LIVE: Conservation Area Review

Isles of Scilly Conservation Area Review Consultation

 The Council of the Isles of Scilly designated a Conservation Area, covering all of the islands, in June 1975. Under Section 69(2) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, local planning authorities have a statutory duty to review conservation area boundaries “from time to time”. This includes considering whether new areas should be designated or whether existing boundaries should be amended or cancelled.

This requirement to review conservation area boundaries came into force with the original enactment of the Act in 1990, and remains in effect today. A timeline of activity relating to the Isles of Scilly conservation area can be viewed at the bottom of this page.

While the legislation does not prescribe a fixed review interval, best practice guidance from Historic England recommends that reviews be carried out regularly, ideally every 5 to 10 years, and supported by up-to-date Conservation Area Appraisals and Management Plans. In order to fulfil this requirement, we have created a Draft Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan (CAAMP) and we would like to hear your views on this document before it is taken to Full Council for approval. The draft document includes:

  • An overview of Scilly’s unique landscape and building heritage
  • Summaries of key themes and each main island
  • An outline of potential management plan measures for consultation

How to respond to the consultation

To respond to our Isles of Scilly Conservation Area Review Consultation, please take the following steps:

Respond to the Isles of Scilly Conservation Area Review Consultation

The completion of the survey should only take about 10 minutes. All survey responses must be received by the deadline at 5pm on 9 January 2026 in order to be considered.

Paper copies of the Draft CAAMP will be available to view at St Mary's Library and Carn Gwaval Wellbeing Centre, and at the Community Centres on St Agnes, Bryher, Tresco and St Martin's. If you would like a paper copy of the survey, please email planning@scilly.gov.uk or call 01720 424455.

Next steps

After the survey closes, we’ll review all responses and use them to shape a new Conservation Area Character Statement. This will become official planning guidance (a Supplementary Planning Document or SPD) and help update heritage policies in the Local Plan.

Prior to adoption the Supplementary Planning Document will be subject to further consultation, as required. Representations received during the consultation period will then be considered before the document is amended as necessary and taken back to Full Council for approval and adoption.

Isles of Scilly Conservation Area Timeline

June 1975
The Council adopted the Isles of Scilly Conservation Area.

January 1976
The Council adopted its First Article 4 Direction: this removed the right to enlarge, improve or carry out other alterations to any house on any of the islands including the construction of curtilage buildings.  It also removed the right to change the use of land for any purpose as well as all agricultural permitted development rights for agricultural land of more than 1 acre.

February 1976
The Islands were designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

May 1989
The Council adopted its Second Article 4 Direction: this removed the right to construct swimming pools within the curtilage of any house on any of the islands.

November 1995
The Council adopted its Third Article 4 Direction: this removed the right to make any alteration to the roof, to paint the exterior or change the windows or doors of any house on any of the islands.

January 1999
The Council adopted its Fourth (and so far final) Article 4 Direction: this removed the right to provide any temporary structures (excluding plant and machinery) in connection with a development project.

April 2014
The Council of the Isles of Scilly passed the day-to-day management of the AONB to the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust.

July 2021
Revisions to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) (paragraph 54) introduced stricter requirements for Article 4 Directions. Local planning authorities must now provide robust evidence to justify their use, ensure they apply to the smallest area necessary, and demonstrate that they are essential to prevent wholly unacceptable impacts. Local planning authorities are encouraged to review any existing Article 4 Directions that pre-date the July 2021 revisions to the National Planning Policy Framework, to ensure they are supported by robust evidence, apply only to the smallest area necessary, and remain justified under the strengthened national policy requirements.

September 2023
The Council applied to the Government for a grant through the Planning Skills and Delivery Fund (PSDF) to undertake a review of its Conservation Area. The bid for PSDF money was successful. The Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan will be a key document to support development projects on the islands and will be adopted, in due course, as a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD).  During 2024 Cornwall Archaeological Unit (CAU), who have been appointed to carry out this work, have undertaken the preliminary site visits and pulled together a full understanding of the significance, and historical development across the five inhabited islands. This work is now available for the community to read, and in order to progress this towards a key supplementary planning document.

November 2023
Government's response to the 2019 Landscapes Review (also known as the Glover Review), announced the formal new name of the AONBs as National Landscapes to better reflect their national significance.  

November 2025 
The Council entered Stage 1 (Early Community Involvement) of the review of its Draft Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan (CAAMP).