If you are lucky enough to live in a designated conservation area, your home is probably surrounded by buildings of strong historical and social interest or in an area of outstanding beauty. Whilst we’d all love to live somewhere beautiful or historically interesting (and specified conservation areas often fall into both categories) living in one of these special places carries with it certain responsibilities.
Those responsibilities aren’t just moral requirements, they are laid down in the statute books. A whole different set of planning regulations apply in conservation areas and it can be a lot more difficult to get council permission for renovations, extensions, demolition work and anything else that has an impact, however small, on the landscape. That includes lopping of trees and shrubbery, taking away outbuildings, and even installing a digital tv aerial.
The skyline of any building in a conservation area is subject to protection and that means sticking digital satellite receivers right up on top of the roof is going to be frowned upon. The local council does have the power to order conservation area homeowners to remove or re-site a digital tv aerial that is deemed unsightly.
As the digital television switchover rolls out across the UK those living in the most spectacular and historically important places naturally want to get the same benefits from the new system as anywhere else. It follows that both the number of satellite installations in conservation areas is on the rise and so are the conflicts they can cause.
Most of the time, however, it is perfectly possible to install aerials and satellite receivers in conservation areas. All it takes is a little care and discretion and perhaps the right choice of receiver. The best of satellite installation companies have learned the best ways to place the equipment required to receive high quality digital signals and many of them can offer a special service to those living within designated conversation areas.