About the Ayot St Lawrence Conservation Area
The Ayot St Lawrence Conservation Area covers about 39 hectares and was designated by Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council in 1969. Inside the boundary are 19 listed buildings (1 Grade I, 3 Grade II*, 15 Grade II). The most significant is New Saint Lawrence Church, Grade I.
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.
- New Saint Lawrence ChurchGrade I
- Ayot HouseGrade II*
- Old St Lawrence ChurchGrade II*
- Shaw's CornerGrade II*
- Ayot CottageGrade II
- Ayot FarmhouseGrade II
- Barn About 30 Metres North-West of Ayot Manor HouseGrade II
- Cottage Immediately West of Brocket Arms Public HouseGrade II
- Cunliffe CottagesGrade II
- Old Hall, Farm CottageGrade II
- Outbuilding 3 Metres North of Ayot Manor HouseGrade II
- Stable Block on East Side of Ayot HouseGrade II
- Telephone Kiosk Opposite Old RectoryGrade II
- The Brocket Arms Public HouseGrade II
- The LodgeGrade II
- The Manor HouseGrade II
- The Old RectoryGrade II
- Tudor CottageGrade II
- Walled Garden on North Side of Ayton Manor HouseGrade II
The council’s appraisal
WEBAyot St Lawrence Conservation Area AppraisalWelwyn Hatfield 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 Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council and Historic England via planning.data.gov.uk (OGL). Guidance only — not an official council check.