Conservation Areas
- Public Consultation on the Highgate Conservation Area No 1 - Draft Character Appraisal
- What is a Conservation Area?
- Is my property in a Conservation Area?
- Haringey Conservation Areas Map
- Can I alter my windows?
- Why designate a Conservation Area?
- Planning Permission
- Demolition and Conservation Area Consent
- Trees
- Materials
- Article 4 Directions
- Determining Planning Applications in Conservation Areas
- Pre-application advice
- Policy Statements and Design Guides
What is a Conservation Area?
There are 29 conservation areas in Haringey. They vary in age, size, character and style. They include areas such as Highgate, parts of Crouch End, Muswell Hill, Tottenham High Road and Stroud Green.
A conservation area is a place of special architectural or historic interest, the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance.
Conservation areas can be designated for their special architectural interest that may derive from the setting or features provided by a collection of buildings and spaces. Alternatively, a conservation area may be designated for its historic interest. An example may be a site of some former historic event. In many cases an area is designated in recognition of both its architectural and historic interest. The Local Authority normally makes the designation.
|Back to topIs my property in a Conservation Area?
If you want to know whether a property is in a conservation area there is a Haringey online mapping system which will give you details of the property. The system will inform you whether it is in a Conservation Area or not and also whether there are any Tree Preservation Orders at that address.
You can also download the Haringey Conservation Areas map (PDF, 4MB). It is a large file, so may take some time to download.
It shows:
- The boundaries of each conservation area
- Their dates of designation
- The dates and boundaries of each extension or modification
- Which conservation areas have Article 4 Directions
A comprehensive list of conservation areas and individual maps of each conservation area are available on the List of Conservation Areas page. As mentioned above you can also view conservation areas on the Haringey online mapping system or you can refer to our 'interactive UDP' map for conservation areas or a paper version of the UDP map can be purchased for £20 from the planning policy team. Please follow the link to the local development plan page for further details.
|back to topCan I alter my windows?
Owners of properties that are purpose built flats or maisonettes, are flats or maisonettes above retail or commercial uses, or are flats or maisonettes within a converted house do not have permitted development rights, so in all cases will have to obtain planning permission before altering windows.
Often perfectly good original windows are removed from buildings as a way of improving energy efficiency and insulation. This is usually an unnecessary alteration that detracts from the character and appearance of a building and can reduce its sale value through the loss of attractive architectural features.
We strongly advise owners of buildings within conservation areas to retain and repair their original timber or metal windows, as these give buildings their special architectural character and add value to the appearance of a conservation area. Window frames may appear to be beyond repair, but on closer inspection only need limited repairs and repainting. If a window frame is so badly decayed that it has to be replaced, this should be carried out using materials and designs that identically replicate the originals.
Draughty and poorly fitting windows can easily be overhauled and fitted with pile perimeter seals that eliminate rattles, heat loss and dust ingress. For further information please contact the Design and Conservation home page.
Please note that the detail design and fabrication of replacement windows must be to an increased thermal insulation performance standard in accordance with Part L of the Building Regulations which come under the remit of Building Control, an entirely separate service within the Council. However, you can apply to the Building Control Team to get exemption from providing double glazing in any old buildings in a conservation area because it would affect their character and appearance. Other ways of increasing heat loss such as draught proofing of existing sashes, extra loft insulation and secondary glazing are acceptable alternatives, together with the use of any existing timber shutters and closing blinds and curtains at night. This would save money and retain original features.
If replacement windows are necessary we recommend the use of authentic materials and detail design to harmonise with the original. Accordingly we do not recommend the use of UPVC replacement windows in conservation areas as they are not sustainable and are environmentally damaging. The production of UPVC requires the use of hazardous chemicals, releases harmful additives and creates toxic wastes. These are also released in the eventual disposal of the windows which at present only have a life of about 10 to 15 years.
For further information please contact the Design and Conservation home page.
Discrete purpose made high performance secondary glazing units are the Council's preferred option to providing thermal and acoustic insulation to historic buildings.
Slim double glazing units are now available that are suitable for use in many original window frames without the need for replacements. These can have an overall thickness of as little as 12mm with a gas filled cavity and 5mm perimeter seal designed to fit into Georgian style windows to maintain the visually slim glazing bars. For further information please contact the Design and Conservation home page.
|back to topWhy designate a Conservation Area?
We have a duty to designate as a conservation area any area of special architectural or historic interest, the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance.
