A Guide to Listed Buildings
WHAT IS A LISTED BUILDING?
When considering the purchase of a listed building, it’s important to know exactly what you are buying into.
The government classes listed buildings as heritage assets and, as such, they are an asset to the wider community and even the country. This means that someone else has a vested interest in the building, namely its historic fabric.
What does this mean? Well, it means that if any work you undertake on the building affects the original fabric e.g. the land that it sits on or is adjacent to, its use, and/or its general appearance, then it will require listed building consent. In addition, you may also need planning consent - which are two different processes. Listed building consent can be gained via an application to the local authority and will be assessed by the local authorities' heritage officer.
Please be aware that these rules are applicable to the entire building - inside and out - and it is a criminal offence to undertake any work to the fabric of the building without listed building consent. This applies to the owner plus anyone undertaking the work, such as the builder.
WHAT DOES THE PROCESS ENTAIL?
At Rees Architects we support the property owner from the outset until the building works are completed on-site. This includes:
Helping build the client brief to what we feel will be accepted by the local authority
Drawing up the scheme and gathering any supporting documentation required
Bringing on board any specialities required for the project - for example a Heritage Consultant, Arboriculturalist, Surveyors and Structural Engineer
Submitting and managing the listed building application
Detailing up the works for construction
Overseeing any building works to ensure they are built in accordance with the listed building consent
Listed building project in Islington, London by Rees Architects.
EXTENDING A LISTED OR HERITAGE BUILDING
There is no blanket rule to say you cannot extend a listed building. Nevertheless, each case is taken on its own merits, and this may mean that extending some listed buildings simply cannot be justified. Inherently though, even on buildings where an extension can be justified, the process is more onerous than on buildings that are not listed.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO MAKE OLDER BUILDINGS MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT WHILE RESPECTING THEIR HERITAGE?
It depends on the building but in many cases it is possible. Normally there are some simple things you can do to listed buildings to improve the overall performance without needing listed building consent, such as:
Loose lay insulation within a loft void
Loose lay insulation under floors
Improved efficiency boilers and heating systems
Replacement of lighting with LED bulbs
Beyond this, most other renovations to improve thermal efficiency will require listed building consent, as the historic fabric of the building will be affected. The main thing to consider here is whether the works cause harm to the original fabric of the building. If they do, does the overall benefit outweigh this harm? The council's heritage officer will assess this.
The main things that need to be considered are:
Will the historic fabric be replaced? If so, the replacement will need to have the same appearance, material and dimensions as the existing - like timber window frames, for example
If insulating materials are added, will they damage or cause harm to the original fabric? For example, if insulation is fixed to the inside of an external wall, can the wall still breathe and will this mean the removal of any original moulding or skirting?
Will any works externally change the appearance of the buildings? For example, visible solar panels will very rarely be approved
Please send an email at hello@rees.archi if you have a project you would like to discuss.
Disclaimer: Please note that every project is different and should be treated as such. The above advice provided is in relation to a specific project, and you should always seek professional advice before embarking on your project.
