Heritage

Conservation areas in Havering are designated areas considered to be of special architectural or historic interest.

The purpose of conservation areas designation is to manage change in a sensitive way to ensure the protection of heritage, as development occurs.

There are 11 designated conservation areas within Havering, all containing important heritage assets.

All of the areas have conservation area appraisals and management proposals.

These serve to identify the special interest of each conservation area and provide a clear basis for assessing how far planning proposals preserve or enhance their character or appearance.

Development in conservation areas

Planning permission is usually required for:

• any material alteration to the external appearance of a non-residential building
• change of use of any building
• display of most advertisements in a conservation area
• and the pruning or felling of all trees with a trunk diameter of more than 7.5 cm or 10 cm if thinning to help the growth of other trees

Conservation area consent is required for the total or substantial demolition of any building with a volume of 115 cubic metres or more, or of a boundary wall over one metre in height next to a road and two metres elsewhere within a conservation area.

Where the exercise of permitted development rights would erode the character and appearance of the area, the Council can introduce special controls through Article 4 Directions which withdraw some or all permitted development rights.

The following conservation areas have an Article 4 Direction in place:

• Gidea Park Conservation Area - explanation of planning controls
• Havering-atte-Bower Conservation Area - planning permission is required for satellite dishes
• Cranham Conservation Area - planning permission is required for gates, walls, fences or other means of enclosure

The contribution that designated conservation areas make is a material consideration in the planning and conservation area consent process.

When considering any applications under planning powers in relation to conservation areas and their setting, special attention will be paid to the desirability of preserving or enhancing the character and appearance of the building/area or its setting or any buildings or features of architectural or historic interest which it possesses.