Conservation Areas

The Economic Development and Regeneration service is required to determine which parts of the Borders are of special architectural or historic interest and to designate these as Conservation Areas.

Carlops was the first to be designated in the Scottish Borders (1969) and since then a further 39 have been created. Conservation Areas vary considerably in size and character. All of them have architectural or historic interest and their special character or appearance is worth conserving and enhancing.

They are created to ensure that the special qualities of the area are not undermined by the loss of important features or damaged by insensitive new development. It does not mean that change is forbidden, provided it is carefully controlled.

Current Conservation Areas:

Allanton, Ancrum, Ayton

Bowden

Carlops, Cockburnspath, Coldingham, Coldstream

Darnick, Denholm, Dryburgh, Duns

Eddleston, Eyemouth

Foulden

Gattonside, Gavinton, Greenlaw

Hawick

Innerleithen

Jedburgh

Kelso

Lauder

Melrose, Midlem, Minto, Morebattle

Newcastleton, Newstead

Peebles

Redpath

Selkirk, Skirling, Smailholm, St Abbs, St Boswells, Stow, Swinton

West Linton

Yetholm

Local Plan Review

The current Consultative Draft of the Local Plan recommends the designation of a further three Conservation Areas in Galashiels, Clint Mains and Nisbet. All existing Conservation Areas have been reviewed and a summary of their special character is included the draft Local Plan. The review concluded that all existing Conservation Areas would be retained, but the boundaries of many of these would be updated.