Conservation Areas

There are 22 Conservation Areas in Dudley Borough. Some are canal centred, some are set around open space or canals and others around local shopping or residential centres. They are a particularly important part of the Borough's heritage, which the Council is committed to preserving and enhancing.

• Conservation areas are areas of special architectural or historic interest and fine examples of the Borough's unique and varied heritage. They invariably have a concentration of historic buildings many of which are statutory listed buildings or locally listed buildings.
  
• Conservation areas in Dudley Borough all reflect a local distinctiveness - that is they reflect the style of the area and have developed over many years. They normally include many varied features, both special and commonplace.
   
• Their character and attraction comprise more than buildings alone. The uses they are put to and the spaces around and between them are also important. A conservation area, therefore, protects the whole area and not just the buildings within it.
  
• The aim of designation is to control and manage change to conserve what is special about the area and, where possible, improve it.
  
• The designation of a conservation area can attract heritage based funding that would not otherwise be available. This has already happened in the Priory Street Conservation Area Heritage Economic Regeneration scheme (HERS).
  
• Conservation Areas are designated by Dudley Council, following public consultation. From time to time the Council reviews the areas and their boundaries.

Conservation Area Consent

Change within conservation areas is controlled in order to maintain the areas' special character and appearance. Conservation area consent or planning permission may be needed to carry out some alterations and demolition and you may also need to inform us if you carry out any work to trees in a conservation area.

Conservation Area Character Appraisals

Appraisals analyse and describe the character and appearance of an area. They should be used alongside existing statutory planning policies, detailed guidance and site-specific development briefs to provide additional information for development proposals.

Character Appraisals have been produced for the following Conservation Areas in Dudley:

• Brierley Hill High Street Character Appraisal

• Delph 'Nine' Locks Character Appraisal

• Dudley Town Centre Character Appraisal

• Love Lane, Oldswinford Character Appraisal

• Stourbridge Branch Canal (Amblecote)

• Stourbridge Branch Canal (Canal Street)

• Stourbridge Sixteen Locks Character Appraisal

• Wordsley Hospital Character Appraisal