Extra Protection to Be Given to St. Mary’s Burial Ground
Same report proposes a reduction of the Acton Park Conservation Area
St. Mary's Burial Ground, Acton. Picture: Facebook
November 19, 2025
A report has been published outlining planned changes to conservation areas (CAs) across the borough which reveals extra protection for the St. Mary’s Burial Ground but a redesignation of other areas.
The document prepared for the borough planning committee meeting on 19 November by Mark Price, Principal Heritage Officer, is recommending the extension of the Acton Town Centre Conservation Area to include the whole of graveyard, correcting an anomaly in the existing map where the southern portion had previously been excluded.
The burial ground’s inclusion was uncontroversial locally, with 100% of respondents in the immediate area supporting the extension. Officers argue the site contributes to the setting of the town centre and should be treated as a single, coherent heritage asset rather than split by the current boundary line.
Elsewhere in Acton the review proposes a mix of protections and removals. The Acton Park Conservation Area is set for a targeted reduction: parts of the area including the former Goldsmiths public house site and the expanded East Acton Primary School were judged to have been altered or redeveloped to an extent that undermines their historic association with the conservation area. About 70% of consultees in the affected parcels supported removal. Officers recommended de‑designation of those specific pockets while retaining the overall integrity of Acton Park where historic qualities remain.
Across the ward the council also proposes a series of modest, targeted boundary adjustments designed to remove modern intrusions that do not contribute to heritage value, while preserving and extending protection where original fabric and townscape interest survive. The report stresses the statutory duty to review conservation areas periodically and says the Acton changes are guided by Historic England criteria and local Conservation Area Advisory Panels.
Following committee decisions, formal notices will be placed in the London Gazette and local papers, registers will be updated and residents in affected streets will see site notices explaining the outcome. Officers also confirmed a further report will consider Article 4 Directions, which could impose stricter controls on small‑scale alterations to building fronts in areas where designation is confirmed.
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