Updated - March, 2008
Here we give you an insight into the Listed Buildings of England, such as 'How are buildings listed?' as well as the 'Need for listing buildings', the responsibility to 'Maintain and Repair' the said buildings.
Buildings
of "Special Architectural or Historic Interest"
are "listed" by the Department of
Culture, Media and Sport following advice from English Heritage. The "listing"
of a building provides statutory protection against alteration or
demolition, which would damage its special architectural or historical
interest.
Grade
I - Buildings of
exceptional interest
Grade
II* - These are particularly important buildings of more than
special interest.
Grade II - Buildings of special interest.
The following are the main criteria which applies in deciding which buildings to include in the statutory lists:
(i)
Architectural Interest:
The lists are meant to include all buildings, which are of importance to
the nation for the special interest of their architectural design,
decoration and craftsmanship. This list should also include important
examples of particular building types and techniques (e.g., buildings
displaying technical innovation or virtuosity) and significant plan forms.
(ii) Historical Interest:
This includes buildings, which illustrate important aspects of the
nation's social, economic, cultural or military history.
(iii) Close Historical Associations:
With nationally important people or events.
(iv) Group Value:
Especially where buildings comprise together an important architectural
or historical unity or a fine example of planning (e.g., squares, terraces
or model villages).
Not all these criteria will be relevant to every case but a particular
building may qualify for listing under more than one of them.
Age and rarity are relevant considerations, particularly where buildings are proposed for listing on the strength of their historic interest. The older a building is and the fewer the surviving examples of its kind, the more likely it is to be of historic importance. Thus, all buildings built before 1700, which survive in anything like their original condition, are listed and most buildings of about 1700 to 1840 are listed, though some selection is necessary. After about 1840, because of the increased number of buildings erected and the larger survival rate, greater selection is necessary. This should identify the best examples of particular building types, and only buildings of definite quality and character are listed. For the same reasons, only selected buildings from the period after 1914 are normally listed. Buildings, which are less than 30 years old, are normally listed only if they are of outstanding quality and under threat. Buildings, which are less than ten years old, are not listed.
The approach adopted for twentieth century listing is to identify key exemplars for each of a range of building types - industrial, educational, residential, etc. and to meet these exemplars as broadly defining a standard against which to judge proposals for further additions to the list.
Legal
Protection
Once a building is listed it becomes protected by law and any
demolitions, alterations or extensions which would materially affect its
character will require formal consent in the form of Listed Building
Consent.
This protection applies to all of the interior and exterior of the building
and also to all structures or objects fixed to it or within its curtilage.
Consequently, outbuildings and boundary features including walls and gates
will be 'covered' by the listing and, therefore, any alterations to these
elements of the building will also require formal approval via listed
building consent.
Even relatively minor works such as the alteration of glazing bars to
windows or the capping of chimney stacks may require formal approval in the
form of Listed Building Consent
Offences
It is an offence to carry out unauthorised works to a listed building and
heavy fines can be imposed or conviction. Any proposed works to a listed
building should, therefore, always be discussed in advance with the
Council's Planning Division.
Applications
Applications for Listed Building Consent should be made to the Local
Planning Authority on prepared forms. Planning Permission and Building
Regulations approval may also be required for the proposed works.
Solely
the Council can determine only applications for Grade II buildings.
Applications for work to Grade I or II* buildings must be referred to the
Secretary of State for the Environment.
The need to obtain Listed Building Consent means that the Local
Planning Authority can ensure that any alterations are appropriate to the
style and character of the building and that the historic fabric is
protected. In order that such applications may be properly assessed,
detailed and annotated drawings must accompany the application.
It is always advisable to discuss proposals for changes to Listed Buildings
with the Local Planning Authority at an early stage and certainly prior to
making a formal application.
Advertising
The Local Planning Authority is required to advertise all applications
for Listed Building Consent on site and in the local press, except when an
application involves purely internal alterations to a Grade II building.
Following the appearance of the advertisement in the local press, the
Authority must allow 21 days to pass before determining the application and
must take account of any representations received during that period.
Consultation
If an application involves the demolition or alteration of a listed
building the Council is required to consult the national amenity societies.
These are:
1. Ancient Monuments
Society
2. Council for British Archaeology
3. Society for the Protection of Ancient
Buildings
4. Georgian Group
5. Victorian Society
Requirements
to Maintain Listed Buildings
The Local Planning Authority has a responsibility to try to ensure that
the listed buildings in its area are kept in good order.
