Conservation areas
What requires planning permission?
In order to retain the character and appearance of conservation areas, planning permission is needed for certain types of development which would not need permission if they were out of a conservation area.
See our pages on Planning Permission to find out what is classed as permitted development outside of conservation areas.
Planning permission is needed in conservation areas for:
- Any side extension to a dwelling house
- Any rear extension to a dwelling house over 1 storey high
- Any enlargement of a dwelling house consisting of an addition or alteration to a roof
- The erection of any outbuildings, means of enclosure, pool or containers to the side of a dwelling house
- The cladding of any part of the exterior of a dwelling house with stone, artificial stone, pebble dash, render, timber, plastic or tiles
- The installation, alteration, or replacement of a chimney, flue or soil and vent pipe to any wall or roof slope which fronts the highway and forms the principal elevation or side elevation of the house
- The installation, alteration and replacement of a microwave antenna on any chimney, wall or roof slope which faces onto or is visible from a highway or on a building which exceeds 15 metres in height
- Any solar PV or solar thermal equipment installed on an existing wall or roof of a dwellinghouse or a building within its curtilage if it would be installed:
- (i) on a wall or roof slope forming the principal or side elevation of the dwellinghouse and would be visible from a highway; or
- (ii) on a wall or roof slope of a building within the curtilage of the dwellinghouse and would be visible from a highway;
- The installation, alteration or replacement of stand alone solar within the curtilage of a dwellinghouse where it would be situated within any part of the curtilage of the dwellinghouse, and would be visible from the highway
You should speak to a Planning Officer if you are planning on any of these types of development to find out if planning permission is needed.
In conservation areas the council can further remove permitted development rights through an Article 4 Direction.
What are Article 4 Directions?
People that live in most houses or bungalows (not flats) have the right to make certain changes to their home without the need for planning permission. These rights are called Permitted Development Rights.
Permitted development rights can be taken away under Article 4 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995. The removal of permitted development rights means that you must have planning permission before any work can start. There is no fee for planning applications relating to alterations which would be permitted development had the Article 4 Direction not been made.
Article 4 Directions are usually implemented in sensitive areas where changes could be particularly damaging to the character and appearance of an area. We have made a series of Article 4 Directions that cover parts of the Whitefield Conservation Area, Nelson. These are as follows:
Phase 1
- Manchester Road (No's 104 - 114 evens)
- St. Mary's Street (No's 1 - 33 odds and also includes 2, 4 and 6)
- Every Street (No's 141 - 191 odds only)
- Lomeshaye Road (5 - 39 inclusive - odds and evens)
- Bond Street (No's 1 - 16 inclusive odds and evens)
- Bishop Street (No's 1 - 16 inclusive - odds and evens)
- Maurice Street (No's 2 - 26 evens only)
- Victoria Street (No's 2 - 24 evens and also includes 2a and 4a and 1 - 23 odds)
- Macleod Street (No's 5 - 27 odds only)
Phase 2
- Westmoreland Street, Nelson (No's 52 - 68 inclusive - evens only)
- Lomeshaye Road, Nelson (No's 40 - 80 inclusive - odds and evens)
- School Street, Nelson (No 1 only)
- Manchester Road, Nelson (No's 117 - 123 inclusive - odds only)
These are terraced houses which have undergone group repair schemes to restore the traditional appearance of the terraces. Work included reinstating feature timber sash windows, front doors and railings. The removal of permitted development rights makes sure that traditional features are not lost and encourage the replacement of inappropriate features with those more suitable to the age and style of the property and the surrounding area.
You can download a copy of the:
Article 4 Directions
Plans of the areas affected
Explanatory leaflets for both phases are available to read in both English and Urdu.
If you wish to make changes to any of these properties you need to check with our Development Management section at Nelson Town Hall, who will let you know if planning permission is needed and how to apply. Contact them at planning@pendle.gov.uk