Conservation areas are those areas identified by the Local Planning Authority as having special architectural or historic interest which merits designation. Documentation including area character appraisals and boundary maps are published here for reference and to support the Open Digital Planning project. Conservation Areas were introduced through the Civic Amenities Act 1967. They are ‘areas of special architectural or historic interest, the character and appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance’ (Section 69(1)(a) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990). Conservation Area status acknowledges the importance of an area, highlighting its real and potential attractiveness. It also means that the council’s efforts in the area are geared to preserving and enhancing its special character. In the files section is included the Conservation Areas Documents dataset. This dataset is about documents that provide sources for the information contained in the conservation areas dataset. These documents are the authoritative source and provide the context around the history and impact of the conservation areas. The Open Government Licence (OGL) generally allows for the use of government data, including maps, with minimal restrictions. However, in this case, the maps within the documents are governed by the Public Sector Geospatial Agreement (PGSA).
