What a conservation area is
Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council describes conservation areas as places of special architectural or historic interest, where it aims to protect significant buildings, trees and open spaces and make sure new work keeps or improves their character. It uses planning law to manage development, control demolition and protect trees.
The council lists 17 conservation areas in the borough and has carried out appraisals for 15 of them, with the Saltburn appraisal updated in 2019. Two, Staithes and Hutton Lowcross, fall under the planning authority of the North York Moors National Park rather than the borough council.
The areas we work in most include:
- Saltburn-by-the-Sea: one of the largest, covering the Victorian town on the cliff top, with 35 listed buildings and structures
- Coatham: part of the western end of Redcar, around Red Barns House and Christ Church
- Marske-by-the-Sea: the historic village and High Street, with 28 listed buildings and structures
- Guisborough: the historic centre around Westgate
- Skelton, Brotton and Loftus: the old High Street cores, each with its own listed buildings
You can check a boundary on the national planning data map or ask the council. We also check it as part of every visit in these towns.
The patio itself
The Planning Portal explains that a patio or other hard surface at or near ground level in a back garden does not normally need planning permission, with no limit on area. That applies inside a conservation area too. Raised areas are different: decking or a platform more than 30cm above the ground needs permission. Significant changes to ground levels can also need permission.
Saltburn: the Article 4 Direction and LDO
Saltburn is the one place in the borough where homeowners most need to look closely. The council explains that years of small changes had eroded the character of the Victorian and Edwardian streets, so it consulted on an Article 4 Direction and a Local Development Order in spring 2021, and both came into force on 10 September 2021.
The Direction removes certain permitted development rights from homes in the Saltburn Conservation Area. The council says this means most external alterations to properties in the area now need planning permission. Its leaflet lists the changes that need permission, including:
- building or altering a boundary wall, fence or gate
- altering the appearance of the house, such as widening openings or removing bays, unless allowed by the LDO
- replacement windows and doors that are not like for like, and re-roofing in different materials
- painting a house that is not already painted
Like-for-like maintenance, such as replacing a fence panel with an identical one or repainting railings, does not need permission.
The Local Development Order works the other way. It grants permission in advance for specified sympathetic alterations, so owners can restore features to an agreed specification without a full application.
What it means for a patio in Saltburn: the hard-surfacing right is not among those listed in the Direction, so a back-garden patio at ground level normally follows the national rules. But patio projects often include a new garden wall, a gate, a change to a front boundary or steps that alter the look of the house. Those are the elements to check with the council first. This matters most in the jewel streets, Emerald Street among them, where front boundaries are part of the original design.
Front gardens
Across England, the Planning Portal explains that covering more than five square metres of a front garden with impermeable paving that drains onto the road needs planning permission. Permeable paving, or paving that drains to a lawn or border, does not. In a conservation area, the bigger issue is usually the front boundary: removing a front wall or railings can need consent, and in Saltburn altering one needs planning permission under the Article 4 Direction.
.jpg){kind=link}
Listed buildings
Over a hundred buildings and structures are listed across Saltburn, Loftus, Marske, Skelton, Brotton and Coatham. If your home is listed, the Planning Portal notes that listed building consent may be needed for works that affect its character, and a patio fixed to the house or changing its setting can fall into that. Ask the council before work starts.
Trees
Trees in a conservation area are protected even without a Tree Preservation Order. The GOV.UK guidance explains that you must give the council six weeks' notice before cutting down or pruning most trees in a conservation area. Digging a patio base close to a tree can also damage its roots, so we plan the layout around root areas and, where needed, use a shallower, no-dig style of build.
Choosing materials for a historic street
Conservation area rules rarely dictate the paving behind a house, but the council offers advice on materials in keeping with older properties. In practice, riven sandstone or a buff or grey natural stone suits Saltburn's brick terraces and Guisborough's stone town houses better than bright, uniform porcelain. Our Indian sandstone patios and garden walls pages show the options, and our guide to coastal patio aftercare covers looking after stone near the sea.
Our checks before starting
On every job in a conservation area we check:
- whether the house is in a conservation area and whether an Article 4 Direction applies
- whether the house, or anything near it, is listed
- whether the work includes walls, fences, gates or changes at the front
- whether any trees are close enough to be affected
- whether any raised area would exceed 30cm
If anything needs permission, we tell you at the visit so you can contact the council before booking.
Questions people ask
Do I need planning permission for a patio in Saltburn?
A ground-level back-garden patio normally does not. A new or altered wall, fence or gate does, under the Article 4 Direction.
Can I replace my front wall in a conservation area?
Like-for-like repairs are usually fine. Removing or altering a front boundary can need consent, and in Saltburn it needs planning permission.
How many conservation areas are there in Redcar and Cleveland?
The council lists 17, two of which are covered by the North York Moors National Park Authority.
Can I cut down a tree to make room for a patio?
In a conservation area you must give the council six weeks' notice first, and a Tree Preservation Order may apply.
Sources: Redcar and Cleveland Council: conservation areas; Redcar and Cleveland Council: Saltburn Article 4 and Local Development Order; Planning Portal: patios and driveways; Planning Portal: paving your front garden; Planning Portal: decking and raised platforms; GOV.UK: Tree Preservation Orders and trees in conservation areas; planning.data.gov.uk: conservation areas.