Historic Shropshire village that once housed a Norman castle will get new conservation area
A new conservation area has been created for a Shropshire village in order to preserve its historic significance.
The designation for West Felton was confirmed at a meeting of Shropshire Council’s cabinet, and means extra protection in the planning system.
The new conservation area – the 130th in the county – will cover part of the village to the west of the A5, taking in the parish church, and an area to the east of the A5 including parts of The Avenue, Holyhead Road and Felton Park.
Fifteen of the village’s 18 listed buildings are within the designated boundary.
Council leader Lezley Picton said: “I know that West Felton Parish Council will be extremely happy about this.
“It does have historical significance – lots of it, actually. The Normans established a castle within the village and the motte which is designated as a scheduled ancient monument.”
Councillor Picton said officers had worked with the parish council since it put in a request for a conservation area in November 2021.
They established a boundary identifying the two cores of the village which they “consider to retain sufficient historic and architectural interest to merit designation”.
Councillor Picton told members the boundary had been adjusted following feedback from residents during a public consultation earlier this year.
She said: “Officers are now proposing that the conservation area is designated with an amended boundary that excludes a group of dwellings on Woolston Road on the southwest side of the village.
“Some residents in this part of the village objected to their properties being included in the conservation area. Officers therefore reconsidered the existing character and appearance of this part of the village.
“On balance, they concluded that both infill development and alterations and extensions to the remaining older properties mean that they no longer possess sufficient architectural interest to justify inclusion in the conservation area.”
The new designation requires the council to consult Historic England on all planning applications within and adjacent to the designated area.
It also means no buildings over 115 cubic metres can be demolished without planning permission, no trees can be cut down without notifying the council six weeks in advance, and there will be stricter rules on displaying advertisements.
Setting out the justification for the new conservation area, a report to cabinet said: “Without the designation of a conservation area in West Felton there is a risk that development proposals that are poorly designed will erode the historic and architectural interest of the village.”
