About the Abbey and Barking Town Centre Conservation Area
The Abbey and Barking Town Centre Conservation Area covers about 16 hectares and was designated by London Borough of Barking and Dagenham in 1975. Inside the boundary are 7 listed buildings (1 Grade I, 1 Grade II*, 5 Grade II). The most significant is Parish Church of St Margaret, Grade I. 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.
- HMO Article 4Change of use
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 MargaretGrade I
- Fire Bell Gate, Barking AbbeyGrade II*
- Barking Magistrates Court and Railings, Lampholders and LampsGrade II
- Remains of Barking Abbey and Old Churchyard WallsGrade II
- St Margaret's VicarageGrade II
- The Old GranaryGrade II
- Tomb of Captain John BennettGrade II
The council’s appraisal
WEBAbbey and Barking Town Centre Conservation Area AppraisalLondon Borough of Barking and Dagenham’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 London Borough of Barking and Dagenham and Historic England via planning.data.gov.uk (OGL). Guidance only — not an official council check.