Cheltenham's conservation area guidance is being rewritten, and Park Lane in Prestbury could become a new area. Comments close at 11.59pm on 11 December.
Cheltenham Borough Council has published new draft guidance for every conservation area in the borough, and residents have until 11.59pm on Friday 11 December to comment. The drafts would cut the Central Conservation Area from 19 character areas to 6, redraw several boundaries and create a new conservation area at Park Lane in Prestbury. (Cheltenham Borough Council, media release, 10 November 2026)
The guidance in use now was written between 2007 and 2009. The council says that “since then, planning policy, the built environment and our understanding of local heritage have evolved”. Conservation areas protect places of special architectural and historic interest, and the appraisals are what planning officers turn to when someone in one of them applies to change a building.
Cllr Paul Baker, cabinet member for planning and building control, said: “This is an important piece of work and we are keen to hear your views. The draft appraisals set out what makes each conservation area special, identify opportunities for improvement, and provide guidance for homeowners, businesses and developers considering changes to their properties.
“Conservation areas help to protect Cheltenham’s unique character and heritage. By taking part in this engagement, residents, businesses and local groups can help shape how these important places are managed and enhanced for future generations, continuing to make Cheltenham a desirable place to live, work and visit.”
Six character areas instead of 19
The Central Conservation Area covers most of the historic town. When it was last appraised it was split into 19 character areas, each with its own description. The council’s review page says there is “significant overlap in terms of what makes the 19 character areas special”, so the drafts fold them into six:
- Town Centre
- Planned Estates
- Artisan Quarters
- Bath Road and Suffolks
- Historic Formal Suburbs
- Institutional Quarters
Each gets its own appraisal, with an overview document on top, so the Central Conservation Area would be described in seven documents in all.
A new conservation area at Park Lane
The draft Park Lane appraisal, written for the council by Purcell, describes Park Lane as “a small, planned housing estate from the early 20th century” north of Prestbury. It was first nominated for designation in January 2018, but the council did not adopt it then.
The draft picks out:
- 14 houses built around 1909 in the Domestic English Revival style, with applied timber that copies the black and white framing of older buildings nearby. They share scale and materials but each one differs.
- A pair of 1926 Arts and Crafts houses at the west end, with what the appraisal calls a distinctive “butterfly” plan.
- Two Grade II listed 17th-century cottages on Shaw Green Lane, Greywalls and Shaw Green Cottage.
- The open fields around the estate, and a scheduled monument next to the boundary: the site of a moated manor house that belonged to the Bishop of Hereford.
Boundary changes elsewhere
The six smaller “satellite” areas, Cudnall Street, Bafford, the Poets (St Mark’s), Prestbury, Swindon Village and St Mary’s, have each been reappraised, and several would change shape. Some examples from the drafts:
- Prestbury would take in Frogmore House at the end of Lake Street, a villa on Prestbury Road, the Women’s Institute building at Bouncers Lane, two pairs of red brick semis on Deep Street and three large buildings at the south-east end of the High Street. Two modern houses set back from the High Street would come out. (draft Prestbury appraisal)
- Cudnall Street would grow in three places: along Overbury Street, London Road and Greenway Lane. (draft Cudnall Street appraisal)
- Bafford stays as it is: the draft says the existing boundary “is not proposed to be amended at this time”. (draft Bafford appraisal)
The drafts for the Poets, St Mary’s and Swindon Village, and all seven Central documents, are on the council’s review page. Several are large files: the Planned Estates appraisal alone is 61MB.
What it means for you
If your home or business is in a conservation area, or would be after these changes, the appraisal for your area is the document planners will read your next application against. The Park Lane draft’s question and answer section sets out what designation brings:
- Demolishing all or most of a building, wall, gate pier or chimney usually needs planning permission and a heritage statement.
- Some work you could otherwise do without permission may be restricted, such as replacement windows, new finishes on outside walls or satellite dishes. The draft says to check with the council first.
- Work on any tree with a trunk 75mm or more across, measured 1.5m above the ground, needs permission from the council through a planning application, so it can decide whether a tree preservation order is needed.
To check whether your property is affected, open the draft for your area and look at its boundary map.
How to comment
- Online: the council’s feedback form, which it prefers.
- By email: planning.policy@cheltenham.gov.uk
- By post: Planning Policy, Municipal Offices, Promenade, Cheltenham GL50 9SA
The council wants to hear from residents, businesses, parish councils, heritage organisations, community groups and planning and heritage professionals. It says the comments will be used to finalise the review and the revised guidance. Comments close at 11.59pm on Friday 11 December 2026.
For other planning decisions in the town, see our Cheltenham planning news page.
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