Conservation areas
Maidstone Borough currently has 41 designated conservation
areas.
Each townscape tells the story of its unique development, and
gives us a sense of place, continuity and cultural identity. Where
these places are of special architectural or historic interest they
can be designated as conservation areas. However, this does not
mean that they have to remain frozen in time, change is often
necessary to accommodate the demands of modern living. As our
historic town and village centres are always likely to attract new
development, the challenge is how to enhance, rather than detract
from, their special, local character.
Plans showing the each conservation area are downloadable
below:
Bearsted (Holy Cross
Church)
Bearsted -
Conservation area appraisal and management plan completed.
Boughton Malherbe
Boughton
Monchelsea (Cock Street) - Conservation area appraisal
completed.
Boughton
Monchelsea The Green - Conservation area appraisal
completed.
Boughton
Monchelsea The Quarries - Conservation area appraisal
completed.
Boxley
Boxley Abbey
Broomfield
Detling - Conservation area
appraisal and management plan completed.
East Farleigh
Dean Street
East Farleigh
Lower Road
Grove Green
Harrietsham -
East Street
Headcorn
Hollingbourne
- Broad Street
Hollingbourne
- Eyhorne Street
Hollingbourne
- Upper Street
Leeds Lower
Street
Leeds Upper
Street
Elmstone
Hole
Liverton Street
(Lenham)
Sandway
Lenham
Linton (1 of 2) - Northern
end - Conservation area appraisal and management plan
completed.
Linton (2 of 2) - Southern
end - Conservation area appraisal and management plan
completed.
Loose Valley
Maidstone
All Saints Church Area - Conservation area appraisal and
management plan completed.
Maidstone Ashford
Road - Conservation area appraisal completed.
Maidstone
Chillington House Area
Maidstone
Holy Trinity Church Area - Conservation area appraisal and
management plan completed.
Maidstone Rocky
Hill
Maidstone Centre (1 of
2) - Northern end - Conservation area appraisal
completed.
Maidstone Centre (2 of
2) - Southern end - Conservation area appraisal
completed.
Marden
Otham - Conservation area
appraisal completed.
Staplehurst (1 of 2) -
Northern end
Staplehurst (2 of 2) -
Southern end
Sutton Valence
Teston
Wateringbury
West Farleigh
Wormshill
Yalding
Special restrictions within conservation areas
Within conservation areas, single dwelling houses have lesser
permitted development rights than properties elsewhere, so it is
advisable to check that you do not need to apply for planning
permission before carrying out alterations. Some conservation areas
are even more closely controlled by means of Article 4
Directions.
There are 5 conservation areas within the Maidstone borough
where Article 4 Directions have been applied.
Article 4 of the town & country
Planning (General permitted development order) 1995 (as amended)
enables local planning authorities to make ‘directions’ withdrawing
certain permitted development rights that the Order permits such as
the right to change windows and doors.
It is worth noting that these
permitted development rights do not apply to flats or commercial
properties – planning permission is required for alterations which
‘materially affect the external appearance of the building’ in all
cases.
Plans showing conservation areas and where an Article 4
Directions has been applied within them are downloadable below:
Headcorn
Hollingbourne
- Eyhorne Street
Lenham
Loose Valley
Maidstone
Holy Trinity Church Area
Conservation area appraisals and management plans
Conservation area appraisals identify
what is special and needs protecting, and help in the area’s
management. They are carried out in consultation with the
local community. An appraisal needs to combine historic records and
maps with a visual analysis of the present state of the area.
A conservation area management
plan that includes policies for enhancing the conservation
area’s streetscape, highways, landscapes and public spaces can be
produced once an appraisal has been carried out. Management plans
help ensure that the special character is protected when making
decisions on planning applications or in identifying projects to
improve the public spaces.
Maidstone borough council has carried out a number of
conservation area appraisals and management plans. Those documents
already approved can be downloaded below.
