Conservation Areas

<Back to Built Heritage homepage

Conservation areas are areas of special architectural or historic interest.

The Council has a duty to protect and enhance these areas and additional rules exist to govern building and restoration work.

Why do we have Conservation Areas?

The primary aim of the Council's conservation policies is to preserve the historic buildings and special character of the city and to ensure that changes, whether large or small, complement and add to its character. A further objective is to promote new architecture of the highest quality.

How many Conservation Areas are there in Edinburgh?

There are 40 conservation areas in Edinburgh, including the medieval Old Town, the Georgian New Town, Victorian suburbs and former villages.

More information about each of the conservation areas:

• Conservation Area Character Appraisals
  Conservation Area Character Appraisals define the key elements, essential features and special qualities of architectural and historic interest for each of the areas. The appraisals also reinforce the Council’s policy objectives of promoting, protecting and enhancing the environment.
• Conservation Area Maps
  View the up-to-date maps showing the conservation area boundaries.

Is my property in a Conservation Area?

You can check if your property is in a Conservation Area by

• looking at the Conservation Area Maps, or
• using the Property Search tool in the Planning and Building Standards Portal.
  (Select the relevant street group, enter the street name, and click search. In the results page, click on view details for the required property, then click on the constraints tab. If the building is in a conservation area, this will be included in the list of constraints.)

Planning Permission in Conservation Areas

As a general rule:

• External alterations to any building within a conservation area will usually require planning permission.
• Like-for-like repair or replacement of existing building features will not require planning permission.

Please note that if your building is listed, you may also require listed building consent for any proposed works.

For informal advice on whether your proposal will require planning permission, contact the Planning Helpdesk on 0131 529 3550 or planning@edinburgh.gov.uk. It is always best to write to us before proceeding with any work in a conservation area. BE SURE BEFORE YOU START WORK.

More information on planning permission in conservation areas:

• Article 4 Directions
  Restrictions on permitted development rights in conservation areas.
• Applying for planning permission
  Relevant planning policies and how to go about submitting an application.