Conservation areas

Conservation areas are created where a local planning authority identifies an area of special architectural or historic interest, deserving of careful management to protect its character. The first conservation areas were designated in 1967 and there are now nearly 10,000 in England. 

Newark and Sherwood District Council has designated 47 conservation areas. A conservation area’s local distinctiveness can provide a catalyst for regeneration, inspiring well-designed new development that brings economic and social benefits.

Read our leaflet if you are making improvements to shopfronts (PDF File, 2,600kb) in a conservation area.

Conservation area designation offers a positive way to manage change in a way that conserves and enhances historic areas.

Information about living in a Conservation Area and advice on what this means for home owners (PDF File, 724kb) is available in our leaflet.

Identifying conservation areas

An area may be a conservation area for a number of reasons including a historic layout of streets, or a grouping of historic buildings that reflect the materials and style of the region. It may also be an area reflective of a particular historical time period, or it where the relationships between buildings and spaces create a unique historic environment.

There are many different types of conservation area including:

  • the centres of historic towns and cities
  • model villages and planned housing estates
  • 18th and 19th-century suburbs
  • country houses set in their historic parks
  • historic transport links and their environs, such as stretches of canal

Conservation area review

We are currently undertaking a review of our conservation areas to ensure the designations are still relevant and meaningful. The special interest of areas designated many years ago may have been eroded by piecemeal change or poorly designed development. We will be checking whether boundary revisions are needed, or in exceptional circumstances, we may reconsider the conservation area designation as a whole.

An up-to-date appraisal of each conservation area will demonstrate the area’s special interest and character, providing a clear explanation to owners, businesses and residents.

The conservation team will be proposing a new tranche of reviews for the period 2023-26. If you have any questions or comments about this process, please contact the Conservation Team at: conservation@newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk

Conservation area appraisals

Part of the review process includes the creation of conservation area appraisals. These documents will give an overview of the history and development of each conservation area, defining what it is that makes it special. The community will be consulted as part of this process.

When adopted, conservation area appraisals will be material to the determination of planning applications. They are also useful as educational and informative documents, expressing what the community particularly values about the place where they live and work.

This greater understanding of an area’s character can be used to guide those considering investment in an area to a better understanding of suitable scale, form and content of new developments.

Conservation area management plans

Once a conservation area is designated, we have a duty to preserve and enhance its character.

Regularly reviewed appraisals, identifying threats and opportunities, can be developed into management plans promoting beneficial change.

Community involvement

Local communities should be involved in many ways with conservation area reviews, including:

  •  targeted meetings and workshops (perhaps with a parish or town council)
  • organised walks around the affected area
  • publication of a draft appraisal document on our website that is open for consultation and comment

The final draft of each conservation area appraisal will be accompanied by a report explaining how community involvement and public consultation has been undertaken, how the input from the community was evaluated and how it has influenced the definition of special interest and the recommendations.

Planning permission in conservation areas

Within a conservation area a number of works will require planning permission. These include the demolition of buildings as well as certain types of minor development, such as the rendering cladding of a building, or the installation of a satellite dish.

Trees within a conservation area are protected. Find out more about trees and nature conservation.

These controls are not intended to stifle development. They are there to ensure that development and change is managed in a sensitive manner that respects the character of the area.

In certain cases, permitted development rights might be restricted through an Article 4 direction. Find out more about Article 4 directions and permitted development on the gov.uk website.

Existing Article 4 directions

There are a number or properties within Newark which have had their permitted development rights restricted by Article 4 directions. These include a number of 18th and 19th century properties on Balderton Gate, King Street, Parliament Street and Victoria Street (click on each to view an indicative map showing the extent of each Article 4):

As part of our conservation area appraisal review process, Article 4 directions within existing areas will be reassessed.  New Article 4 directions may also be considered, particularly to tackle at risk areas.

There are also a number of Article 4 Directions across the district:

Additionally, the Local Authority is not in the process of serving, making or commencing any further Article 4 Directions. Should this change, details will be available on our website. 

For further information on Article 4 directions, call us on 01636 650 000 or email conservation@newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk.

Demolition within a conservation area

A building in a conservation area must not be demolished without the consent of the local planning authority. It’s a criminal offence to fail to obtain consent in the form of planning permission, but this is only required for certain types of demolition.

Please contact us for further advice on the need for planning permission for relevant demolition in a conservation area. You’ll find the application form for consent for relevant demolition on the Planning Portal.

