Rossendale currently has 10 Conservation Areas, designated under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 and defined as "areas of special architectural or historic interest, the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance."
The reasons for designation vary widely, but all Conservation Areas have in common historic and architectural features which make them worthy of additional protection. We recognise that this places extra responsibilities, and in some cases extra costs, on owners when proposing material changes to their properties. For this reason, we encourage owners to contact the Conservation team at the earliest opportunity when proposing works, to check whether permission will be necessary and for advice on the detail of their proposals, for instance on the design of features or specification of materials.
