Conservation Areas

A conservation area is an area of special architectural or historic interest, which the Council has identified worth protecting. Section 69 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 gives the Council the authority to designate such areas, in order to preserve, and enhance the special character of these areas.

There are currently eight conservation areas within Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council. Once a conservation area has been designated, the local authority is required to formulate policies and proposals to preserve or enhance their special character or appearance.

Conservation Area Appraisals and Management plans (CAAMPs) provide detailed information on the special character of conservation areas, and provide guidance for development and maintenance of properties. We are in the process of producing and updating our CAAMPs, in order to improve the protection of all of the County Borough’s conservation areas.

To view conservation area boundaries within the County Borough, click on our Heritage Map.

Council Street and Urban Street Conservation Area
Designated December 2014

These two streets completed in 1903 represent the earliest examples of Council housing in Merthyr Tydfil. They form an important element in the material evidence of the County Borough’s social history.

(Character Appraisal)

Cwmfelin Conservation Area
Designated 1973

A particularly well preserved pre-industrial settlement, which has retained much of its rural feel.

Cyfarthfa Park
Designated December 2009

Cyfarthfa Park Conservation Area covers a significant part of Merthyr’s industrial story; the Crawshay family, and the Cyfarthfa Ironworks.

(Character Appraisal)

Dowlais Conservation Area
Designated 1998

The largest iron works in the world which created a very significant role in the urbanisation of Merthyr Tydfil.

(Character Appraisal)

Merthyr Tydfil Town Centre Conservation Area
Designated June 2009

Merthyr Tydfil Town Centre Conservation Area covers the High Street from St Tydfil’s Church to the top of Pontmorlais.  The town centre retains many large 19th and early 20th Century commercial, civic, and religious buildings.

(Character Appraisal)

Morgantown Conservation Area
Designated December 2009

Early 19th Century residential development of interesting rectangular street grids adjacent to surviving rare industrial structures.

(Character Appraisal)

Thomastown Conservation Area
Designated 1978

One of the largest groups of late Georgian, and early Victorian Style buildings in Wales forming a middle class suburb.

(Character Appraisal)

Treharris Conservation Area
Designated June 2009

A planned settlement to serve Frederick William Harris’ Navigation Colliery. The 19th Century settlement comprises of a strong geometric street grid, which was contained by the surrounding railways.

Character Appraisal

Works in a Conservation Area

In addition to the normal planning controls, planning permission is required for certain external works to a dwelling house within a conservation area.

These include:

• The cladding of any part of the exterior of a dwelling with stone, artificial stone, timber, render, pebbledash, plastic or tiles

• The installation of external wall insulation

• An extension that extends more than 3m from the side elevation of the original dwelling house or be set back, by less than 1m, from the nearest point in any wall comprised of the principal elevation

• The removal of a chimney. The installation and alteration of a chimney

• The installation of an antenna or satellite dish on a chimney, or elevation visible from a highway

• The insertion of a roof light into a roof slope

• Any alterations to the roof of a dwelling resulting in a material alteration to its shape, notably dormer windows

• The construction of any building, raised platform, swimming pool or container for domestic heating purposes within the curtilage of the dwelling house which is more than 20m from the dwelling house and would exceed 10 square metres, or is situated between the side elevation of the dwelling house and the section of the boundary which faces that wall

• Trees within conservation areas are protected: Anyone proposing to cut down, top or lop a tree in a conservation area, whether or not it is covered by a tree preservation order, has to give notice to the Council.

Conservation Area Consent

The need for Conservation Area Consent relates to the demolition or partial demolition of unlisted buildings, and walls, within the boundaries of a conservation area.

• Demolishing buildings larger than 115 cubic metres requires Conservation Area Consent
• Demolishing walls over 1m height adjacent to a highway or walls over 2m in height elsewhere