Following the news that there is still strong support for Conservation Areas, 50 years after they were introduced, Historic England shares a few facts about them...

1 2.2 per cent of England is a Conservation Area - this is roughly the same size as Luxembourg.

2 59 per cent of Conservation Areas are in rural parts, while 41 per cent are in urban areas.

3 The first Conservation Area was established in Stamford in Lincolnshire in 1967.

4 Every one of England's local authorities has at least one Conservation Area.

5 The most Conservation Areas can be found in Wiltshire, with 246 across the county. This is followed by Cornwall, where there are 146, and the Cotswold district, which has 145.

6 The largest Conservation Area is Swaledale and Arkengarthdale in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Covering 71 square kilometres, the Conservation Area protects around 1,000 traditional farm buildings and dry-stone walls. Slightly smaller than Guernsey, there are actually 30 countries which are smaller than this Conservation Area.

7 The smallest Conservation Area is Heath Passage, in Barnet. Just over 1000sqm, it includes just two buildings.

Information courtesy of Historic England