Conservation areas – guidance and advice for householders

This information covers rules for conservation areas in Reading, it should not be used as guidance for properties outside the area.

Living in a conservation area

Conservation areas have special architectural or historic interest. Changes to properties should preserve or enhance this special character and appearance. Planning legislation and policies enable this to happen.

Permitted Development Rights (PDR) and planning permission

You need planning permission when you want to make changes to a building or how it is used. You must get approval from the council before you start any work. However, some types of work are allowed without needing permission — these are called Permitted Development Rights (PDR).

In conservation areas fewer of these automatic rights apply. This means that work which would normally be allowed elsewhere may still need planning permission if it changes how the outside of a building looks. Some changes to how a building is used are also more strictly controlled in these areas.

Works to a home

The following applies to external works to a house (does not include flats). In addition to the rules that apply to all properties, if you live in a conservation area you will need permission for:

Extensions

• An extension that goes beyond the back wall of the original house by more than 3 metres (4 metres for a detached house)
• A extension that is more than one storey high and goes beyond the rear wall of the original house
• Any extension that goes beyond the side wall of the original house
• Adding extra storeys — if your home already has two or more storeys, you cannot add two more without permission; if it has only one storey, you cannot add one more

Other changes

• Building anything in your garden — including sheds, enclosures or swimming pools — if it would sit between the side wall of your house and the boundary of your property
• Cladding – covering any part of the outside of your home with stone, artificial stone, pebble dash, render, timber, plastic or tiles
• Any additions or changes to the roof, such as dormers
• Fitting a chimney, flue or vent on the front wall of your house, or on a side wall that faces a road
• A TV aerial, antenna or satellite dish on a chimney, wall or roof that can be seen from the road, or on a building taller than 15 metres
• Installing solar panels on any part of your property that faces a road (this also applies to flats)
• Installing an air source heat pump on a wall or roof that faces a road, or in a position closer to the road than any other part of the building

New or replacement windows, doors, roof and roof tiles and other external work not listed above will need planning permission, unless the materials used are similar to the existing property.

Demolition in a conservation area

Planning permission is required for the demolition of:

• Any unlisted building that exceeds 115 cubic metres (measured externally)
• Any gate, fence, wall or other boundary structure that is more than 1m tall and next to a road, footpath or bridleway, waterway or open space
• Any gate, fence, wall or other boundary structure that is more than 2m tall anywhere else

Article 4 directions

An Article 4 Direction is when the council removes some Permitted Development Rights in a specific area. This means that certain types of work that would normally not need planning permission will require it instead.

These directions are put in place to protect the look and character of an area. They can apply anywhere in the borough, not just in conservation areas. There are 18 Article 4 directions in Reading.

Getting planning permission

For properties in conservation areas, the council will consider whether your plans help to preserve or improve the special character of the area when deciding whether to approve or refuse your application. Your application will be assessed against the heritage policies set out in Reading’s Local Plan, as well as other relevant policies.