Conservation areas

Section 69 of the Civic Amenities Act 1969 gives local councils the power to designate as conservation areas, "areas of special architectural or historic interest, the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance". Portsmouth currently has 22 conservation areas, and it is the responsibility of the council to ensure that any new development should be sympathetic to the special architectural and aesthetic qualities of the area, particularly in terms of scale, design, materials and space between buildings.