How to Renovate a Listed Home
Where do you start when renovating a listed home? Historic building adviser and chartered building surveyor Peter Hayes reveals all
Surveyor Peter Hayes explains where to start and reveals how to maximise your chances of obtaining listed building consent
Itgoes without saying, but renovating a listed home requires plenty of thought, particularly as listed status gives the property legal protection. As such, prior listed building consent (LBC) and sometimes planning permission is required for certain changes that wouldn’t be needed in a non-listed building.
Trying to establish what work needs consent and what doesn’t is far from straightforward, however — one of my legal textbooks runs to nearly 900 pages on the primary legislation. But it’s vital that you understand the basics, because unauthorised alterations to a listed building can be subject to enforcement action – as with normal planning law – and criminal prosecution. As guardians of the country’s built heritage, your local council conservation officer carries great clout.
Therefore, when considering your renovation plans, the safest approach is to first work on the basis that no part of the building is exempt from the listing. Don’t forget the listing can also extend to outbuildings (that were on the site prior to 1 July 1948) and attached structures and objects, which could include the boundary walls or an integrated cast iron range. Each property is different and needs to be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CONSERVATION OFFICER IS KEY
Fundamentally, anything that could be construed as an alteration or extension affecting a listed building’s character will require consent. However, it is the use of the word ‘character’ that makes defining what requires consent so subjective.
This definition usually excludes localised likefor-like repairs. However, even here it is not totally clear cut. For instance, removing cementitious pointing from a wall and repointing with lime mortar will improve the technical performance of historic brickwork. In a localised context this may not require LBC, but where it affects an entire wall, a conservation officer might feel that it impacts the
building’s character and requires an application. One could argue that the converse can also be true, as there are some fairly awful examples of isolated ‘lime repointing’ out there.
Ultimately, the need for a LBC application is the conservation officer’s decision, so where there is any doubt it is always best to ask. Being human, conservation officers can introduce their own experiences, knowledge and ultimately opinion into the mix. What one conservation officer deems as requiring consent in one authority, another in an adjacent authority may not. Personally this has meant resorting to the appeal process on the odd occasion, although generally this is best avoided unless you are in no great hurry. It is probably this subjectivity that is the greatest challenge when assessing the likelihood of success with a LBC application, particularly for more significant alteration works.
Defining what requires consent is also important when assessing a renovation’s feasibility and considering a project’s planning. While there is currently no local authority fee for LBC applications, the need for formal consent obviously adds additional time to starting on site and potentially adds to the overall cost of the works if professional input is required.
A good working relationship with your conservation officer is key and getting to know their nuances is also of great benefit, particularly for those of us who work with them regularly. However, typically, once you have your LBC approval, the conservation officer will not be visiting you while the works are underway unless there is a planning condition that requires it, there is a major issue on site, or if they suspect or have had reports of foul play.
BUYING A LISTED HOME TO RENOVATE: WHERE TO START
If you are buying to renovate, it is likely that you will have a full building survey of the property. This is a great document to start with. A sufficiently detailed building survey should provide you with an objective and thorough understanding of the condition of the property, which will help guide you during the buying process. However, it can then be used to form the basis of a longer term maintenance management plan for the property. This can be particularly useful when planning a renovation project; for example there is no point undertaking alterations or extensions to your home if the first priority needs to be repairs to the roof and gutters.
A good survey report can also help identify how a listed building has evolved over the years to its present form, although this is also likely to require some further research and investigation. Understanding
a listed building’s construction, materials and phases of development is fundamental to any renovation project. The historically important parts can then be identified and differentiated from less important elements and appropriate work specified.
Before rushing into any alterations, I advise people to live in their new home first, if possible; ideally for at least a year to experience all the seasons. In this way you are likely to discover some of the building’s idiosyncrasies and gain a better understanding of how your lifestyle interacts with the property. For example, a layout you thought you could never live with when you first moved in may become part of your home’s charm.
This is particularly important in a listed property, where the building and its history should dictate the design and approach of any renovation project.
WHAT AN EXPERT CAN BRING TO YOUR APPLICATION
Part of my role is to inform my clients, so that they have a better understanding of why things need to be done in a certain way. For example, the reasons for using lime in mortars and plasters. However, I also encourage them to do some of their own reading and research, although preferably from recognised sources (such as Historic England). There are also some really good training courses designed for listed building homeowners run by specialist groups such as the SPAB (Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings) and some local authorities.
Of course there are going to be elements that will need an appropriately skilled professional, be it a building surveyor or architect. For anything other than very straightforward applications, you are likely to require someone with a good understanding of the LBC process to help you with your application. Finding a firm that is experienced in working with listed buildings is important.
Such professionals should be able to communicate and explain technical details in straightforward terms. However, at the application stage they will use the appropriate technical terminology to help give your LBC application the best chance of success. That said, you should remember that nothing is certain until your application decision notice - hopefully confirming consent - has been granted and is firmly in your hand (or email inbox). Even with my years of experience, I do not try to second guess the final decision of a local authority conservation officer. Sadly, divination is not part of a conservation professional’s expertise.
HOW TO MAXIMISE YOUR CHANCES OF OBTAINING CONSENT
There are some things that can hopefully tip the balance in your favour. Understanding your building is essential. This can sometimes involve careful localised opening up of concealed areas of the building, although check with the conservation officer first, as it might affect historically sensitive locations. By demonstrating to the conservation officer a good understanding of the implications of your proposed alteration and what effect it will have, if any, you are heading in the right direction.
Adopting a recognised conservation approach to your renovation works, both technically and philosophically, is important. This means that a conservation officer should be able to support an application on a legal and policy basis, even if the proposal is not to their personal taste.
I have only touched on some of the initial stages that are involved in renovating a listed home. Hopefully I haven’t put you off renovating that old pile that is in need of some love and affection. I consider myself extremely fortunate to work with buildings that constantly amaze and inspire me and I genuinely believe that living in a listed home can be a really rewarding experience, as a custodian of one of the nation’s most historically important buildings.