About the Ashford - Town Centre Conservation Area
The Ashford - Town Centre Conservation Area covers about 18 hectares and was designated by Ashford Borough Council in 1986. Inside the boundary are 91 listed buildings (1 Grade I, 7 Grade II*, 83 Grade II). The most significant is Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin, Grade I. 1 Article 4 direction over the area removes further householder rights, on top of the conservation area limits below. 5 Tree Preservation Order records overlap the area; every other tree here still needs six weeks’ notice before work. Part of the area lies in flood zone 3, so an extension may need a flood risk assessment.
What changes inside the conservation area
Conservation areas are “Article 2(3) land”. You keep most permitted development rights, but these are removed or tightened.
- Rear extensionElsewhere: 3 m · 6 m with PANo 6 m / 8 m prior approval
- Two-storey extensionElsewhere: 3 mNeeds planning permission
- Side extensionElsewhere: Half the widthNeeds planning permission
- Loft conversionElsewhere: 50 m³Needs planning permission
- Garden roomElsewhere: 2.5 m high by boundariesNot beside the house
- PorchElsewhere: 3 m²Same limits
- Solar panelsElsewhere: 0.2 m projectionSame limits
- Air source heat pumpElsewhere: 1 unitNot facing the road
- Fences, walls and gatesElsewhere: 2 m · 1 m by a roadSame limits
- External claddingElsewhere: Matching materialsNeeds planning permission
- Tree workElsewhere: No notice6 weeks’ notice to the council
- Demolition (over 115 m³)Elsewhere: AllowedNeeds planning permission
Limits for a semi-detached house under the GPDO 2015. An Article 4 direction can remove more.
Article 4 directions here
These overlap the conservation area. Householder directions remove more of the rights above; change-of-use ones don’t affect extending a house.
- PROPERTIES IN QUEEN STREET ASHFORDHouseholder works
Listed buildings in the conservation area
Any work affecting these needs listed building consent, inside or out. Each links to its entry on the National Heritage List.
- Parish Church of St Mary the VirginGrade I
- 22, North StreetGrade II*
- 51-55, High StreetGrade II*
- 91, HIGH STREET (See details for further address information)Grade II*
- Bridge HouseGrade II*
- Nightingale HouseGrade II*
- The CollegeGrade II*
- The Doctor Wilks Memorial HallGrade II*
- 1-3, KNOTT'S SQUARE (See details for further address information)Grade II
- 1-5, Kings ParadeGrade II
- 10, MIDDLE ROW (See details for further address information)Grade II
- 100-102, High StreetGrade II
- 11, East HillGrade II
- 11, Middle RowGrade II
- 11, North StreetGrade II
- 12 New StreetGrade II
- 12-18, High StreetGrade II
- 13, Middle RowGrade II
- 13, North StreetGrade II
- 14, North StreetGrade II
- 14, The ChurchyardGrade II
- 15, CASTLE STREET (See details for further address information)Grade II
- 15, The ChurchyardGrade II
- 16, THE CHURCHYARD (See details for further address information)Grade II
Show all 91 listed buildings ↓All 91 listed buildings
- 17, New StreetGrade II
- 18, NORTH STREET (See details for further address information)Grade II
- 19, New StreetGrade II
- 19A, HIGH STREET (See details for further address information)Grade II
- 1A, MIDDLE ROW (See details for further address information)Grade II
- 1b, Middle RowGrade II
- 2, MIDDLE ROW (See details for further address information)Grade II
- 2, New RentsGrade II
- 20, North StreetGrade II
- 21, HIGH STREET (See details for further address information)Grade II
- 21, Tufton StreetGrade II
- 24, North StreetGrade II
- 25, HIGH STREET (See details for further address information)Grade II
- 26, North StreetGrade II
- 28, North StreetGrade II
- 3 and 5, New StreetGrade II
- 3, Castle StreetGrade II
- 3, Churchyard PassageGrade II
- 3, Middle RowGrade II
- 30, North StreetGrade II
- 31, HIGH STREET (See details for further address information)Grade II
- 32, High StreetGrade II
- 33, New RentsGrade II
- 4, Middle RowGrade II
- 46, High StreetGrade II
- 48, HIGH STREET (See details for further address information)Grade II
- 4A, NEW RENTS (See details for further address information)Grade II
- 54, High StreetGrade II
- 57, HIGH STREET (See details for further address information)Grade II
- 61A, HIGH STREET (See details for further address information)Grade II
- 63, High StreetGrade II
- 65, High StreetGrade II
- 67, HIGH STREET (See details for further address information)Grade II
- 7, EAST HILL (See details for further address information)Grade II
- 7, Middle RowGrade II
- 7, New StreetGrade II
- 7, North StreetGrade II
- 7, THE CHURCHYARD (See details for further address information)Grade II
- 75, High StreetGrade II
- 8-12, The ChurchyardGrade II
- 8, Middle RowGrade II
- 8, New StreetGrade II
- 83a, High StreetGrade II
- 9, North StreetGrade II
- 96, HIGH STREET (See details for further address information)Grade II
- Brooke PlaceGrade II
- Churchyard of Parish Church of St Mary the VirginGrade II
- County HotelGrade II
- Disused GraveyardGrade II
- Former Castle HotelGrade II
- Garden Wall to West of No 22Grade II
- K6 Telephone Kiosk Adjoining Baldwin's Travel Agency in ChurchyardGrade II
- K6 Telephone Kiosk Near Man of Kent Public HouseGrade II
- NorthsideGrade II
- Railings and Wall to East of No 14Grade II
- Rear Part of No 75Grade II
- Talbot HouseGrade II
- Tank Situated in Centre of New StreetGrade II
- The Clergy HouseGrade II
- The George HotelGrade II
- The Masonic Temple and North Street HallGrade II
- The Railings of the Churchyard of the Parish Church of St Mary the VirginGrade II
- The Star InnGrade II
- Wall to South East No 9Grade II
- Wall to South East of No 11Grade II
- Wall to South West of the CollegeGrade II
- WhitehallGrade II
Streets in the conservation area
Streets with listed buildings inside the boundary. Boundaries often split a street — check your exact address.
The council’s appraisal
WEBAshford - Town Centre Conservation Area AppraisalAshford Borough Council’s description of the area’s character — what planners look at when you apply.Open on council site ↗Nearby conservation areas
Boundary and listed buildings from Ashford Borough Council and Historic England via planning.data.gov.uk (OGL). Guidance only — not an official council check.