A conservation area in Cliftonville has been shortlisted in a national competition for people’s favourite conservation areas.
Civic Voice, which hosts the awards to highlight the positive impact that conservation areas have had on the country since first being designated in 1967, has announced 18 areas that made the list out of 249 nominations.
Among the 18 is Dalby Conservation Area, made up of Dalby Square, Arthur and Dalby Roads in Cliftonville.
The winner will now be decided by the public.
To vote, visit http://www.bigconservationconversation.com and click the heart on the conservation area that you want to win. The vote will close on October 16 with the winner announced at the Civic Voice conference on October 19-20.
The conservation area with the most votes by the closing date will be awarded the accolade of England’s Favourite Conservation Area and the winners will be highlighted over the coming year for other areas to be inspired. An invitation to speak at an event in Parliament will also be offered to the winning conservation area.
Dalby Square was designated a Conservation Area in 2010. All properties were built in the 1870s with slightly smaller terraced houses in Arthur and Dalby Roads built in the 1880s and 90s. All have elaborate decorative detailing.
Projects funded by a £2.8m Townscape Heritage Initiative grant include the repurposing of a closed hotel built in 1895 (12 Arthur Road) back into a guest house,improved street lighting and reclaimed gardens.
Dalby Square is also the site of a multi-generational family living experiment at a Victorian five storey townhouse.
The project, in partnership with Thanet council and The University of Kent’s School of Architecture and School of Psychology, aims to tackle climate change, an ageing population and housing shortages through the renovation and conversion of the mid-terrace property.
12a Dalby Square is owned by Kent County Council and is part of the Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI) funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Thanet District Council.
The property has been restored by Lee Evans architects and taken from former subdivided hotel rooms to a home that can accommodate up to 12 people living as a family.
It has seven bedrooms, three kitchens, three bathrooms, three living rooms and a private garden. There are period features and fittings throughout, views onto the communal gardens and on-street parking.
Laura Sandys Civic Voice Vice-president said: “With 249 conservation areas being nominated, it shows that people are proud of where they live. The shortlist comprises conservation areas that have been revived through community leadership, through to areas which has been revitalised through financial support from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
“Conservation areas designated in recent years are on the shortlist, along with some of the very first conservation areas designated in the 1960s. Conservation areas that are at the heart of Heritage Action Zones have made the list, so too have areas that are still on the Heritage at Risk register.”
Find the Dalby Conservation Area page and cast your vote here
How wonderful to live in a conservation area.
How amazing that we now live in an area where no further Edwardian houses can be converted into flats.
How wonderful to know that roof windows may not face the street.
How great to know that those lovely balconies will be protected and not have their doors replaced with small windows.
How sad to be in one administered by Thanet District Council who break all of the rules they implemented to protect the conservation area, smash their own planning policy for Cliftonville into smithereens.
How pitiful to see an enthusiastic conservation officer hampered by his own planning committee and officers who refuse all requests for enforcement action.
How sad that TDC is now run by bureaucrat officers and not by our elected councillors.
Why should we vote for a scheme that has degenerated into little more than a box ticking exercise?
Wow, you have said pretty much exactly what I was thinking !
It’s very true that the Conservation area of Arthur Road and Edgar Road, including the Grade ll listed Old Vicarage at St Paul’s in Northdown Road are all at substantial risk because TDC Planning Enforcement are not enforcing any action on illegal alterations taking place there. Despite bringing to their officers attention many times, then also the local Councillors and Conservation officer absolutely no action has been forthcoming so somebody please do tell us why we should vote for this area when TDC are not even interested in improving the rest of these streets? It seems just one or two pet projects have taken all the attention here when there are many more things that could and should be done to improve this area. It’s the same with TDC’s Selective Licensing too. They are not being seen to be enforcing their rules either and this is the same area of Cliftonville as the supposed conservation area. The area is just not being conserved at all and that is such a shame. It makes a nonsense of the schemes introduced to bring standards up. Money is just being wasted on as usual.
Why should we vote for a scheme that has spent millions on continuously making the Square a less pleasant place to live, whilst lining the pockets of arriviste “local” architects? Ugly new gardens that no one wanted in place of much needed car parking and thousands wasted on an Artist’s reimagining, along with lying Council employees at public consultations turns the stomach somewhat. Dreadful, appalling people fucking over council tax paying residents for their own ends.