What is it?

The Council is proposing a new conservation area in Mildmay Ward. We would like to hear your views on the proposals.

Conservation areas are areas of special architectural or historic interest whose character and appearance is protected. The Council is responsible for designating these areas and managing them in order to preserve and enhance their character. As part of this project:

• We are proposing to designate a new conservation area called Poets Road Conservation Area. A map of the proposed conservation area can be downloaded from the documents section of this page. The area is a group of residential streets built in the 19th century. It is considered to have a special character that should be protected through designation. This will allow the Council to better manage the area in the future.
• We have produced two draft guidance documents for the proposed conservation area. The draft Poets Road Conservation Area Appraisal describes the character of the area and identifies important characteristics. The draft Poets Road Conservation Area Management Plan explains how the area would be managed in the future and includes detailed guidelines for development.

The climate emergency creates an urgent need for adaptations to homes across the borough to improve energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions and make neighbourhoods more sustainable and resilient. It is important that conservation areas are included in this process, so detailed guidance on retrofitting and other sustainability measures has been included in the draft Poets Road Conservation Area Management Plan to encourage appropriate adaptations to homes in the conservation area. We are currently consulting on two other documents supporting climate action across the borough. Visit the Retrofit Handbook Let’s Talk page and the Climate Action SPD Let’s Talk page to find out more.

A map of the proposed conservation area and copies of the draft guidance documents can be downloaded from the documents section of this page.

Paper copies of the consultation documents are available at Mildmay Library, 21-23 Mildmay Park, London, N1 4NA. Please ask at the library reception.

How will I be affected?

If the conservation area designation is confirmed, the Council will have an overarching duty to preserve and enhance the character of the conservation area. Conservation areas are designated heritage assets, so national and local heritage planning policies would apply to planning applications in the area.

New guidance documents

The Poets Road Conservation Area Appraisal and Poets Road Conservation Area Management Plan would be adopted by the Council and would be used as a basis for assessing planning applications. Conservation area designation should not prevent change: it is a tool to manage change in a positive way. Our guidance documents recognise the need for residents to adapt their homes, and positive changes such as well-designed extensions and climate adaptations are encouraged. We hope the new guidance will support residents who want to make changes to their homes. The management plan includes clear, specific guidelines for various common types of development and advice on how to apply for planning permission.

Protection for trees

There are additional protections for trees in conservation areas. If the designation is confirmed, residents would need to notify the Council prior to carrying out works to trees.

Changes to ‘permitted development’

‘Permitted development’ is development that can be carried out without applying for planning permission. There are various types of permitted development which are set out in a piece of government legislation called the General Permitted Development Order 2015 (external link) (GDPO).

Residents in conservation areas can still take advantage of most types of permitted development. However, some types of permitted development do not apply if the building is in a conservation area, so residents would need to apply for planning permission in those cases.

Changes to permitted development if the conservation area designation is confirmed would include the following:

• Adding a roof extension or side extension to a single family house would not be ‘permitted development’. Planning permission would be required. This change would not affect residents who live in flats (including houses that have been converted into flats): planning permission is already required for extensions to flats and this would not change.
• Adding a rear extension that extends more than 3 metres beyond the rear wall of a single family terraced house would not be ‘permitted development’. Planning permission would be required. Extending up to 3 metres beyond the rear wall would still be ‘permitted development’ subject to the criteria in the GDPO legislation (external link). This change would not affect residents who live in flats (including houses that have been converted into flats): planning permission is already required for extensions to flats and this would not change.
• Cladding the exterior of a single family house (e.g. with stone, timber or tiles) would not be ‘permitted development’. Planning permission would be required. This change would not affect residents who live in flats (including houses that have been converted into flats): planning permission is already required to make alterations to the exterior of flats and this would not change.
• Adding a garden building (such as a shed or cycle store) at the side of a single family house would not be ‘permitted development’. Planning permission would be required. Adding a garden building at the rear of a house would still be ‘permitted development’ subject to the criteria in the GDPO legislation (external link). Planning permission is already required for garden buildings at the front of a house or for garden buildings within the grounds of a block of flats and this would not change.
• Demolition of buildings and other structures (over a certain size) would not be ‘permitted development’. Planning permission would be required.

This list is intended as summary of the main points. The rules around permitted development are set by the national government and are subject to regular changes. Please refer to the GDPO legislation (external link) for full details. There is additional guidance on permitted development in the Government's Permitted development rights for householders: technical guidance (external link).

Possible further changes to permitted development in the future

If the conservation area designation is confirmed, the council could implement further changes to permitted development within the area (called an ‘Article 4 Direction’). The draft Poets Road Conservation Area Management Plan (section 3.1) recommends that the Council consider additional restrictions to give more control over changes that could harm the character of the area such as alterations to windows and boundary walls. There is a separate process that the Council would need to follow in order to implement an Article 4 direction. The process includes a formal consultation period and changes would not come into effect immediately. Residents would be notified about this process separately.

What have we done so far?

In summer 2024, officers carried out an assessment of the area including site visits and archive research. We held a drop-in event in the area and invited residents to come along. The proposals for the new conservation area and ideas for the guidance documents were presented at the meeting, and residents were invited to comment and share ideas.

We used the feedback from the drop-in meeting to help us develop our detailed proposals and draft guidance documents.

Get involved

The consultation will run from 13 January 2025 to 24 February 2025 (closing at 11:59 PM). To comment on the proposals, you can:

• Complete the survey below
• Email your comments to designconservation@islington.gov.uk. The subject of your email should be “Poets Road Conservation Area”
• Respond by post by writing to: Design and Conservation, Islington Council Planning Department, 2nd Floor, Town Hall, Upper Street, London, N1 2UD

Paper copies of the consultation documents are available at Mildmay Library, 21-23 Mildmay Park, London, N1 4NA. Please ask at the library reception.

Public events

We held a drop-in meeting on Wednesday 22 January from 5:30pm to 8:30pm at St Augustine’s Church Hall (108 Highbury New Park, London, N5 2DR). Thank you to everyone who came along to share their ideas.

What happens next?

All comments will be carefully considered by the project team. Where appropriate, the proposals and documents will be amended.

After the consultation has closed we will produce a consultation report with a written response to each comment and details of any amendments made to the proposals in response. The consultation report will be made publicly available. Comments received during the consultation will be included in the report, but names and other personal details will be removed. For more information on the basis on which we process, use and store your information, please refer to the council’s privacy policy: Privacy policy | Let's Talk Islington.

The finalised proposals and consultation report will be submitted to the Council’s Executive for approval. We anticipate that a final decision on the proposals will be confirmed in summer 2025.

Updates will be published on this page.