In accordance with Section 81 of the Planning & Development Act, a development plan shall include an objective to preserve the character of a place, area, group of structures or townscape, taking account of building lines and heights, that a) is of special architectural, historical, archaeological, artistic, cultural, scientific, social or technical interest or value, or b) contributes to the appreciation of protected structures, if the Planning Authority is of the opinion that its inclusion is necessary for the preservation of the character of the place, area, group of structures or townscape concerned and any such place, area, group of structures or townscape shall be known as an “Architectural Conservation Area”. ACAs contribute to the revitalisation of the fabric of towns, villages and rural areas by supporting their aesthetic value, giving them a distinctive identity, and thus make a positive contribution to local economies and tourist potential. The designation of an ACA does not prejudice innovative and contemporary design; on the contrary, in principle, design of a contemporary and minimalist style will be facilitated within ACA’s provided it does not detract from the character of the area. Applications for development within the conservation area should contain sufficient information to allow a detailed assessment by the Planning Authority, as to the likely impacts of the proposal on the ACA. The following is a brief outline of additional information which may be submitted with a planning application that aids the assessment of the application: - fully rendered, scaled, elevation drawings; photo montages relating the proposal to its setting and material samples such as colour charts, brick and roofing materials brochures. In general developments within the ACA should comply with the guidelines as set out in the Architectural Heritage Protection Guidelines from the Department. In an ACA, the carrying out of works to the exterior of a structure will be exempted development only if those works would not materially affect the character of the area. This is in addition to the requirement under Section 4 (1) (h) of the Planning and Development Act 2000 that for works to be exempted they must be consistent with the appearance of the structure itself and neighbouring structures.