Conservation Areas

The borough has 39 Conservation Areas which cover many parts of Guildford town centre and many of the villages in the rural area.

A Conservation Area usually has a combination of the following:

buildings of high architectural quality
an interesting and attractive layout
an interesting or important social history.

If you want to check if an address is in a Conservation Area, you can use My Guildford. Enter the postcode of the address you want to search for and look under the Planning section.

You can also view an interactive map of all of the Conservation Areas.

Planning controls on dwellings within Conservation Areas

Properties in Conservation Areas are subject to additional planning controls and do not benefit from some classes of permitted development. For more information please see the Planning Portal.

Application forms for the above are available by visiting our planning application forms and fees.

Article 4 Direction

If a property in a Conservation Area is covered by Article 4 Direction then additional planning controls will apply. The Directions remove permitted development rights for certain properties, meaning even minor changes will require planning permission.

Conservation Area Character Appraisals

We are undertaking a programme of Conservation Area Character Appraisals in order to analyse and describe the character and appearance of each Conservation Area.

Demolishing a structure or building in a Conservation Area

The demolition of a building may require planning permission and the demolition of a building in a Conservation Area without permission could be a criminal offence. Before demolishing any building or structure in a Conservation Area you should contact planningenquiries@guildford.gov.uk

To apply for permission to demolish a building or structure, please see our planning application forms and fees

Trees

Trees often make a valuable contribution to the character of Conservation Areas. We have specific powers to protect trees within our borough by making 'Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs)'. Special provisions also apply to trees within designated Conservation Areas. The purpose of TPOs is to protect trees that make a significant impact on their local surroundings.