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Greater Cambridge Shared Planning

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Conservation Areas

About Conservation Areas

Conservation Areas are defined as areas of special architectural or historic interest. If your property is within a Conservation Area you may need Planning Permission for some works which would otherwise not need permission.

Trees in conservation areas have protection even if they don't have a Tree preservation order (TPO). Check if your property is on the Cambridge conservation areas list or South Cambridgeshire conservations areas list. You can also check if your property is in a conservation area by using the South Cambridgeshire planning search map which includes both Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire conservation areas.

If you are unsure what planning permission is needed in a conservation area, you can check with our householder and small business planning advice, though please note that this service is only to clarify what needs permission in a conservation area. For other enquiries about developing in a conservation area please choose Pre-application advice.

Please visit the Conservation Areas  and Listed Buildings pages for more information around these topics.

Alternatively you may refer to the Planning Portal and Historic England  websites which hold useful information around conservation areas and listed buildings.

What needs permission in a Conservation Area?

The special character of conservation areas means that the control of development is stricter than in other areas. This means that:

  • new buildings and the surrounding spaces must preserve or improve the character of the area
  • the siting, scale, height, form, details and building materials will all need to be carefully chosen
  • outline planning applications will not be accepted as it is not possible to judge if the new building will fit into its surroundings.

In Conservation Areas, permission is needed for activities on the list below. This is in addition to normal planning controls.

We recommend you read our what needs permission in a Conservation Area page for more detailed information.

Conservation Areas