Housing Intensification in Conservation Areas and Areas of Townscape Character

Accordingly in assessing housing proposals in Conservation Areas and Areas of Townscape Character, the protection of the existing character and distinctive qualities of the area will be paramount. Notwithstanding the Department's broader policy to promote more housing within urban areas, proposals in the primarily residential parts of these designated areas which involve intensification of site usage or site coverage will not normally be acceptable. Such proposals usually involve demolition, plot sub-division or plot amalgamation which can be particularly detrimental to their character and appearance. Proposals involving intensification in these areas will only be permitted in the following exceptional circumstances: (a) an extension in keeping with the scale and character of the dwelling and its surroundings; or (b) the sympathetic conversion of a large dwelling in appropriate locations to smaller units; or (c) the development of a significant gap site within an otherwise substantial and continuously built up frontage provided this would be of a density and character prevailing in the area.