Conservation areas are areas of special architectural and historic interest whose character or appearance is considered desirable to preserve or enhance. They are designated, under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, by the local District Council as opposed to listed buildings that are designated by English Heritage. The first conservation area in England was the town of Stamford (pictured right) which was designated in 1967. Today there are approximately 9,300 conservation areas in England.
The significance of a conservation area’s character is determined, not just by the age and quality of buildings, but by a sense of continuity and stability, local distinctiveness as well as the experiences of people who live and have lived there. These factors help to form the character of the area which has to be measured and assessed before designation.
Conservation area designation introduces controls over demolition of buildings and also over the way owners can alter or develop their properties. Cutting and pruning of trees, restrictions on permitted development and advertisement displays can also be controlled by designation.
A Conservation Area Appraisal will help local authorities to develop a management plan for the conservation area because it analyses what is positive and negative, and identifies opportunities for beneficial change or the need for additional protection and restraint. Visit the Downloads page to view and download all of the available Conservation Area Appraisals for Lincolnshire. Not all of the conservation areas in Lincolnshire currently have a Conservation Area Appraisal.
Click on the links below to see a list of the conservation areas in each district.