In the 50th year since legislation was passed to allow the designation of conservation areas, it is appropriate for us to celebrate establishing these areas as a key part of our historic environment. However, we should also look at what lessons we have learned over the years and consider what conservation areas are going to look like in the future.
The 13th of IHBC’s London Conferences, on the 3rd October will be looking ahead, against a background of reduced local authority expenditure and continuing uncertainty over funding. The conference will cover a wide range of issues, including how conservation areas are perceived: does expectation match reality? How can we protect their special character from inappropriate development? What is the potential for post-war designations and how to engage communities.