Living in a conservation area places some additional restrictions on what you can and can’t do to your property. If you’re a Greenwich resident who lives within a conservation area, you will need to meet stricter planning permission requirements. This is a task that our team can assist you with, helping you to successfully gain approval.
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Call 0207 924 7303 to discuss planning permission for conservation areas in Greenwich.
Conservation areas in Greenwich
What is a conservation area?
When an area has historic appeal or unique architectural character, it may be designated as a conservation area. This puts additional guidelines and restrictions in place to preserve these features and prevent them from being lost or diluted over time.
Why does Greenwich have conservation areas?
The Royal Borough of Greenwich uses conservation areas to protect its architectural heritage. This is a particularly important feature of the local area, as indicated by the designation of the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site. By ensuring that new developments don’t detract from the area, future Greenwich residents and visitors can continue to experience them as intended.
Where are the conservation areas in Greenwich?
The Royal Borough of Greenwich has 23 conservation areas in place, including the very first conservation areas within London. These were designated in January 1968. Greenwich has always taken its architectural heritage seriously, making sure that local buildings and views are protected.
Local conservation areas
- Ashburnham Triangle
- Blackheath
- Blackheath Park
- Charlton Riverside
- Charlton Village
- Greenwich Park
- Deptford High Street
- East Greenwich
- Eltham Green
- Eltham Palace
- Goldie Leigh Hospital
- Plumstead Common
- Progress Estate
- Royal Arsenal Woolwich
- Rectory Field
- Shrewsbury Park Estate
- Sun in the Sands
- Thames Barrier and Bowater Road
- Well Hall Pleasaunce
- Westcombe Park
- West Greenwich
- Woolwich
- Woolwich Common
Speak to a member of our team
Do you live in one of Greenwich’s conservation areas? If you need assistance with planning permission a member of our team will be happy to assist you. Call 0207 924 7303 or email info@sashwindows.london to tell us your requirements.
How does living in a conservation area affect Greenwich residents?
Planning guidance is in place for each of the 23 conservation areas, giving locals an understanding of the planning controls that are in place. These controls add restrictions to proposed alterations such as:
- Developments
- Building works
- Felling or working on trees more than 75mm in diameter
- Demolition
- Home improvement works such as external cladding
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Additional restrictions
In some areas where conservation is a particular concern an Article 4 Direction may be applied. This measure applies additional restrictions that remove permitted development rights such as replacing external doors, windows, or making adjustments to the roof. As a result, planning permission is required for these tasks. In Greenwich, Article 4 Direction applies to the following areas:
- Ashburnham Triangle
- East Greenwich
- Progress Estate
- Rectory Field
- Shrewsbury Park Estate
- West Greenwich
Gaining planning permission within one of Greenwich’s conservation areas
The application process for planning permission can be intimidating for inexperienced homeowners, especially when planning controls are in place. The team at Wandsworth Sash Windows are happy to offer professional assistance if you’d like support with seeking planning permission. In fact, we can handle the planning process on your behalf. We have extensive experience completing and submitting these applications and have achieved a 100% success rate when applying within conservation areas. We’ll save you the hassle involved in preparing for your home improvement project, whether you’re hoping to invest in new sash windows or are planning to extend your property.
How long does it take to apply and gain approval within a conservation area?
Unfortunately, it isn’t possible to suggest a precise timeframe for approval, as this can be impacted if there is a backlog of submitted applications. We can, however, provide some rough guidelines based on the 300+ planning applications we have submitted to local planning authorities.
Preparing the application – 2-3 weeks
In order to gather information and put the application together, we recommend allowing several weeks. This ensures that everything is in line with the requirements of the conservation area.
Assessing the application – 8 weeks
The planning authority has to return a decision within this timeframe. However, the countdown won’t start until the application has been checked and has been deemed to be complete with the right information.
As a result, planning authorities can use the validation process to their advantage when struggling with a large backlog. They can also request additional information to extend the decision date further. These factors are out of the applicant’s control and, unfortunately, must be accepted as part of the planning process.
What if my home is listed?
Listed buildings in Greenwich need Listed Building Consent from the council for almost any change to their windows, on top of any planning permission. We don’t carry out work on listed buildings, so if your home is listed, speak to the council’s conservation officer first. If your home is in a conservation area but isn’t listed, we can prepare and submit the planning application for you.
Do you live in one of Greenwich’s conservation areas?
If you’d like assistance with a planning application, our team will be happy to offer their expertise. Call 0207 924 7303 or email info@sashwindows.london to discuss your requirements and start the process.