03 July 2009The Council through the Planning (Listed Building and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 controls certain works in conservation areas. A conservation area is an area of special architectural or historic interest and the Council wishes to preserve or enhance its appearance or setting.
Conservation areas vary in size, ranging from whole town centres, to much smaller groups of buildings. They will often be centred on listed buildings, but other features of merit, such as open spaces, trees, historic street patterns, or items of historic or archaeological interest may also contribute to the special character of an area.
Even relatively minor works, such as painting, removal of doors and windows and paving front gardens may affect the character of a conservation area and it is therefore advisable to contact the Development Control section for further advice. The fact that a building is in a conservation area does not necessarily mean that it must be preserved intact for all time.
The main purpose of conservation areas is to ensure that care will be taken over decisions affecting its future, that any alterations respect the particular character and interest of the area, and that the case for preservation is taken into account in considering any redevelopment proposals.
Sevenoaks District is rich in history and contains much that is worthy of conservation. In fact, it has 40 Conservation Areas and over 2000 Listed Buildings.
Sevenoaks itself has an impressive collection of historic buildings including the Parish Church of St Nicholas and Sevenoaks School - both constructed of ragstone - the attractive local stone. Fine Georgian houses line the Upper High Street, the historic core, and there are many survivors of early traditional timber framed buildings throughout the town. To the north The Vine is famous as the first cricket ground in the county and the open space is surrounded by traditional houses.
Apart from the town most of the Conservation Areas are centred in the villages. Each has its own character but all have a historic core, with a cluster of traditional houses and church.
Conservation Areas Appraisals have been prepared for all Conservation Areas within Sevenoaks District and may be printed from the website or purchased by contacting the Conservation Officer. Boundaries can be seen on the Conservation Area Maps. These maps show current conservation area boundaries and may differ from maps in our published Conservation Area Appraisals where the area has been recently reviewed.
For further information on Conservation Areas, please see the below links:
For all other information or advice, please contact the Planning Team.