If, in its opinion, the building is not being adequately maintained the
Local Authority is empowered to serve a 'Repairs Notice' on the owner
requiring the carrying out of specified repair works. This may be followed
by a compulsory purchase if it is considered that reasonable steps are not
being taken to properly preserve the building.
The Purpose of Repair
It is important to be clear at the earliest stage about the purpose and
need for repairs to a listed building.
Expert advice should always be sought as much unnecessary damage to both the
fabric and appearance of listed buildings has been carried out in the past
by well intentioned 'repair work'.
The primary purpose of any repair to a listed building should be to restrain
the process of decay without damaging the character of the buildings,
altering the features which have given them their historic or architectural
importance, or unnecessarily disturbing or destroying their historic fabric.
Principles of Repair
The following principles should be adopted when considering the repair of
historic buildings. These are taken from English Heritage's "The Repair
of Historic Buildings".
(i) Be certain of the need
for repair
Works of repair should be kept to the minimum required to stabilise and
conserve the building or monument, with the aim of achieving a sufficiently
sound structural condition to ensure long-term survival.
(ii) Avoid unnecessary damage through replacement
The authenticity of an historic building depends most crucially on the
integrity of its fabric and on its design. Replacement of historic
integrity, will diminish its authenticity and will significantly reduce its
value as a source of historical information.
It is, therefore, essential that only very selective replacement of the
fabric of the listed building is undertaken and only for structural reasons.
Weathering of historic buildings is inevitable and is part of the character
and appeal of such buildings and is not necessarily a reason to replace
parts of the fabric.
(iii) Analyse and understand the building's historic development
A thorough understanding of the historical development of a building or
monument is a necessary preliminary to its repair. This may, in certain
cases, involve archaeological and architectural investigation, documentary
research, recording and interpretation of the particular structure and its
assessment in a wider historic context. Such processes may, when
appropriate, need to continue during the course of repairs. Satisfactory
arrangements should be made for the subsequent preservation of all records.
(iv) Analyse and understand the cause of defects
The detailed design of repairs should be preceded by the long-term
observation of the structural defects, together with an investigation of the
nature and condition of the materials and of the causes, processes and rates
of decay. To repair or replace decayed fabric without first carrying out
such an investigation is to invite the repetition of problems.
(v) Adopt 'traditional' and suitable methods of repair
Repair techniques should match or be compatible with existing materials
and methods of construction, in order to preserve the appearance and
historic integrity of the building or monument, and to ensure that the work
has an appropriate life. Exceptions should only be considered where the
existing fabric has failed because of inherent defects of design or
incorrect specification of materials, rather than from neglect of
maintenance or because it has completed
its expected life. New methods and techniques should only be used where they
have proved themselves over a sufficient period and where traditional
alternatives cannot be identified.
(vi) Be 'honest' in the use
of materials
Repairs should be executed honestly using the original and matching
materials. This may involve careful selection of materials. No attempt shall
be made to disguise or artificially age the repair but it should not be
unnecessarily obtrusive or unsympathetic in appearance.
(vii) Consider the
implications of the removal of 'damaging' alterations
Additions or alterations including earlier repairs, are of importance for
the part they place in the cumulative history of a building or monument.
There should always be a strong presumption in favour of their retention.
Whilst a programme of repairs may offer the opportunity for removing
features which are of no intrinsic value in themselves and which seriously
disrupt the architectural design and aesthetic value of a building or
monument, the full implications of doing so must be carefully considered in
advance and potential architectural and aesthetic gains must be balanced
against any likely loss of historic integrity.
(viii) Seek to restore lost
features
Some elements of a building or monument which are important to its
design, for example balustrades, pinnacles, cornices, hoodmoulds, window
tracery and members of a timber frame or roof truss may have been lost in
the past. Where these are of structural significance, they should be put
back in the course of repair; but a programme of repair may also offer the
opportunity for the reinstatement of missing non-structural elements,
provided that sufficient evidence exists for accurate replacement, no loss
of historic fabric occurs and the necessary statutory consents are obtained
in advance.
(ix) Seek to safeguard continued use
A historic building or monument should be regularly monitored and
maintained and wherever possible provided with an appropriate and
sympathetic use. This is the best way of securing its future and of keeping
further repair requirements to a minimum.
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