Policy BE.7: CONSERVATION AREAS
CONSERVATION AREAS WILL BE PRESERVED AND ENHANCED BY THE FOLLOWING MEANS:
- DEVELOPMENT INVOLVING DEMOLITION OF AN UNLISTED BUILDING WILL NOT BE PERMITTED WHERE THE BUILDING MAKES A POSITIVE CONTRIBUTION TO THE CHARACTER OR APPEARANCE OF A CONSERVATION AREA: UNLESS THERE IS CLEAR AND CONVINCING EVIDENCE THAT ALL REASONABLE EFFORTS HAVE BEEN MADE TO SUSTAIN EXISTING USES, OR FIND VIABLE AND COMPATIBLE ALTERNATIVE USES; AND THAT THESE EFFORTS HAVE FAILED. THESE EFFORTS SHOULD EMBRACE FINANCIAL, STRUCTURAL AND TECHNICAL MATTERS.
- DEMOLITION OF AN UNLISTED BUILDING MEETING THE ABOVE CRITERION WILL ONLY BE PERMITTED IF DETAILED PROPOSALS FOR THE RE-USE OF THE SITE, INCLUDING ANY REPLACEMENT BUILDING OR OTHER STRUCTURE, HAVE BEEN APPROVED.
- DEVELOPMENT WILL NOT BE PERMITTED IF IT WOULD HARM THE CHARACTER, APPEARANCE OR SETTING OF A CONSERVATION AREA;
- A NEW BUILDING WILL NOT BE PERMITTED UNLESS IT WOULD HARMONISE WITH ITS SETTING BY BEING SYMPATHETIC ON SCALE, FORM AND MATERIALS TO THE CHARACTERISTIC BUILT FORM OF THE AREA, PARTICULARLY THE ADJACENT BUILDINGS AND SPACES;
AN ALTERATION OR EXTENSION OF A BUILDING WILL NOT BE PERMITTED UNLESS IT WOULD HARMONISE WITH THE BUILDING AND THE CONSERVATION AREA BY:
- RETAINING, AND WHERE NECESSARY, RESTORING TRADITIONAL FEATURES SUCH AS SHOP FRONTS, BOUNDARY WALLS, PAVED SURFACES AND STREET FURNITURE;
- REFLECTING THE SCALE, FORM AND CHARACTER OF THE BUILDING; AND
- USING MATERIALS TRADITIONALLY CHARACTERISTIC OF THE AREA.
A NEW SHOP FRONT OR FASCIA WILL NOT BE PERMITTED UNLESS IT IS IN PROPORTION WITH THE BUILDING AND IN CHARACTER WITH THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE BUILDING AND ITS SETTING.