Forum topic: What does it mean for me in practice?

If you are a resident of the Conservation Area, you will have your own reasons why your home is special to you. Designation as a Conservation Area is a wider recognition of the historic and architectural importance of the area to which your property makes its own contribution. To help preserve this, you have to apply for planning permission before making some smaller changes to your property which might otherwise have been classified as "permitted developments".  Specifically, you will have to apply for planning permission for the any of the changes listed in the box below:

Planning permission is already required for solar panels on house walls. Enfield Council is currently drafting an amendment to the Lakes Article 4 (2) direction to add micro-regeneration to the list of changes which need specific planning permission. The details will be posted on the website when it is ready for public consultation.

You can download a Guide for Owners and Occupiers.  If you are contemplating any work which falls in to the above categories, you and/or your Builders and Architects should read this, the Character Appraisal, and the Article 4 (2) direction for guidance.

The Character Appraisal lists particular threats to the area which should be avoided. Planning applications which take this into account are more likely to be successful than those which ignore it. 

More detailed guidance about work on listed buildings and buildings in conservation areas can be found in the Planning and Conservation Guidance Notes.

Do I have to pay for planning applications in a Conservation Area?

The government increased planning application fees from 17 Jan 2018 and removed some exemptions. The fee exemption for Article 4 directions is no longer valid for applications in England. Works to trees in conservation areas is still exempt.

Status of this information

This note has been prepared by the Friends of the Lakes Estate Conservation Area . We are local residents who assist Enfield Council in commenting on conservation issue affecting the Conservation Area, taking our lead from the Lakes Estate Conservation Area Character Appraisal (see above).

This note reflects the group's understanding of the current (October 2016) position. The Friends of the Lakes Estate Conservation Area bear no responsibility or liability if the above content is relied upon in individual cases.