For 40 years conservation areas have helped to preserve the special character of places - not only at the heart of historic cities and market towns, but also suburbs, villages, and surrounding landscapes. To mark this anniversary the Autumn 2009 issue (62) of English Heritage's Conservation Bulletin was devoted to tracing the history of conservation areas, examining their importance for 'the cultural heritage of the nation', and looking ahead to their relevance for 'sustaining local identity and distinctiveness' in the 21^st century. The authors, mostly English Heritage staff, but also architects, and people working for other bodies such as local authorities, have used a vast array of case studies, in Britain and beyond, to discuss both the past and future of conservation areas.

 

The first piece of legislation to acknowledge the value of whole groups of buildings and to recognise the importance of conserving the character of entire areas was the Civic Amenities Act 1967 which introduced the concept of conservation areas. By the end of that year the first four had been designated; there are now more than 9,300. Conservation Areas are 'areas of special architectural or historic interest, the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance'.

 

Post-war Britain was changing rapidly under the 1947 Town and Country Planning Act but little notice was taken of the qualities of the existing built environment, apart from the tiny proportion designated as listed buildings or scheduled ancient monuments. Gradually there emerged an increasing realisation that powers, absent from the original legislation, were needed and the Town and Country Amenities Act 1974 brought demolition in conservation areas under meaningful control.

 

Amongst the many sections of this publication of particular interest to local historians is 'Identifying and understanding local heritage' within the chapter Understanding Shared Places, contributed by Mike Brown who describes the 'local list' developed in the London Borough of Enfield. In Sustaining Local Value, Florence Salberter, Heritage Advisor with British Waterways discusses 'managing linear conservation areas'; and Jane Blackburn explains the 'novel approach to character appraisal' taken by Hampstead Garden Suburb. Amongst the contributions in the final section headed Catalysts for the Future, Andy Brown examines 'A Creative future for seaside resorts: Margate, Turner and beyond', and two articles describe dramatic change in contrasting areas of London - King's Cross and Marylebone High Street.

 

Jane Howells