Bearsted
(combined) conservation areas appraisal and management plan was
formally approved on 22nd March 2010.
Bearsted (combined)
conservation area appraisal and management plan -
Main text
Bearsted (combined)
conservation area appraisal and management plan - Maps
Boughton Monchelsea Cock Street
conservation area appraisal was formally approved on 27th February
2009.
Boughton
Monchelsea Cock Street conservation area appraisal -
Main text
Boughton
Monchelsea Cock Street conservation area appraisal -
Photographs
Boughton
Monchelsea Cock Street conservation area appraisal - Maps
Boughton Monchelsea The Green
conservation area appraisal was formally approved on 26th March
2008.
Boughton
Monchelsea (The Green) conservation area appraisal - Main
text
Boughton
Monchelsea (The Green) conservation area appraisal -
Maps 1 to 4
Boughton
Monchelsea (The Green) conservation area appraisal -
Maps 5 to 9
Boughton
Monchelsea (The Green) conservation area appraisal -
Maps 10 to 13
Boughton
Monchelsea (The Green) conservation area appraisal -
Photo appendices 1 to 8
Boughton Monchelsea The Quarries
conservation area appraisal was formally approved on 27th February
2009.
Boughton
Monchelsea Quarries conservation area appraisal -
Main text and photographs
Boughton
Monchelsea Quarries conservation area appraisal - Maps
Detling
conservation area appraisal was formally approved on 26th March
2008, and the management plan on 22nd March 2010.
Detling conservation area appraisal - Main text
Detling conservation area appraisal - Maps 1 to 4
Detling conservation area appraisal - Maps 5 to
10
Detling conservation area appraisal - Photo
appendix 1 to 4
Detling
conservation area management plan - Main
text
Detling
conservation area management plan - Maps
Linton
conservation area appraisal was formally approved on 26th March
2008, and the management plan on 22nd March 2010.
Linton conservation area appraisal - Main text
Linton conservation area appraisal - Maps 1a to
4
Linton conservation area appraisal - Maps 5 to
11
Linton conservation area appraisal - Photo
sheet 1 to 7
Linton
conservation area management plan - Main
text
Linton
conservation area management plan - Maps
Maidstone All Saints Church
conservation area appraisal was formally approved in 2003.
All Saints conservation
area appraisal
Maidstone All Saints Church
conservation area appraisal Study (management plan) was formally
approved in 2003.
All Saints conservation area study (management plan)
Maidstone Ashford Road
conservation area appraisal was formally approved on 26th
March 2008.
Maidstone Ashford Road conservation area appraisal - Main text
Maidstone Ashford Road conservation area appraisal - Maps 1to 5
Maidstone Ashford Road conservation area appraisal -
Maps 6 to
11
Maidstone Ashford Road conservation area appraisal - Photo
appendices 1 - 5
Maidstone Holy Trinity
conservation area appraisal was formally approved on 2nd October
2007, and the management plan on 22nd March 2010.
Holy Trinity
conservation area appraisal -
Main text and map appendix
Holy Trinity
conservation area appraisal -
Maps 1 to 3
Holy
Trinity conservation area appraisal -
Maps 4 to 6
Holy Trinity
conservation area appraisal -
Maps 7 to 8
Holy Trinity
conservation area appraisal -
Maps 9 to 10
Holy Trinity
conservation area management plan -
Main text
Holy Trinity
conservation area management plan - Maps
Maidstone Centre
conservation area appraisal was formally approved on 27th February
2009.
Maidstone Centre conservation area appraisal - Main text
and photographs
Maidstone Centre conservation area appraisal - Maps
Otham
conservation area appraisal was formally approved on 27th February
2009.
Otham conservation area appraisal - Main text
and photographs
Otham conservation area appraisal - Maps
Printed versions of the documents are also
available for viewing at Maidstone St Faiths Street Library,
Bearsted Library and Coxheath Library.
Future consultations - to be confirmed.
Useful documents
Factsheet on the borough's conservation areas