Published 21st November 2020

Local residents are being asked to give their views on the Borough’s 14 conservation areas.

Southend council has a duty to review existing conservation areas to ensure they are up to date and relevant. New and updated draft ‘conservation area appraisals’ have been prepared as part of this review and a public consultation will run from today (Friday 20 November 2020) – Friday 22 January 2021 seeking views on them. Southend Labour and its partners in the council administration are keen to promote and enhance our conservation areas and wants resident to have their say

Conservation areas are parts of the country with special architectural and historical significance. They are designated to allow local authorities to manage and protect them with extra planning controls and considerations.

Feedback and comments received from the consultation will help the council understand local views on the appraisals, the conservation areas themselves and whether there is anything else to consider in terms of relevant local history. When concluded, the appraisals will also form part of the evidence base for the new Southend Local Plan.

Our cabinet colleague Cllr Carole Mulroney, Member for Environment and Planning, said: “Across the Borough we are very fortunate to have so many conservation areas that are rich with historical importance and are much loved and appreciated by the local community. This consultation gives our residents the opportunity to feed into the draft appraisals, which are important if we wish to maintain these places as conservation areas. We are really keen to hear local views on the 14 locations across the Borough so that we have a greater understanding of why these areas are so valued by residents. I hope that many people will participate in the consultation so that we gather as many views as possible, to help inform the appraisal process.”

To view the consultation, please visit https://yoursay.southend.gov.uk/conservation-area-appraisals-consultation

Please email planningpolicy@southend.gov.uk if you need any assistance in completing the survey or if you would like to receive an alternative version of the survey e.g. paper, or to provide feedback in another way.

To find out more about the Borough’s 14 conservation areas, please visit www.southend.gov.uk/conservation-areas