Guidance

Publish your conservation area data

There are 2 datasets you must provide for conservation area data:

Format

You can provide data in one of these formats:

  • CSV
  • GeoJSON
  • GML
  • Geopackage

These may be uploaded to a single URL, or served via an OGC WFS or ArcGIS API.

Conservation area dataset

This dataset is about conservation areas. These are areas of special architectural or historic interest with a character or appearance that must be preserved or enhanced. Don’t worry if you don’t have all the data we’ve asked for available right now. If you give us what you’ve got, we can help you fill in the gaps later.

A complete record should contain the following fields (columns):

reference

A reference or ID for each conservation area that is:

  • unique within your dataset
  • permanent - it doesn't change when the dataset is updated

If you don't use a reference already, you will need to create one. This can be a short set of letters or numbers.

Example: CA01

name

The official name of the conservation area.

Example: Old Market

organisation

The code for the organisation responsible for the conservation area.

Example: local-authority:BUC

Create this code by using the relevant prefix, a colon (:), and the reference for your organisation from this list of organisations.

geometry

The boundary for the conservation area geography as a single polygon or multipolygon value. All points in the polygon should be in the WGS84 coordinate reference system if possible. If you can’t do this, give us what you have and then we can transform it into WGS84. However, this could mean there’s a small loss of precision when we do the transformation. If you’re providing geometry in a CSV, geometry should be in well-known text (WKT).

Example: MULTIPOLYGON (((1.188829 51.23478,1.188376 51.234909,1.188381 51.234917,1.187912 51.235022...

If you’re providing geometry in a GeoJSON, GML or Geopackage, use the associated geometry format.

designation-date

The date that the conservation area was officially designated, written in YYYY-MM-DD format.

Example:

1984-03-28

With dates, some data is better than no data, so:

  • 1984 is fine
  • 1984-03 is better
  • 1984-04-28 is brilliant

document-url

A URL to the document containing the authoritative source for the area. This is usually a PDF containing the area drawn on a map.

Example: http://www.LPAwebsite.org.uk/data/conservationareas/smithroad-area.pdf

documentation-url

The URL of the webpage on your website that introduces the document.

Each document should be linked to from a documentation webpage that includes a short description of the data and the document you’re linking to. Each conservation area should have a unique URL. This means you can create a separate page for each one, or you could list several on one page. If you do that, there must be a separate anchor (fragment identifier) for each one. This means each section of your page should have its own URL. Most publishing systems will allow you to use a hashtag to create the identifiers for each conservation area you list - as in the examples shown.

Examples:

One conservation area per page: http://www.LPAwebsite.org.uk/data/conservationareas/smithroad

More than one conservation area per page with an anchor link for each one:

http://www.LPAwebsite.org.uk/data/conservationareas#smithroad

http://www.LPAwebsite.org.uk/data/conservationareas#broadhousepark

An image showing what to put as the document-url and the documentation-url

notes

Optional text on how this data was made or produced, or how it can be interpreted.

entry-date

The date the entity was last updated.

If the entity has never been updated, enter the same date as start-date.

Write in YYYY-MM-DD format.

Example:

2022-12-20

With dates, some data is better than no data, so:

  • 2022 is fine
  • 2022-12 is better
  • 2022-12-20 is brilliant

start-date

The date the validity of the record starts, written in YYYY-MM-DD format. Usually, this will be the same as the designation date. If anything about the conservation area has changed, for example, the boundary, it should be the date of that change.

Example:

1984-04-25

With dates, some data is better than no data, so:

  • 1984 is fine
  • 1984-04 is better
  • 1984-04-25 is brilliant

end-date

Where the conservation area is no longer valid, this should be the date that it was no longer in effect, written in YYYY-MM-DD format. If this does not apply, leave the cell blank.

Example:

1999-01-20

With dates, some data is better than no data, so:

  • 1999 is fine
  • 1999-01 is better
  • 1984-01-20 is brilliant

Conservation area documents dataset

This dataset is about documents that provide sources for the information contained in the conservation areas dataset. If you can, you should provide this dataset in addition to the conservation area dataset.

If your conservation area documents are all held in a single page, you add the URL of that page in the conservation area dataset instead of providing a separate conservation area documents dataset. Add the URL in the documentation-url field.

These documents are the authoritative source and provide the context around the history and impact of the conservation area. They can be:

  • draft directions
  • area appraisals
  • notices of conservation area designations
  • management plans
  • gazette entries

Don’t worry if you don’t have all the data we’ve asked for available right now. If you give us what you’ve got, we can help you fill in the gaps later.

A complete record should contain the following fields (columns):

reference

A reference or ID for each document that is:

  • unique within your dataset
  • permanent - it doesn't change when the dataset is updated

If you don't use a reference already, you will need to create one. This can be a short set of letters or numbers.

Example: CADOC01

name

The title of the document.

Example: Notice of Old Market conservation area designation

conservation-area

The reference for the conservation area this document refers to, as used in the conservation area dataset.

Example: CA1

documentation-url

The URL of the webpage introducing the document.

Each document should be linked to on a documentation webpage that includes a short description of the data. The website URL should be unique for each conservation area, either by creating a separate page or a separate anchor (fragment identifier) for each one.

Example: http://www.LPAwebsite.org.uk/data#conservationarea1

document-url

The URL of the document.

Example: http://www.LPAwebsite.org.uk/conservationarea1.pdf

document-type

The type of document. This must be one of the following values, or left blank:

  • area-appraisal
  • notice

notes

Optional text on how this data was made or produced, or how it can be interpreted.

entry-date

The date the entity was last updated.

If the entity has never been updated, enter the same date as start-date.

Write in YYYY-MM-DD format.

Example:

1984-03-28

With dates, some data is better than no data, so:

  • 1984 is fine
  • 1984-03 is better
  • 1984-03-28 is brilliant

start-date

The date the document was published, written in YYYY-MM-DD format.

Example:

1984-03-28

With dates, some data is better than no data, so:

  • 1984 is fine
  • 1984-03 is better
  • 1984-03-28 is brilliant

end-date

The date the document was withdrawn or superseded by another document, written in YYYY-MM-DD format. Leave this blank if the document is still relevant to planning.

Example:

1984-03-28

With dates, some data is better than no data, so:

  • 1984 is fine
  • 1984-03 is better
  • 1984-03-28 is brilliant