11/09/2026
Being in a Conservation Area doesn’t mean your home can’t evolve.
A recent project in Manchester involved a building that is identified as a positive building within the Conservation Area. Although it isn’t listed, its character is important, meaning the scope for alteration needed to be carefully considered.
Rather than trying to change too much, we focused on where a few well-designed interventions could make a real difference.
We secured planning approval to:
• Raise the existing roof slightly – creating enough space for a full master bedroom suite within the roof.
• Add a contemporary zinc-clad rear dormer – deliberately modern, but carefully designed to sit comfortably with the original house.
• Create a stronger connection to the garden – with the dormer overlooking a new terrace, rear extension and landscaped gardens.
If you own a period property in a Conservation Area, a few things are worth knowing:
• Being in a Conservation Area doesn’t automatically prevent alterations or extensions.
• Even if your house isn’t listed, its contribution to the character of the area can influence what is acceptable.
• Contemporary additions can work – they just need the right scale, materials and detailing.
• Sometimes relatively modest changes can unlock a surprising amount of additional space.
At Wighton Architects, we enjoy finding that balance between protecting what makes an existing building special and making it work better for modern family life.
Check out the before and after below and if you are thinking about altering or extending a period property? It’s often worth exploring what might be possible before assuming the planning constraints make it a non-starter.
Post-production AI tools used
