Our Planning Work
The Society encourages the best modern architecture and is prepared to comment on planning matters at every level. We respond to consultations on planning issues, from specific sites to the more general Local Plan. We also support the conservation of our older buildings of merit – buildings that are of historical importance, add to a street scene, are architecturally pleasing or simply of sentimental value within the community. We often raise our concerns about the condition of such buildings.
A recent example of where the Society’s intervention yielded a positive result is shown here.
Bow window in Colchester High Street
The Bow window restored!
Planning Applications large and small
The society was actively involved in opposing the proposed Alumno Development alongside Firstsite and worked with Colchester Borough Council and OMCI (Greyfriars) in opposing this at the planning enquiry.This is just one of many applications that the society comments on or objects to on an ongoing basis.
A more recent example was the Society’s opposition to the proposal by Lion Walk Shopping Centre to paint a mural on vestry wall of Holy Trinity Church. The Society actively opposed this application for Historic Building Consent and helped to raise considerable opposition from ward councillors, historians, members of the society and other concerned residents of the town. The application was called in by Castle Ward Councillor Mark Goacher and went to a full Planning Department hearing, at which John Burton (president of the Society) spoke on our behalf. Significantly the application was also opposed by the Conservation Officer and the Historic England Inspector in reports which largely mirrored the points in the Society’s objection (see link below). With such a weight of opposition it was no surprise that the application was refused.
Do You Live in a Conservation Area?
If so this means your property will be subject to more planning controls than other areas.
Properties in a conservation area may need permission from the Local Authority Planning Department before making alterations such as cladding, inserting windows, installing satellite dishes and solar panels, adding conservatories or other extensions, laying paving or building walls.
In some cases where the area is also subject to Article 4 Direction, controls may extend to requiring permission for replacing windows and doors, changes to roof covering and removal of chimneys, plus painting, or repainting brick work and masonry and in some cases, changing or removing gates and fences.
If you would like to find out whether your property is in a Conservation area and whether this area is also subject to the additional controls imposed by Article 4 Direction, then follow this link, where you will find guidance on how to navigate the Colchester Planning Map in order to bring up the specific controls which apply to your property.
For an overview of all Colchester District conservation areas the following link will take you to a map where you can find the Colchester District Conservation Areas. You must select the conservation areas in the Map Layers box (avoid selecting any other options at the same time). This will show the conservation areas highlighted in orange. Clicking on a conservation area will bring up the name of the conservation area and some information about it. It will not however provide any information about where Article 4 Direction is applied.
This site also offers a vast amount of information about listed buildings, monuments and scheduled monuments, plus archaeological discoveries such as historic burials, and finds such as coins, all listed under Events. Also on offer here is the Local List.
The Colchester Borough Local List seeks to safeguard selected non-designated heritage assets that, although not suitable for designation nationally are valued by the local community and make a significant contribution to the heritage of Colchester and the surrounding villages. In addition to many buildings you will also find our cast iron lampposts recorded here.