coloured stripe


Painting, decorating and home improvement tips blog

Listed buildings

Posted by Adrian
January 28th, 2016

Listed buildings

I thought I would write a post about listed buildings as I am about to start working on one. Owning a listed building is slightly different than owning a non listed building in as much as what you can and can not do.

If you have a building that is listed it will be on the Statutory List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, being listed doesn’t only apply to property but also parks, wreck sites and monuments etc.

Screenshot of Historic England website

Grades of listed buildings

There are three grades of listings I, II* and II.

  • Grade I: These are buildings of exceptional special interest. There is only a small number of listings with this status.
  • Grade II*: These are high quality buildings and on the most part are unaltered, and often with an interior of special interest.
  • Grade II: This is the biggest group consisting of around 95% of buildings.

So if you own a listed building it is more likely to be a Grade II listed.

Working on a listed building

When working on a listed building it is best to check with your local council what you can and can not do to your property, don’t just go ahead with works think it will be ok as it could be costly and you may have to redo the works in line the the local Planning Department. Listed buildings can not be modified without first obtaining listed building consent through the relevant local planning authority.

When working on any listed building any alterations or decoration should be undertaken sympathetically to its original state and or surrounding area.

You should always stick to the guidelines and to what has been agreed with the local council, if not you may be required to change what has been done at your cost.

Local authorities can if required serve a repair notice if they fell the property isn’t being preserved well enough and maintaining it well. If one of these notices are served, it will explain what is required to be done and a timeframe to complete works. If this notice isn’t complied with the local authority could submit a compulsory purchase order to the Secretary of State.

Owning a listed building

If you own a listed building you should do some research about the property, contact the local council planning department and find out as much about your property as you can, find out what you can and can not do without permission. You can find out some information about the listed building on the Historic England website.

When making alterations or simply routine upkeep of your property you may have to employ specialists, such as a thatcher for you roof. You may have to source materials that were used originally on your property, such as slate, or you may need to use lime render rather than standard render.

All of these things need to be thought about and budgeted for when buying and maintaining a listed property.

The important thing to remember is if you are unsure, seek advice. It is always better to be safer than sorry.

Some useful links

Below are some useful links you may find of interest and helpful.

17th century house

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Decorating Tips, News | 2 Comments »




Top

My Paintbrush logo