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Listed Buildings - Listed Buildings in Bury - Bury Listed Building's Photos

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.

How are Buildings Listed

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.

The Need for Listed Buildings  

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

6. Twentieth Century Society

Maintenance and Repair

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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