If you live in a listed building and want to carry out renovations or refurbishment work, there are a few things you need to be aware of. Firstly, it's crucial to get approval for your renovation from the local authority. Failure to do so could mean you have to undo the refurbishment work, costing you additional money, or you could even face criminal charges. You also need to understand what construction methods should be used to avoid any structural problems. Read on to find out the requirements for listed building renovation and how the team at the London Refurbishment Company can take care of this for you.
Listed buildings have particular historic or architectural interest, are located in a historically important area or have historical associations (e.g. an important historical figure lived there). They are added to the Department of Culture, Media, and Sports register to help protect physical evidence of the past and our cultural identity.
When a building is listed, it is categorised as either Grade I, Grade II or Grade III. Grade I buildings are of exceptional interest, Grade II listed buildings are particularly important, and Grade III buildings are of special interest.
Over 92% of all listed buildings in the UK are Grade II, so there's a good chance your historic home falls into this category. Grade II listed building refurbishment will need to follow the process outlined below.
As these buildings are so unique, laws are governing what can and can't be done to them. Don't assume what is and isn't historically important about your property. If you own a listed building and want to carry out any renovation works, you will need to apply for Listed Building Consent.
Historic England is the government body responsible for protecting historic buildings, and you can check the status of your property on their website. The website also has a handy tool to help you search based on postcode, area or map.
If your property shows up on this list, you must obtain Listed Building Consent before carrying out any renovation or refurbishment work.
The first step is to speak to your local Conservation Officer. This person works for your local authority and is an extremely important point of contact, especially as there are no hard and fast rules for granting consent for listed building refurbishment. It's always best to get the advice of the Conservation Officer from the outset because their judgment will determine whether or not you get permission for your renovation.
You should submit an application to your local authority, which can be done online or using paper copies of the documents. Your application needs to include plans, elevations, drawings, a certificate of ownership, and a Design or Essential Heritage Statement. This sets out the history of the property and its chronological development, the background to the proposals, the reasoning behind them, how they fit into the context of the building, how they help conserve its character, and why the refurbishment works are justified.
On average, the process of approval for your listed building refurbishment takes around eight weeks, including a consultation period with relevant parties. The Conservation Officer will weigh up the property's heritage, special features, the local area and a range of other factors before deciding if the renovation can proceed.
There are a few things that can be done to help smooth the way. A pre-application meeting with the Conservation Officer is a good idea, although it may involve an additional fee. However, it's an opportunity to discuss your plans and demonstrate why the works are necessary. Similarly, a pre-planning application is also recommended as it will help you to gauge whether or not your main application for listed building renovation will be permitted.
It's also helpful to look at your local authority website for information on works carried out at neighbouring properties. This will give you some understanding of what is and isn't likely to be allowed.
And finally, it's a good idea to use professionals who have experience working on listed buildings.
As listed buildings are protected by law, you can face severe penalties if you carry out any renovation work that alters the character of the property without consent. The maximum penalties are a £20,000 fine, six months imprisonment on summary conviction and an unlimited fine or two years' imprisonment on indictment.
It's possible to be granted retrospective consent after your renovation has been completed, but this doesn't mean you won't still be prosecuted. And not knowing if your property is listed isn't accepted as a reason for carrying out renovation works without permission.
If a property is listed, it relates to the entire structure, not just certain parts of it. Therefore if you live in a listed building, even a flat, and want to carry out refurbishment works, you will need to obtain consent. This is because any internal alterations could potentially affect the historic character of the property. So even if you live in a flat and have no responsibility for renovation work to the exterior of the premises, you'll still need to follow the correct procedure.
Any proposed alterations should be sympathetic to the original structure, which means it's helpful to use like-for-like materials and construction methods (if they still exist). It's not only important from a heritage point of view, but it will also help prevent problems down the line. Mixing modern and traditional construction techniques can cause damage, e.g. timber will expand and contract whereas steel and concrete won't. Understanding what construction methods to use will save you money in the long run and help prolong the life of the building.
Absolutely! Whether you own a detached historic home or a flat in a Grade II building, we can handle your refurbishment plans with ease. We have plenty of experience working on historic properties to make sure any listed building renovation work goes according to plan. We'll take care of the paperwork, liaise with the local authority and leave you with a beautiful home that honours its heritage.
Give us a call today, ask us any questions you may have and find out how the London Refurbishment Company can take the stress out of your listed building refurbishment.
