Updated review documents and boundaries for Emberton, Ravenstone, Sherington and Weston Underwood conservation areas were adopted on 22/03/2024, the documents are available below.
We are working on reviews for Clifton Reynes, Lavendon, Newton Blossomville and Olney conservation areas with the aim of adoption in late 2025.
Conservation areas are designated areas that possess “a special architectural or historic interest the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance”.
Milton Keynes has 27 conservation areas, including building, open spaces, cemeteries, historic street patterns and local centres.
Residents and businesses in a conservation area must play their part in preserving and enhancing the unique character that led to the designation. The Council will encourage high-quality design for all development in a conservation area, to ensure that it makes a positive contribution to the character.
Each local planning authority has a statutory duty to review its conservation areas from time to time. Reviewing conservation areas ensures that the written appraisal and boundary map for each designated area is up to date. We follow advice from the Government and Historic England in conducting conservation area reviews.
New developments at the edges of a conservation area can mean features used to define the original boundary of a conservation area have changed making it necessary to make adjustments. Sometimes new information can lead to a better understanding of a place making it appropriate to redraw the boundary to include the contribution made by buildings on the periphery, or exclude those that no longer make the contribution that they did.
The Council is engaged in reviewing all 27 of its conservation areas. At the beginning of each review officers contact ward members, town/parish councils and, where appropriate, local stakeholders to discuss the existing conservation area. Each review then undergoes a period of public consultation of six weeks after which the final document is produced and adopted by the Council.
The adopted General Information Document provides an overview of the historic character and appearance of the city of Milton Keynes. Individual conservation area reviews must be read in conjunction with this document.
Civic, 1 Saxon Gate East, Milton Keynes MK9 3EJ