In June 2009 Suffolk Coastal created a new conservation area in
Felixstowe South to extend the protection given to the town’s
important Late Victorian and Edwardian architectural heritage as a
seaside resort.
The new area, which adjoins the
large conservation area that covers central Felixstowe, takes
in the grid of streets laid out by Colonel Tomline in the late
1800s and key features including the Sea Road frontage,
Martello Tower Q and its former military compound. The
combination of residential, commercial and leisure uses are
all important to the area.
The Felixstowe South conservation area appraisal describes the
area’s history and architecture and the character of each street
and buildings, along with maps and illustrations:
Follow this link for help with downloading and opening PDF files.
What effect will creating a conservation area have?
The local planning authority must preserve and enhance its
conservation areas and take that into account when deciding
planning applications. This means that:
- Consent is required to demolish a building.
- Notice must be given to the Council before works are carried
out to trees in the area.
- The details of the limits of what works may be carried out
without planning permission are different.
With the creation of the new conservation area, the special and
distinctive character of Felixstowe South, with its grid layout,
terraces, balconies, bay windows, decorative cast ironwork,
verandahs and good late Victorian and Edwardian architecture will
be protected for the future.
In addition the Council is considering making what is called an
Article 4(2) Direction for all houses built before 1926 in the
proposed conservation area. The idea is to protect all of the
features that contribute to the character of the area including
front windows and front doors, front boundaries, roofs, balconies,
chimneys and brickwork from removal or unsympathetic replacement.
Householders would need consent to change these features.
When was the decision made?
We consulted local residents on the proposed conservation area
and the idea of making an Article 4(2) Direction between 2 February
and 16 March 2009, which included an exhibition in Felixstowe Town
Hall.
The majority of people who responded during the
consultation period were in support of the proposal. Comments
made during the consultation were taken into account before
councillors decided to designate Felixstowe South as a new
conservation area. The final go-ahead was given by the Council's
Cabinet at its meeting on 2 June 2009 and the Felixstowe South
conservation area was designated on the 12 June 2009. This is the
district's 34th conservation area.
A decision is yet to be made on whether or not to provide
additional protection to homes built before 1926 within the
Felixstowe South conservation area. Agreeing to an Article 4(2)
Direction would mean that owners would require planning consent to
alter or remove any feature which contributes to a building’s
historic character, including windows, doors, roofs, balconies and
chimneys.
Details of the comments made can be seen in the report prepared
for the Cabinet meeting. You can view the report, which recommends
the designation of a new conservation area in Felixstowe South, by
following the link below:
If you would like any further information please contact Robert
Scrimgeour, Senior Design and Conservation Officer, on
01394 444616 or email
robert.scrimgeour@suffolkcoastal.gov.uk.