Conservation areas in Doncaster

A conservation area is an area of special architectural or historic interest, the character or appearance of which is desirable to preserve or enhance. Under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, the Council has a duty to consider the designation of conservation areas.

Conservation areas are of many kinds; town centres, such as Doncaster and Thorne, or may be centred on squares, terraces or villages. It is the character of the area rather than just the presence of individual buildings, which justifies designation of a conservation area, although such areas often contain listed buildings. Further advice on listed buildings can be found at Frequently Asked Questions - Listed Buildings.

A map showing the conservation areas within Doncaster can be viewed by going to the Heritage Map. At present there are 46 conservation areas in Doncaster.

Map of Conservation Areas

What does this mean to me?

Within conservation areas, control on development is more restrictive. The Council must ensure that any development proposals preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the area.

There are greater planning controls which can be summarised as follows:

- apart from unlisted buildings less than 115 cubic metres, consent is required for demolition. If you need to apply for demolition you will need planning permission and you can obtain the necessary forms by going to Planning Application Form

- consent will not normally be given for demolition where the building is considered to make a positive contribution to the conservation area. In most cases consent will be tied to there being an approved scheme for redevelopment of the site

- trees within conservation areas are protected. Works cannot be carried out unless six weeks' written notice is given. Further advice on tree matters can be viewed by going to Protected Trees and Woodlands

- there are greater restrictions on development that can be carried out without the need for planning permission within a conservation area.

If you want to know whether planning permission is required please go to Check if you need planning permission.

What can I build in a Conservation Area?

Conservation area status is intended neither to prevent development nor to stifle individual design flair. However, the Council wishes to ensure that any new building is designed, not as a separate entity but relates to the area as a whole. The Council will give very careful consideration to any development proposals within the area.

What happens once an area is designated?

The Council has a statutory duty to publish, from time to time, proposals for the preservation and enhancement of all its conservation areas. Firstly, an appraisal will be carried out to ascertain what is special about the character and appearance of the area. Following on from this appraisal and picking up on what has been considered special, management proposals will be prepared that set out measures to help preserve or enhance the conservation area.

Further information and help

Old buildings and historic areas are part of this Country's heritage and can quite easily be damaged or eroded unintentionally. Therefore, it is always advisable to seek professional advice before carrying out any work to an historic building or development in a conservation area.

If you are considering doing work within a conservation area our Design and Conservation officer would be pleased to give advice on its appropriateness or not.

email: conservation@doncaster.gov.uk
tel: 01302 734922 or 735199

However, if you require advice on whether something needs planning permission you should use the council's Check if you need planning permission.

List of Conservation Areas in Doncaster

The conservation areas in Doncaster are listed below. Brief summaries for all conservation areas are now available. Full appraisals have been prepared for some areas, as indicated with an asterix *.