About the Stockton & Darlington Railway: Northgate Conservation Area
The Stockton & Darlington Railway: Northgate Conservation Area covers about 64 hectares and was designated by Darlington Borough Council in 1974. Inside the boundary are 18 listed buildings (1 Grade I, 3 Grade II*, 14 Grade II). The most significant is Skerne Bridge, 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.
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.
- Skerne BridgeGrade I
- Central School AnnexeGrade II*
- Goods Shed East South East of North Road StationGrade II*
- North Road Railway Station (Now Railway Museum)Grade II*
- 1 and 2 McNay StreetGrade II
- 138-148 NorthgateGrade II
- Bandstand to West of Bowling GreenGrade II
- Central School (east Block)Grade II
- Forecourt Railings and Gate Piers to Northgate United Reformed ChurchGrade II
- Former Gner Engine ShedGrade II
- Front Garden Wall to North LodgeGrade II
- Lime CellsGrade II
- North Lodge (education Offices)Grade II
- Northgate United Reformed ChurchGrade II
- Railway ViaductGrade II
- Route of the Stockton & Darlington Railway trackside signGrade II
- Stockton and Darlington Railway Carriage WorksGrade II
- The Railway Tavern, a former Stockton and Darlington Railway innGrade II
The council’s appraisal
WEBStockton & Darlington Railway: Northgate Conservation Area AppraisalDarlington 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 Darlington Borough Council and Historic England via planning.data.gov.uk (OGL). Guidance only — not an official council check.