Bromley has a total of 47 conservation areas. If you happen to live within one of these, there are strict requirements you will need to meet when seeking to make alterations to your property. Whilst it can be harder to obtain planning permission, this is something that our expert team can assist you with. Let us help you to gain approval for the project you have in mind.
Call 020 8131 2886 to discuss planning permission for conservation areas in Bromley.
Conservation areas are designed to protect the individual character of the area in question, particularly if it has a historic appeal or unique architecture. There are additional rules to follow when making alterations to buildings in these areas, making sure that any distinctive features are retained from generation to generation.
The London Borough of Bromley uses the protections that conservation areas offer to control the developments that are permitted and ensure that there are no alterations to the look and feel of the wider area. As the largest London borough by area, Bromley has many unique features that need to be preserved in this manner.
Bromley’s large and varied coverage includes 47 conservation areas. It’s important to be aware of these as a local resident so that you know whether or not additional restrictions apply to your property.
Do you live in a conservation area in Bromley? If you need assistance with planning permission a member of our team will be happy to assist you. Call 020 8131 2886 or email info@sashwindows.london to tell us your requirements.
Planning guidance has been prepared for each conservation area. This information is available on request but the council is in the process of making it more widely accessible via their website. Features which are said to contribute to the character of an area are:
When there is a particular need to look after an area, the London Borough of Bromley will apply an Article 4 Direction. This expands the scope of planning permission for the properties that are affected by removing permitted development rights. To see whether or not an Article 4 Direction has been applied to your area, consult the council website for an up to date list.
There’s no need to feel daunted by the application process for planning permission. Although this can be an unfamiliar scenario for homeowners, professionals like the team at Wandsworth Sash Windows are on hand to provide support. We can even handle the planning process on your behalf. During our time completing and filing planning applications within conservation areas we have been able to achieve a 100% success rate. This allows you to be confident that your home improvement project will be able to proceed without hassle, including installing new sash windows.
This is a difficult question to answer decisively because it will depend on how many submitted applications are currently in the queue to be reviewed. However, based on the 300+ applications we have handled over the years, we can provide the following rough guidelines.
You should allow several weeks to gather all the necessary information and assemble the application. Conservation areas can have detailed requirements, so it’s worth spending the time to make sure everything is correct.
The planning authority is held to an 8-week timeline to return a decision. However, this timeline only starts once the application has been checked and marked as complete. This can be used by planning authorities to their advantage, delaying the start whilst they work through a large backlog. Additional information can also be requested to extend the decision date. As an applicant these measures are out of your control and must be accepted as part of the process.
It’s also important to be aware of listed building status when planning a home improvement project. These fall into two categories – locally listed and statutory listed.
This is a list of buildings that Bromley Council has put together because they are deemed to be of local architectural interest. There are no additional planning controls for buildings on this list, but the council encourages their preservation and retention. As a result, it is expected that all planning proposals will be sympathetic to the building’s current architectural character.
Buildings that are on the statutory list (also known as the national list) will require Listed Building Consent (LBC) for any alterations. This is a detailed planning process that applies to all internal and external works. It is an offence to alter these buildings without obtaining consent first. You should expect the application process to take at least 12-18 weeks, no matter the scale of the proposed works. It’s also important to note that such strict criteria mean that multiple applications will probably be needed.
Obtaining Listed Building Consent is highly complex and requires plenty of back and forth with the planning authority. They will often request additional information as the application progresses and is being considered. The team at Wandsworth Sash Windows will be happy to lend a helping hand by overseeing this process on your behalf. We can manage expectations over the permission that can realistically be obtained and can suggest an approach that maximises your chances of success. To learn more about the assistance we can offer, take a look at our guide to Listed Building services.
We’ll be happy to help if you’d like assistance with a planning application in Bromley. Call 020 8131 2886 or email info@sashwindows.london to discuss your requirements and start the process.
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