EN/CR/IN/A4/23
18 September 2012
Now in any conservation area, an owner has not only to obtain the council’s consent before pruning or felling a tree, or carrying out demolition works, but also requires planning permission before building roof extensions or roof dormers, or applying stone, timber or tile cladding to any facade.
Planning permission is also required to erect a satellite dish on a chimney or on the front facade or roof slope.
Greater restrictions also apply to the size of rear extensions that a house owner may build without planning permission.
Until now however windows, doors and roofs, which are the key architectural elements of any house, could be changed without the need for planning permission and the appearance of the conservation area has suffered as a consequence. Moreover the stricter planning controls that applied to flats and commercial premises meant that in some instances neighbouring properties could not be treated evenly or fairly.
The council now directs that house frontages that face a highway or public open space (but not rear facades) within the West Hill Conservation Area should be subject to the same restrictions that apply to commercial premises or residential flats.
This means that owners can no longer alter windows and doors, roof coverings or chimney stacks or add roof lights without first obtaining planning permission.
Permission is also required to demolish, alter or erect a front boundary wall, fence or railings
Planning permission is not required to carry out repairs to a property (unless a listed building) or to replace features ‘like for like’ for example recovering a concrete tiled roof with concrete tiles or replacing timber sliding sash windows with matching sliding sash windows.
There remain no restrictions over the painting of properties or choice of colour (unless it is a listed building).
In the case of single dwelling houses, roof lights that do not alter the shape of the roof can be fitted within rear roof slopes without the need for planning permission.
Windows and doors to the rear can also still be changed without the need for planning permission, and a satellite dish up to 70cm in diameter can be fixed to the rear facade.
Gardens can be paved over and sheds within specified size limits can be erected in rear gardens.
The above details provide a summary only. For further clarification you are advised to contact the council’s planning team.
This Direction took effect on 9 November 2001 and was confirmed on 5 February 2002 and applies to all single dwelling houses within the West Hill conservation area.