Historic Areas
Conservation Areas
Sandwell has nine conservation areas which have significant elements of architectural and historic interest. View and download the conservation area reports and boundary plans using the links below.
- Church Square, Oldbury
- Market Place, Wednesbury
- Smethwick, Galton Valley
- Factory Locks, Tipton
- High Street, West Bromwich
- Windmill End, Warrens Hall, Rowley Regis
- Smethwick Town Centre, High Street
- High Street and Crocketts Lane, Smethwick
- Cape Hill Town Centre, Smethwick
Planning permission is required within conservation areas for works to alter or demolish a building. In addition, six weeks notice must be given to the council prior to any works being carried out to trees.
Article 4 Directions cover some of the residential properties within High Street, West Bromwich Conservation Area and numbers 4 to 32 Bearwood Road, Smethwick within the High Street and Crocketts Lane, Smethwick Conservation Area. Under the directions, any works that change the external appearance of a building may require planning permission. In deciding whether to grant planning permission the council has a duty to protect the historic character of the area.
Sandwell Council is part of the Open Digital Planning community which is committed to transforming planning to a data-driven digital system. Datasets and mapping files for Conservation Areas and Article 4 Directions can be downloaded on the Planning Datasets webpage.
Black Country Historic Landscape Characterisation Study
Historic landscape characterisation is a method used in planning to assess and understand the distinctive characteristics and evolution of a landscape over time.
A Landscape Characterisation Study was produced on behalf of the Black Country authorities in 2019.
View and download the Black Country Historic Landscape Characterisation Study