About Conservation
Kingston has a rich and varied built heritage dating from Saxon times when it was an important river crossing point and Royal coronation place. Followed by its position as a significant medieval market town through waves of Regency , Victorian, Edwardian and twentieth century suburbanisation. The Conservation of this heritage is key to preserving the distinct local identity of the Borough. It is the work of this team to conserve what is best in Kingston's architecture, associated public spaces and to promote good practice and quality design in new building and refurbishment schemes.
There are a number of ways in which the built heritage of the borough is protected:
Listed Buildings
are those included in the Secretary of State's statutory list of buildings of special architectural or historic interest. They make a significant contribution to the borough's heritage and must therefore be preserved in all but the most exceptional circumstances. The Secretary of State for the Department of Culture Media and Sport has the power to place a building on the statutory list.The grading system gives an indication of the importance of the building. Grade I and grade II* make up about 6% of the national listed building stock. There are over 150 listed building entries in the borough, 11 (or 16%) of which are Grade I and Grade II*.
Anybody wishing to carryout works on a listed building (internal or external) in a way which would affect its character requires listed building consent in addition to the standard planning consent. The penalties for carrying out works without this consent are severe.
Scheduled Ancient Monuments
are another group of historically significant sites or monuments which are given legal protection by being placed on a list, or 'schedule'. A schedule has been kept since 1882 of monuments whose preservation is given priority over other land uses.For more information on scheduled ancient monuments or listed buildings within the borough see the link at the bottom of this page.
Conservation Areas
are areas of special architectural or historic interest the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance. A comprehensive survey of the borough has resulted in the designation 23 conservation areas.When considering the designation of a Conservation Area the Council will the following features;
- The distinctive or cohesive architectural or historic qualities of the area
- the age, quality and arrangement of buildings spaces and views;
- the number of individual buildings of townscape merit; and
- the occurrence of other features of special interest including trees and landscaping.
In deciding whether or not to allow new building, the Council will give careful consideration to the proposed building's relation to the physical properties which contribute to the character of the area such as proportions, rooflines, detailing, texture and colour.
The Council has additional control over trees above a certain size. All applications for planning permission within or adjoining a conservation area are required to include elevations which show the proposed development in relation to surrounding buildings.
For more detailed information on conservation areas within the borough see the link at the bottom of this page.
Buildings of Townscape Merit (BTMs)
are buildings or structure groups of buildings, or structures of historic and architectural interest which contribute significantly to the townscape and environment of the borough, but which are not of sufficient quality to be made a listed building. There are approximately 700 BTMs in the borough.When considering the designation of a building of townscape merit the council will pay particular attention to:
- The architectural quality of the building
- The setting of the building including its relationship to nearby buildings and open spaces or other features of interest
- The importance of the building in relation to a townscape view
While the majority of these buildings are unlikely to be listed for a number of years, the fact that they are of significant local interest and townscape value means their loss would be regrettable. However the Council's powers are limited except where a building is within a conservation area or is considered worthy of 'spot listing' (where a building is seen to be under threat and is considered under a fast track system to be included on the statutory list as described above).