As part of the consultation, a public meeting will be held at Newstead Village Hall on Tuesday 13 June. A drop-in session will take place from 6pm and a short presentation will be made at 7pm, with the opportunity for questions afterwards.

The online consultation can be accessed here and is open until 14 August 2023.

Situated alongside the ancient Roman military complex of Trimontium, Newstead is a small village with a long history. It has been associated with masons for much of its history and this is still evident in the carved stonework and sundials you can see in the village today. The core of the village was designated a conservation area for its special architectural and historic interest in 1985.

The draft Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan for Newstead aims to identify the special architectural and historic character of the conservation area, and provide guidance to help preserve and enhance that special character.

The document is intended to be an informative guide to the history, architecture and character of the area, provide guidance for planning applications, and can help with future funding applications.

Councillor Simon Mountford, executive member for estate management and planning, said: “I’d encourage all those living in Newstead, or with an interest in the village and its history and future, to take part in this consultation and shape the final plan.

“It is essential that new developments and alterations to existing buildings within our conservation areas preserve or enhance the character of the area and our Conservation Area Appraisals and Management Plans play an important role in supporting that.

“We are starting to review all our Conservation Areas, and further consultations for Conservation Area Appraisals and Management Plans for other areas will take place in due course. This is a good opportunity though to remind owners of properties within our conservation areas that undertaking works without the appropriate permissions is a serious matter.

“Guidance and advice on alterations and other works is available from the Council website and our Planning and Heritage and Design teams and should be sought before embarking on works or submitting planning or related applications.”

Responses to the consultation will be reviewed and used to inform a final version of the Newstead Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan. The final document will be adopted as Supplementary Planning Guidance and used in the planning process.

Hard copies of the plan can be viewed at Council Headquarters in Newtown St Boswells from 9am to 5pm Monday to Thursday and at Melrose Library during opening hours.