Conservation area maps

Conservation area maps
Conservation
area
Original
designation
date
Date
previously
renewed/
amended
Conservation
area
appraisal
Averham (PDF File, 1,315kb) 1992    
Balderton (PDF File, 1,433kb) 1992    
Barnby in the Willows (PDF File, 1,289kb) 1992    
Besthorpe (PDF File, 989kb) 2008   Besthorpe (PDF File, 13,762kb)
Bilsthorpe (PDF File, 1,374kb) 1985    
Bleasby (PDF File, 1,567kb) 1988    
Blidworth (PDF File, 1,258kb) 1977    
Boughton (PDF File, 1,139kb) 1993    
Bulcote (PDF File, 1,627kb) 1974 1984,1994,2001 Bulcote (PDF File, 1,642kb) 
Carlton on Trent (PDF File, 1,427kb) 1992    
Caunton (PDF File, 1,369kb) 1974    
Coddington (PDF File, 1,836kb) 1992 2002,2006  
Collingham (PDF File, 1,863kb) 1973 1989,2006 Collingham (PDF File, 10,776kb) 
Eakring (PDF File, 2,332kb) 1974 1988 Eakring (PDF File, 2,232kb) 
East Stoke (PDF File, 1,168kb) 1992    
Edwinstowe Inset Map 9 Conservation Area (PDF File, 1,585kb) 1970 1989,2019 Edwinstowe (PDF File, 12,880kb) 
Egmanton (PDF File, 1,230kb) 1994   Egmanton (PDF File, 2,495kb) 
Elston (PDF File, 1,435kb) 1992    
Epperstone (PDF File, 1,582kb) 1972 2006 Epperstone (PDF File, 3,726kb)
Farndon (PDF File, 2,072kb) 1992    
Farnsfield (PDF File, 2,257kb) 1977 2000 Farnsfield (PDF File, 2,560kb)
Fiskerton (PDF File, 1,485kb) 2002   Fiskerton (PDF File, 433kb) 
Girton (PDF File, 1,044kb) 2008   Girton (PDF File, 11,958kb) 
Halloughton (PDF File, 1,008kb)  1972    
Hoveringham (PDF File, 1,381kb) 1990    
Kelham (PDF File, 1,192kb) 1992    
Kersall (PDF File, 922kb) 1992    
Kirklington (PDF File, 1,249kb) 1973 1994  
Kirton (PDF File, 1,113kb) 1978    
Kneesall (PDF File, 1,010kb) 1992    
Laxton (PDF File, 1,704kb) 1970 2022   
Lowdham (PDF File, 1,921kb) 1994    
Maplebeck (PDF File, 928kb) 1982    
Morton (PDF File, 1,369kb) 2003   Morton (PDF File, 448kb) 
Newark (PDF File, 6,259kb) 1968 1974,1979,1987,1992,1995,2022  
Norwell C.A (PDF File, 680kb) 1972    
Ollerton (PDF File, 1,101kb) 1972 1977,2022  Ollerton (PDF File, 6,543kb) 
Oxton (PDF File, 1,376kb) 1992    
Southwell (PDF File, 3,974kb) 1970 1972,1976,1993,2005,2022 Southwell (PDF File, 7,935kb) 
South Clifton (PDF File, 1,053kb) 1994    
South Scarle (PDF File, 949kb) 1994    
Sutton on Trent (PDF File, 1,831kb) 1992    
Thurgarton (PDF File, 1,439kb) 1983 2008 Thurgarton (PDF File, 10,528kb) 
Upton (PDF File, 1,349kb) 1971 1999 Upton (PDF File, 1,355kb)
Walesby (PDF File, 1,544kb) 1993    
Wellow (PDF File, 1,440kb) 1978 1993  
Winthorpe (PDF File, 1,853kb) 1974 2007 Winthorpe (PDF File, 9,017kb)

 

At risk conservation areas

512 conservation areas in the UK were recorded as at risk by local planning authorities in Historic England’s national survey in 2017. This risk comes from pressure for inappropriate new development, vacancy, decay or damage.

In the Newark and Sherwood district, there are currently three conservation areas at risk: Newark, Ollerton and Upton. The main reasons for this relate to the level of vacancy and neglect.

As part of our review of the district’s conservation areas, management proposals for tackling heritage at risk will be produced. In addition, free pre-application advice will be given to projects where heritage is at risk. This status will need to have been identified in either an appraisal document, or on the national national heritage at risk register or local buildings at risk register.