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Conservation area data

Version: 1.2.2
Published: 8 September 2023

This is guidance on how to meet the conservation area technical specification.

There are 2 datasets you must provide for conservation area data:

Format

You can provide data in one of these formats:

  • CSV
  • GeoJSON
  • GML
  • Geopackage

These may be uploaded to a single URL, or served via an OGC WFS or ArcGIS API.

Conservation area dataset

This dataset is about conservation areas. These are areas where extra planning controls apply due to their special architectural and historic interest.

The dataset must contain at least one entry (row) for each conservation area.

It must containing the following fields (columns):

reference

A reference or ID for each conservation area that is:

  • unique within your dataset
  • permanent - it doesn't change when the dataset is updated

If you don't use a reference already, you will need to create one. This can be a short set of letters or numbers.

Example: CA01

name

The official name of the conservation area.

Example: Old Market

geometry

The boundary for the conservation area as a single polygon or multipolygon value. All points in the polygon must be in the WGS84 coordinate reference system.

If you’re providing geometry in a CSV, geometry should be in well-known text (WKT).

Example: MULTIPOLYGON (((1.188829 51.23478,1.188376 51.234909,1.188381 51.234917,1.187912 51.235022...

If you’re providing geometry in a GeoJSON, GML or Geopackage, use the associated geometry format.

documentation-url

The URL of the webpage on the local planning authority website which provides information about the conservation area.

Example: http://www.LPAwebsite.org.uk/data#conservationarea1

notes

Optional text on how this data was made or produced, or how it can be interpreted.

start-date

The date the validity of the record starts, written in YYYY-MM-DD format. Usually, this will be the same as the designation date. If anything about the conservation area has changed, for example, the boundary, it should be the date of that change.

Example: 1984-04-25

designation-date

The date that the conservation area was officially designated, written in YYYY-MM-DD format.

Example: 1984-03-28

end-date

Where the conservation area is no longer valid, this should be the date that it was no longer in effect, written in YYYY-MM-DD format. If this does not apply, leave the cell blank.

Example: 1999-01-20

entry-date

The date the entity was last updated.

If the entity has never been updated, enter the same date as start-date.

Write in YYYY-MM-DD format.

Example: 2022-12-20

Conservation area documents dataset

This dataset is about documents that provide sources for the information contained in the conservation areas dataset. If you can, you should provide this dataset in addition to the conservation area dataset.

If your conservation area documents are all held in a single page, you add the URL of that page in the conservation area dataset instead of providing a separate conservation area documents dataset. Add the URL in the documentation-url field.

These documents are the authoritative source and provide the context around the history and impact of the conservation area. They can be:

  • draft directions
  • area appraisals
  • notices of conservation area designations
  • management plans
  • gazette entries

The dataset must contain at least one entry (row) for each conservation area document.

It must containing the following fields (columns):

reference

A reference or ID for each document that is:

  • unique within your dataset
  • permanent - it doesn't change when the dataset is updated

If you don't use a reference already, you will need to create one. This can be a short set of letters or numbers.

Example: CADOC01

name

The title of the document.

Example: Notice of Old Market conservation area designation

conservation-area

The reference for the conservation area this document refers to, as used in the conservation area dataset.

Example: CA1

documentation-url

The URL of the webpage citing the document.

Each document should be linked to on a documentation webpage that includes a short description of the data. The website URL should be unique for each conservation area, either by creating a separate page or a separate anchor (fragment identifier) for each one.

Example: http://www.LPAwebsite.org.uk/data#conservationarea1

document-url

The URL of the document.

Example: http://www.LPAwebsite.org.uk/conservationarea1.pdf

document-type

The type of document. This must be one of the following values, or left blank:

  • area-appraisal
  • notice

notes

Optional text on how this data was made or produced, or how it can be interpreted.

start-date

The date the document was published, written in YYYY-MM-DD format.

Example: 1984-03-28

end-date

The date the document was withdrawn or superseded by another document, written in YYYY-MM-DD format. Leave this blank if the document is still relevant to planning.

Example: 1984-03-28

entry-date

The date the entity was last updated.

If the entity has never been updated, enter the same date as start-date.

Write in YYYY-MM-DD format.

Example: 1984-03-28