Recognising town's conservation areas

Some of Rochdale’s most special places will be included on the first ever national survey of England’s conservation areas.

English Heritage, which cares for the country’s historic sites and buildings, has asked every local council to fill in a questionnaire on each conservation area, for the first nationwide census of their condition.

The results will be announced on 23 June and a campaign will be launched to help councils, communities and individuals to care for them.

Rochdale has 23 conservation areas, part of 9,300 nationwide.

They range from areas in parks, around churches, monuments, and village centres, to the Town Hall, Butterworth Hall in Newhey, and Toad Lane.

English Heritage wants to know what condition they are in, if they are cherished by a close partnership of council and residents, or if they are at risk from neglect, decay and inappropriate development.

Conservation areas under threat will be added to the annual Heritage at Risk register. English Heritage is creating a Domesday Book of every aspect of England’s threatened heritage. It aims to make England the first country in the world to have a comprehensive picture of its heritage at risk and the necessary understanding to save it.

Dr Simon Thurley, Chief Executive of English Heritage, said: “Millions of us live in or near a conservation area, go to work or shop in one, or visit them for leisure.

“This survey will give us a true picture of the condition of these important, historic places.

“We will be analysing the results carefully so that we can help to provide answers to questions like these and propose solutions where Conservation Areas are in decline.”