Comment on the over-arching Conservation Area Management Plan
The concept of conservation areas was first brought into being by the Civic Amenities Act of 1967, but the relevant legislation now is the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act of 1990. This Act places a duty on local planning authorities to designate conservation areas where appropriate and defines a conservation area as “an area of architectural or historic interest the character and appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance”.
Designation as a conservation area makes additional controls available to the local planning authority. Briefly these include the control of demolition of unlisted buildings, more restricted permitted development rights for single dwelling houses and protection of trees.
This document has been designed to offer an overarching management plan for Maidstone Borough Councils existing conservation area’s that currently do not management plans. This document is not considered to be a substitute for a full appraisal. Where conservation areas have an existing, up to date Management Plan, these will be taken precedent over this document.
Consultation closes: 21 May 2024.