About the Sawley Conservation Area
The Sawley Conservation Area covers about 33 hectares and was designated by Ribble Valley Borough Council in 1971. Inside the boundary are 12 listed buildings (1 Grade I, 11 Grade II). The most significant is Sawley Abbey Ruins, 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.
- Sawley Abbey RuinsGrade I
- Abbey CottageGrade II
- Arches CottageGrade II
- Bank HallGrade II
- Bank HouseGrade II
- Friends' Meeting House and House Adjoining to South WestGrade II
- Gazebo, 50 Metres South East of Bank HallGrade II
- Green EndGrade II
- Ivy Cottage, Reading Room, And Connecting Buildings in Same RangeGrade II
- Sawley BridgeGrade II
- Southport FarmhouseGrade II
- Spread Eagle HotelGrade II
The council’s appraisal
WEBSawley Conservation Area AppraisalRibble Valley 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 Ribble Valley Borough Council and Historic England via planning.data.gov.uk (OGL). Guidance only — not an official council check.