Stewarton Conservation Area Appraisal

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Drop-in at Stewarton Community Hub

If you wish to view the Conservation Area Appraisal and discuss the proposals in person, Planning Officers will be holding a public drop-in at Stewarton Community Hub on Tuesday 6th May, from 1pm-4pm.

Why extend Stewarton Conservation Area?

Avenue Square in Stewarton is already a designated Conservation Area, however it is much smaller than many of East Ayrshire’s other Conservation Areas. One of the reasons for undertaking a Draft CAA for Stewarton was to determine whether it would be appropriate to increase the size of the area’s boundary to include significant parts of High Street and Main Street.

In a Conservation Area there are tighter planning restrictions and any new build development or works to existing properties must preserve or enhance the area’s special characteristics. As is explained in more detail in the Draft CAA, extending the boundary of the Conservation Area would allow it to encompass more of Stewarton’s historic buildings and the historic heart of the town and bring them under the protection of planning controls.

What does it mean if my property is in the Conservation Area?

Most external works to buildings in a Conservation Area (apart from like-for-like repairs and maintenance) will require planning permission. This is to ensure that any changes to buildings will help to preserve and enhance the historic character of the area as a whole.

'Permitted Development Rights' (PDR) refer to forms of development which can usually be carried out without requiring an application for planning permission. PDR are subject to conditions and limitations and are disapplied in certain circumstances - including in a Conservation Area. Specifically, some works which might be PDR in other locations, but will require planning permission in a Conservation Area include:

• Single storey ground floor extensions (Class 1A)
• Ground floor extension of more than a one storey (Class 1B)
• Porches (Class 1C)
• Enlargement of the roof (Class 1D)
• Access Ramps (Class 2A)
• Improvements or alterations within a “1 metre bubble”, such as adding a canopy to a building (Class 2B)
• Ancillary buildings including sheds, garages, greenhouses (Class 3A) where the footprint of the ancillary building exceeds 8 square metres
• Building, engineering, installation or other operations (Class 3B)
• Hard surfaces (Class 3C)
• Decking or other raised platform (Class 3D) where the deck, or raised platform, is larger than 4 square metres
• Gates, fences and walls (Class 3E)
• Improvements or alterations to the external appearance of a flat (Class 4A)
• Flues for Biomass Heating System (Class 6C) when attached to the principal elevation of a building
• Flues for Combined Heat and Power System (Class 6F) when attached to the principal elevation of a building
• Free-standing Wind Turbines (Class 6G)
• Solar Panels on Dwellings (Class 6HA) where they are located on the front/principal or road-facing side of a building
• Wind Turbines on Detached Dwellinghouses (Class 6HC)
• Gates, fences, walls or other means of enclosure (Class 7)
• Installing Closed Circuit Television Cameras (Class 72)

Additional planning controls can also be applied to Conservation Areas through Article 4 Directions, which further limit or remove PDR not already listed above. Stewarton Conservation Area is not currently under an Article 4 Direction, but you can find further information on the Council website.

If you have any questions about whether or not planning permission would be required in a Conservation Area, please contact the council planning team:

For planning advice or to submit planning applications, please email: submittoplanning@east-ayrshire.gov.uk(External link)

For further information on the Conservation Area Appraisal, the Local Development Plan or Supplementary Guidance, please email: localdevelopmentplans@east-ayrshire.gov.uk(External link)