural or historic interest the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance”. Local Authorities are required by the Act to identify the parts of their area that should be designated as conservation areas and to formulate and publish proposals to preserve or enhance them. Local Authorities must submit proposals for the protection and enhancement of conservation areas for consideration at a public meeting within the relevant area. They must also have regard to any views expressed by people attending the meeting.
Broadly, the effects of designation are:
- Planning permission must be obtained from the local planning authority or Secretary of State prior to the substantial or total demolition of any building or structure within a conservation area, with some exceptions;
- The local planning authority must consider the desirability of preserving or enhancing the character and appearance of the conservation area when assessing applications for change in conservation areas;
- Permitted development rights are slightly different in conservation areas;
- Permission is required from the local planning authority to top or lop a tree over a certain size.
- As well as receiving statutory protection, conservation areas are protected by national, county and local planning policies.
The practical effect of living in a Conservation Area is normally minimal, but if you are planning to alter the appearance of your house then there will be some additional scrutiny which normally means that a Conservation Officer has a look at the proposal and makes a comment on it for consideration within the normal planning process.
To find out more have a look at these local CA maps and documents. The maps show the typical extent of CAs within villages while the two recent appraisal/review documents for the Ashton CA illustrate the amount of detailed work and consultation that is done in support of any CA and show how the subsequent management of a CA could operate.