Mayor Charles Smith's eight-year battle to designate part of Hadleigh a conservation area is close to an end.

He said today: "It was agreed at a planning meeting that the council will pursue this.

"It has to go through a legal process that will take two to three months but it will almost certainly come through."

The conservation area would stretch from the top of Castle Lane to the Methodist Church, incorporating the area surrounding Hadleigh High Street, he said.

Buildings would have to be preserved, homeowners would not be able to demolish their properties without the council's approval and alterations would have to be in keeping with the character of the building concerned.

Mr Smith added: "Our buildings are at risk at the moment but with a conservation area they will be safeguarded."

Published Wednesday, April 16, 2003

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