Conservation Areas
A conservation area is defined as “an area of special architectural or historic interest the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance” and are fine examples of the City’s unique and varied heritage. They invariably have a concentration of historic buildings many of which are Listed Buildings and their character and attraction comprise more than buildings alone. A conservation area, therefore, protects the whole area and not just the buildings within it. Therefore these areas are important parts of the City’s heritage, which the Council is committed to preserving and enhancing.
Conservation areas are designated under the provisions of Section 69 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990. The aim of designation is to control and manage change to conserve what is special about the area and, where possible, improve it. Change within conservation areas is controlled in order to maintain the areas' special character and appearance. Conservation Area Consent or planning permission may be needed to carry out some alterations and demolition and you may also need to inform us if you carry out any work to trees in a conservation area.
In total the Council has adopted 14 Conservation Areas in Gloucester. Conservation Areas 1-13 were subject to a review during 2006/07. The review involved a two-stage consultation process (April/May 2006 and January 2007), which included amendments to some of the boundaries, renaming of some of the areas, and the designation of two new Conservation Areas. Management proposals for the future were also developed. On 20 September 2007 all 13 Conservation Areas Appraisals were adopted by Full Council as interim planning guidance. More recently, the Council has undertaken consultation on another Conservation Area, to be located around the Denmark Road area of the City. Again, this has been subject to a two-stage consultation process (January 2008 and August/September 2008). The Denmark Road Conservation Area was adopted by Full Council on 27 November 2008.
Download a guide on Conservation Areas in Gloucester here (PDF, 16.7 MB) . This covers many topics, including what they are and why they are designated, through to the procedure for carrying out work in a designated Conservation Area.
Use the interactive map to find out which conservation area your property falls within.