Have your say on the draft Loughborough Park Conservation Area Character Appraisal and proposed conservation area boundary changes

The Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 defines conservation areas as ‘areas of special architectural or historic interest the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance’. The Act requires Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) to revisit conservation area designation ‘from time to time’.

There are currently 62 conservation areas in the borough. Conservation Area designation brings with it controls over the demolition of some structures, restrictions on the exercise of some permitted development rights and control over works to trees. The Council can remove further permitted development rights in conservation areas through the making of Article 4 directions if it is considered expedient to do so for the proper planning of the area. Character appraisals describe what makes a conservation area of ‘special architectural or historic interest’. It is considered good practice to have a character appraisal for each conservation area. The Council has a rolling programme for the preparation of character appraisals and at present around half of Lambeth’s conservation areas have one. As part of the process of reviewing conservation area designations from time to time, the Council may revisit the boundaries of conservation areas when preparing character appraisals.

Proposed boundary changes

• Shakespeare Road – add numbers 86 – 104 Shakespeare Road to the conservation area. This group of Victorian buildings is considered to be of sufficient architectural / townscape interest.
• Shakespeare Road - remove the remaining terraced Victorian properties (numbers 277 – 325) and 1980s housing (numbers 325 – 385) from the conservation area as this housing, by virtue of its common type, is not special and does not warrant inclusion.
• Coldharbour Lane - add Shakespeare Business Park Business Park, 245 Coldharbour Lane (a locally listed building) for its architectural and townscape interest.
• Coldharbour Lane - transfer the Victorian commercial premises fronting Coldhabour Lane (numbers 322 – 372 Coldharbour Lane) and the modern development to their rears to the Brixton Conservation Area because this shares more characteristics with the Brixton CA than they do with the Loughborough Park CA.

You can view the proposals.

Once consultation closes, all responses received will be given detailed officer consideration before any changes are made to conservation area boundaries.