Conservation Areas

The Council has a duty to periodically review its Conservation Areas and if necessary amend them due to changing circumstances. With this in mind Babergh has now an active programme of Conservation Area Appraisals underway. These are done to assess what is important about the character of our Conservation Areas and to assist in considering applications for developments and changes that could affect them.   

A five year review programme has been started for the District's 29 Conservation Areas. Community involvement is essential in understanding the special nature and different issues for each conservation area and new appraisals are given a period of public consultation.

Draft appraisal documents are available to view in two ways. You can view or download the documents on this website and e-mail us your comments via the comments form. Alternatively copies of these documents are available to view, with a comments form, at the Planning Reception desk within the Council Offices, Corks Lane.

Draft documents will be available in phases.

The following 19 Conservation Areas have already been consulted on and are adopted as Non Statutory Supplementary Planning Guidance. 

• Little Waldingfield Conservation Area Appraisal (PDF, 1.5Mb) 
• Bures St Mary Conservation Area Appraisal (PDF, 1.9Mb) 
• Pin Mill Conservation Area Appraisal (PDF, 2.16Mb) 
• Nayland Conservation Area Appraisal (PDF, 237KB) 
• Stratford St Mary Conservation Area Appraisal (PDF, 1.47Mb) 
• Glemsford Conservation Area Appraisal (PDF, 1.14Mb) 
• Hadleigh Conservation Area Appraisal (PDF, 900KB) 
• Woolverstone Conservation Area Appraisal (PDF, 739KB) 
• Sudbury Conservation Area Appraisal (PDF, 950KB) 
• Lavenham Conservation Area Appraisal (PDF, 2.4Mb) 
• Higham Conservation Area Appraisal (PDF, 1.9Mb) 
• Kersey Conservation Area Appraisal (PDF, 1.99Mb) 
• Chelsworth Conservation Area Appraisal (PDF, 1.27Mb) 
• Bildeston Conservation Area Appraisal (PDF, 1.7Mb) 
• Boxford Conservation Area Appraisal (PDF, 1.2Mb) 
• Shotley Gate Conservation Area Appraisal (PDF, 1.4Mb) 
• Long Melford Conservation Area Appraisal (PDF, 1.6Mb)
• Stoke-by-Nayland Conservation Area Appraisal (PDF, 1.52Mb)
• Monks Eleigh Conservation Area Appraisal (PDF, 2.02Mb)

Conservation area maps can also be found within the Babergh Local Plan Alteration No. 2 (2006) - Document.


One further Conservation Area has a new appraisal currently available for consultation:

Polstead Conservation Area Appraisal (PDF, 1.16Mb)

A consultation evening with Polstead Parish Council will take place at the Village Hall, Polstead Green from 7.00pm on Tuesday 3rd April 2012

The consultation closes on Monday 30th April 2012, with the appraisal going forward to Strategy Committee on the 14th June 2012 for approval.

Please forward any comments before the above date to Patrick Taylor by e-mail (Patrick.Taylor@babergh.gov.uk) or by post, c/o Planning Policy Team (see address below).


There remain 9 Conservation Areas which are due to be re-appraised over the coming years. They are, in no particular order: 

Hartest
Cockfield
Brettenham
Great Waldingfield
Thorington Street
Brent Eleigh
East Bergholt
Naughton
Kettlebaston

Information Leaflets

(Both leaflets are in PDF format with their sizes shown in brackets)

• Living In A Conservation Area (133Kb).
• Article 4(2) Directions (117Kb).