Conservation areas
Conservation areas are designated for their special architectural and historic interest. We aim to preserve or enhance them.
There are 30 conservation areas in South Gloucestershire.
We carefully manage conservation areas to protect their character or appearance.
As part of the wider, ongoing review and update of the South Gloucestershire conservation area appraisals priority programme, the Almondsbury conservation area character appraisal and management plan, including amended conservation area boundary, was approved and adopted on 30 April 2024.
What conservation areas include
A conservation area might have:
- historic road patterns, plots and boundaries
- characteristic building materials and construction techniques
- historic building uses
- green spaces
- trees and street furniture
- distinctive views
You can see the different conservation areas of South Gloucestershire on the Know Your Place website.
Character appraisals
Each of our conservation areas has an appraisal which helps us understand their history and identifies the main features of the area’s character and appearance.
The appraisal also includes a suggested strategy to preserve and enhance the area.
Character appraisals go alongside our Policies, Sites and Places plan (PSP) and Core Strategy. They will also be used when assessing development proposals.
Acton Turville
Almondsbury and map
Beach
Bitton
Chipping Sodbury
Church Lane Winterbourne
Cold Ashton
Doynton and map
Dyrham
Frenchay and map
Great Badminton
Hambrook
Hanham Abbots
Hawkesbury
Horton
Iron Acton and map
Little Badminton
Marshfield and map
Olveston, preservation and enhancement strategy and boundary and character areas
Pucklechurch
Siston and map
Thornbury
Tockington
Tormarton
Tytherington
Upton Cheyney
Warmley and additional guidance
West Littleton
Whitfield Tabernacle
Wickwar
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Planning permission in conservation areas
Conservation areas have stricter planning controls so you might need to get permission before you carry out any type of development.
In dwellinghouses in a conservation area you will need planning permission if you want to:
- extend beyond a wall forming a side elevation
- extend beyond the rear wall with an addition of more than 1 storey
- clad any part of the exterior
- add to or alter the shape of the roof
- erect a building within the grounds of the dwellinghouse that would be situated on land between the side elevation and the boundary
- install a chimney, flue or soil and vent pipe on a wall or roof slope which fronts a highway and forms the principal elevation or a side elevation of the dwellinghouse
- install an antenna or satellite dish on a chimney, wall or roof slope that faces onto, and is visible from, a highway
- install solar PV or solar thermal equipment on a wall fronting a highway
- demolish a building with a volume of more than 115 cubic metres
- demolish a gate, fence, wall or railing over 1 metre high next to a road, footpath or public open space or 2 metres high elsewhere
Additional controls may apply to non-domestic buildings in conservation areas and you should contact us before starting any work that might affect the character or appearance of a conservation area.
To protect the character of a conservation area we may also restrict permitted development for particular classes through Article 4 Directions.
Trees in conservation areas
Trees in conservation areas are protected in the same way as trees with tree preservation orders.
If you want to complete any works on a tree in a conservation area you must apply for permission and give us 6 weeks’ notice.
You can apply for permission:
- on the planning portal
- by downloading, printing and completing a tree works application form
We may also require planting of new trees to replace any lost in development.