Planning Service
Building Conservation
Cromwell Street, Stornoway
Conservation Areas and Buildings
Two important elements of the Historic Environment are Conservation Areas and Listed Buildings. Both are forms of statutory designations which give formal protection to these aspects. They form part of the built environment.
Conservation Areas
These are ‘areas of special architectural or historic interest the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance’. Local Authorities have a statutory duty to identify and designate such areas.
House, Goathill Crescent, Stornoway
Listed buildings
These are ‘buildings of special architectural or historic interest.’ The statutory duty for identifying or classifying these rests with Historic Scotland. However, any body can make representations to the respective Local Authority and Historic Scotland that a building not listed should be listed.
Conservation Area Maps
There are four designated Conservation Areas in the Outer Hebrides: Stornoway and Gearranan in Lewis; Ruisgearraidh in Berneray; North Uist and Howmore in South Uist.
A map of each Conservation Area can be viewed by clicking the links below:
What are the implications for land and building owners?
The designation of a Conservation Area does not mean stopping new development – it is rather a means of guiding new development so that the character of the area is not adversely affected and the new development respects the character of buildings and spaces.
The character of Conservation Areas depends on a whole host of factors, but greatly on the building materials and finishes used. Some of these materials may have fallen out of general use but are still used in special circumstances. They often cost substantially more than equivalent modern materials. As encouragement to owners to maintain the character of the different Conservation Areas the Comhairle has set up a grant scheme to bridge the gap between the use of traditional materials/methods and modern materials/ methods. The grant can also be used to restore architectural or historic detail.
See Conservation Area Grant Schemes for details of the grants available.