Conservation area designation is a means of recognising the importance of the quality of an area as a whole, as well as protecting individual buildings.
Conservation areas are not designated to stop future development. Instead, designation seeks to manage change in order to enhance conservation areas and ensure that new developments preserve and enhance their character.
|back to topWhat are the effects of Conservation Area Designation?
Planning Permission
Conservation areas are subject to additional planning controls under the planning legislation.
For example, you may need to apply for planning permission for alterations or extensions to a dwellings that would not normally require planning permission outside of conservation areas.
These include:
- Extensions over 50 percent of the total area of the curtilage; up to 4 metres beyond the original rear wall and 4 metres in height
- Roof alteration / enlargement and dormer windows
- Erection or construction of a porch outside any external door
- Provision of, or alteration to, a building or enclosure for a swimming pool, poultry, bees, pets or livestock
- Provision of a container for the storage of oil or liquid petroleum gas
- Provision or replacement of a porous hard surface within the curtilage
- Installation, alteration or replacement of a chimney, flue, soil or vent pipe
- Installation, alteration or replacement of a microwave antenna
Demolition and Conservation Area Consent
Special controls also exist over demolition in conservation areas. In some cases, persons wishing to carry out demolition may need to acquire conservation area consent beforehand.
You will need conservation area consent to demolish a building in a conservation area. Generally, we are in favour of keeping all buildings that make a positive contribution to the character and appearance of a conservation area.
Conservation area consent may also be required for the demolition of boundary walls in a conservation area. This would be the case for a wall that is over 1 metre facing a public highway, or over 2 metres in any other case.
|back to topTrees
Trees in conservation areas are also afforded additional protection. You must make an application for tree works before any work is carried out to prune or fell a tree in a conservation area. To find out how to make an application please see the How to Make a Planning Application page.
Materials
The Council may also require developers to use particular materials or styles that preserve the conservation area’s character.
Many smaller changes are not subject to control and the area’s character often depends on sensitive repair and maintenance by property owners. For example, alterations to windows / doors are not effected by Conservation Area designation, so the Council does not have control over this. However, Part L of the Building Regulations allows for relaxation of the need to replace original windows to upgrade the energy efficiency of any historic building by carrying out alternative ways of increasing insulation. The Council does exercise control over all alterations to windows and doors in flats as permitted development rights do not apply to these buildings.
Article 4 Directions
Additional controls are applied to minor developments within certain conservation areas in the form of Article 4 Directions. These directions can control small-scale change that can gradually erode the character of a conservation area, such as alterations to windows and doors or the creation of car parking space at the front of a property. Where an Article 4 Direction is applied, planning permission would be required for specified developments.
There are currently four areas covered by Article 4 Directions:
- Rookfield (see the attached files section below)
- Tower Gardens (see the attached files section below)
- Noel Park (see the attached files section below)
- Peabody Cottages (see the attached files section below)
Determining Planning Applications in Conservation Areas
In conservation areas development control officers will deal with applications for planning permission or conservation area consent with input and support from Design and Conservation Officers. Applications will be subject to the usual time limits and procedures of any planning application.
Applications are considered against conservation policies and can be refused on conservation grounds alone. Permission or consent should only be granted if a proposal enhances or preserves the character or appearance of the Conservation Area. As with a planning application outside a conservation area, an applicant maintains the right to appeal against a refusal for planning permission, or against any conditions attached to a permission or consent.
Pre-application Advice
If you live in a conservation area, Design and Conservation Officers can provide you with pre-application advice regarding conservation issues that may arise during the application process. This service is available free of charge for householders and for applicants with proposals of less than two units. Contact details are available from the Design and Conservation home page.
If your proposal is for two units or more you will need to request a formal pre-application advice meeting. Please see the pre-application planning advice services page for more information.
|back to topPolicy Statements and Design Guides
A number of Haringey’s conservation areas have supplementary planning guidance in the form of Policy Statements that were produced as part of the 1998 UDP and Design Guides, but these have been superseded by Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) 2: Conservation and Archaeology.
However, these documents still provide useful background information on a conservation area’s history and form, and policies and proposals to preserve and enhance an area’s character and appearance. They can be found below or on the Tottenham High Road Historic Corridor, Tower Gardens Conservation Area, Trinity Gardens Conservation Area and Wood Green Common Conservation Area web pages (click links to go to those pages).
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