Stronger planning rules to ‘protect’ heritage in Swiss Cottage, Belsize Park and Hampstead
Published: 2 September, 2010
by DAN CARRIER
PAVING over front gardens to create a car parking space and swapping traditional wooden sash windows with modern plastic ones will be a thing of the past in three conservation areas from this week.
Home owners in Swiss Cottage, Belsize Park and Hampstead are facing stronger planning rules from the start of September as the Town Hall introduce special measures to stop the gradual erosion of historic design features. It means residents will need to apply for permission to make even minor changes to their properties.
Known as Article Four directions, Town Hall environment chief Labour councillor Sue Vincent said the changes, which affect nearly 10,000 homes, would encourage people to make “like-for-like” repairs to their homes.
“These measures will help protect the beautiful features on buildings in some of the most historic areas of the borough,” she added. “It is important we retain the original features of buildings as much as possible, and ensure any alterations are only done after considering the impact on the area. The new controls have received support from residents and heritage groups. The borough’s conservation areas will now be preserved for future generations.”
The three areas chosen for Article Four boast streets built in the Georgian and Victorian periods.
Belsize Conservation Area Advisory Committee chairwoman Jean Adams said they welcomed the new laws said: “We have supported these proposals. We wish people would not do things like knock down their front garden walls, pave the gardens over and use them as car parks. They ruin the front of houses.
“Simple alterations can really affect the character of a whole street.
“We welcome these changes – but we want Camden to ensure they enforce these regulations once they are in place.”