Paul Mitchell
THE RUISLIP CONSERVATION AREAS
Ruislip Village Conservation Area (RVCA)
A map showing the boundary of the RVCA is at this link:
The Ruislip Village Conservation Area (RVCA) was designated in 1969, and was one of the first of such areas to be agreed within the London Borough of Hillingdon. It then contained only the medieval village centre: Manor Farm (the administrative centre of the manor of Ruislip), St. Martin’s Church (the ecclesiastical centre of the Parish of Ruislip), and the ancient buildings at the north end of Ruislip High Street and south end of Bury Street – all of which are “listed”.
In 2009 the RVCA was extended to include all of the High Street and the later residential “garden suburb” area immediately to the west, built upon the Park Estate and Withy Crofts – meadowland belonging to the King’s College Estate – as well as the old hamlets of Great King’s End and Little King’s End. It is a good example of “Metroland” development which followed the arrival of the railway in the early 1900s, having many high quality residential houses set in mature gardens.
The RVCA is rich in historic buildings and features – containing 23 Statutorily Listed buildings, 26 Locally Listed buildings and one Scheduled Ancient Monument. Details are available via this link:
Ruislip “Manor Way” Conservation Area
Manor Way is architecturally and socially important because it has the earliest cottages built by the Ruislip Manor Cottage Society, founded in 1911, to provide attractive and decent housing for working people.
A map showing the area covered by the Manor Way Conservation Area is at this link:
AREAS OF SPECIAL LOCAL CHARACTER
Areas of Special Local Character are a local designation, and include areas which contain elements of local character and identity that the council wishes to preserve.
Maps showing the location of the Midcroft and Moat Drive Areas of Special Local Character are at the links below:
WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES THESE CLASSIFICATIONS MAKE?
Within conservation areas, normal ‘permitted development’ rights (permission granted automatically for certain works to single family dwelling houses) are restricted, enabling the council to have more control over the size, design and location of extensions and alterations. There are also additional restrictions relating to demolitions and work on trees.
More specifically, any planning proposals for sites within a Conservation Area or Area of Special Local Character will require a higher standard of design, use of traditional materials, and any new features need to be complementary to the existing building.
Details of relevant current policies and guidance are available via the Hillingdon Council website at this link:
