Archaeology, Heritage & Conservation

Conservation areas

Conservation areas are areas of special architectural or historic interest which merit preservation.

We protect the character or appearance of these areas by putting stricter rules on what type of development can take place. There are special arrangements for planning permission in conservation areas.

Central Bedfordshire contains a large number of buildings which, although not listed, are considered to make an important contribution to the heritage of the local area.

Many of these buildings have already been identified within the conservation area appraisals. Where buildings have been identified as Heritage Assets in this way, a planning application will be expected to be supported by a Heritage Asset Assessment in accordance with the Government’s requirements in PPS5: Planning for the Historic Environment.

You can find conservation areas plus access a range of really useful information about the area you live in, just by entering your postcode on My Central Bedfordshire. This also allows you to see the ward you live in, your local councillor, planning applications around you and a lot more.

On the My Central Bedfordshire home page, put your postcode into the search and you will see if there are conservation areas listed nearby.

Find conservation areas on My Central Bedfordshire >>

Conservation area appraisals

Each appraisal considers the character, appearance and setting of the conservation area. They seek to identify what creates the special interest of the conservation area and contributes to the sense of local distinctiveness.as well as identifying areas for possible future enhancement.

Appraisals have been carried out for the following conservation areas: