Stonehaven’s Conservation Area is currently under review by Aberdeenshire Council’s Historic Environment Team who want to ensure the designation remains relevant and with an appropriate boundary.
Their draft proposals are now available for inspection online – along with a short survey where you can note any comments about their proposals.
In the proposals, the existing conservation area boundary has been retained and divided into two – new town and old town.
For the proposed New Town boundary some areas have been removed from the conservation area designation. These either comprise modern development, traditional buildings with significant modern alterations, or buildings not contributing significantly to the special character of the conservation area.
An interesting read for home owners
If you are the owner of a heritage property, then two documents offer a wealth of interesting information and guidance
- Conservation Area Appraisal – this document provides a full review of the settlement, identifying the special characteristics of its history, development, architecture, open space, landscape, and appearance. It is used to assess whether the settlement has a special character and whether it is worthy of conservation area status.
- Conservation Area Management Plan – this document is designed to provide guidance on what living in a conservation area means, what planning permissions are required, along with advice on how best to make changes to your property, pointing to additional guidance where relevant.
These documents and the survey are available here
Find the history of your house
As part of the review, the team have organised a ‘History of a House’ event in collaboration with the Local Studies Team.
Two sessions will be held on 15th June 2026 at Stonehaven Library at 2pm and 6pm, offering guidance on how to research the history of your home. The sessions are free, however booking is required. Further information regarding this event and how to book a place can be found via the following link: https://tinyurl.com/ydfx5nrb(External link)
