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Have your say on conservation area updates 

Two local conservation areas are being reviewed and we need your help to best understand, protect and enhance them. 

The Vale of White Horse District Council is undertaking conservation area assessments in Drayton and Stanford in the Vale and are inviting residents to provide feedback on proposed changes over the next two months. 

Conservation areas are designed to help protect the characteristics of a specific area, including their architectural and historic interests, which make them a distinctive and unique place. 

Councils are required to undertake and publish comprehensive assessments of conservation areas, known as appraisals, from time to time and consult with the public on the proposed changes. Two upcoming appraisals will be available for comments on the following dates. 

Upcoming consultations: 

  • Drayton: held from Wednesday 18 January to Wednesday 15 February. The appraisal recommends proposed boundary changes which include north of Drayton, east side of Church Lane and west side of Abingdon Road. 
  • Stanford in the Vale: held from Wednesday 1 February to Wednesday 8 March. There is a proposed boundary change to include sites near High Street, Horsecroft, Upper Green, Bear House, Cox’s Hall, Penstone’s Court, and Hunter’s Piece. 

All comments received will be taken into account when considering whether to make any changes or revisions to the assessment documents. The assessments will then be presented to Cabinet for adoption in the coming months and used for the ongoing management of these areas. 

Cllr Debby Hallett, Cabinet Member for Corporate Services and Transformation at Vale White Horse District Council said: “This is a great opportunity for residents to tell us what they love about their conservation areas and provide feedback to help us ensure they are being properly protected. 

“Properties directly affected by the proposed boundary changes will receive letters with more information, but I strongly encourage all local residents to get involved and have your say.” 

Cllr Andy Cook ward member for Drayton said: “We need to ensure the residents of Drayton have their say and help with the understanding and protection of our local conservation area. The proposed minor changes already incorporate advice from the local Parish Council and now I encourage our residents to have a look and share their thoughts.” 

Cllr Nathan Boyd ward member for Stanford said: “The conservation area covering Stanford in the Vale is vital in preserving the character of our village and plays an important role when looking at planning applications. I would encourage everyone to view the proposal and respond to the consultation.” 

Paper copies of the documents and comment forms will also be available at a variety of local sites, more details can be found on council’s website. Find out more and have your say on upcoming consultations at: https://www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/conservation-areas/ 

Notes for editors:

Boundary changes are proposed in some areas to update ongoing issues caused by past mapping, changes to property boundaries over time, or to include areas of architectural and historic interest of the area. 

Property and land in conservation areas are covered by extra planning controls which help to guard against inappropriate work, such as rules covering demolition, development, advertising and tree protection. 

Following this community engagement, council officers will review all comments and make appropriate changes to the draft document, and then move to adopt the papers through the council Cabinets. Once adopted, the final documents will be published on the councils’ websites.