Milton Regis CA amended

Published Thursday 2 May, 2024
Last updated on Thursday 2 May, 2024

A conservation area in Sittingbourne has been amended to better encompass the areas of local importance.

Swale Borough Council has reviewed the conservation areas (CA) of Milton Regis as part of their commitment to deliver the action plan of their Heritage Strategy.

After undertaking a public consultation on the conservation area’s character appraisals and the proposed management plan, the council has decided to expand the conservation areas’ borders.

Milton Regis Conservation Area is one of Kent’s ancient settlements and includes the highest concentrations of listed buildings in the borough.

The town’s prosperity, in the medieval period, was due to Milton Creek which offered easy access to London, the east coast and the continent for trade making Milton one of the biggest ports in Kent at the time.

The border has been amended to include more local areas of importance like the ancient retaining wall fronting Crown Road and removes other areas like parking lots which have no architectural or historic interest.

The council, as the local planning authority, is responsible for reviewing conservation areas from time to time.

These reviews offer the opportunity to see if the areas still possess the special architectural and historic interest and are worthy of continued designation, which made them conservation areas in the first place.

The council also assessed how successful the designations had been over the past 50 years and whether they should be expanded or made smaller.

Once an area has been designated a conservation area planning permission is needed to alter or demolish even unlisted buildings, trees within the area are given special protections and, in some cases, development is more restricted.

Cllr Mike Baldock, Swale's Heritage Champion, said:

“Milton Regis is one of Kent’s most ancient settlements and encompasses a number of beautiful, listed buildings.

“It adds important historical and architectural value to the entire country and needs to be maintained and protected for future generations.

“These conservation areas are a way for us, as a council, to monitor and control development to make sure any changes are sympathetic to the architectural importance of these towns.

“Over the last few years, we have been reviewing our conservation areas to see if they have been effective and ascertain whether they need to be adjusted or changed.

“We identified a need to revise the borders of Mitlon Regis conservation area to add more areas that need protecting.”