Working with listed and historic buildings

We are experienced at gaining consent for works to listed buildings and for development in the setting of listed buildings. We work with a number of architects and building historians who are very experienced in this area. Hence we can assist clients in putting together teams appropriate to each job. As a result we have a high level of success in gaining consent for work to and around listed buildings. Unlike other areas of planning, listed buildings is one area where the rules have become tougher in the past 10 years. The interpretation of the rules can be very subjective and so it is important that a clear case is put forward with all applications.

In November we have helped clients gain consent for a new home in the grounds of a listed building in a conservation area. This involved dealing with trees on the site that could have prevented the development, and designing the building to respect the setting of the listed building.

In November we have also been involved in the conversions of historic buildings to residential use.  The key to achieving a viable and useful conversion is justifying changes such as extensions and new windows. This month we have achieved a sizeable extension on a historic building that will be converted to a house. This was done to make the house fit the requirements of the new owners by increasing the space available and taking advantage of the beautiful countryside views. Extensions are often not allowed by Planning Authorities when historic buildings are converted. In this example we were able to demonstrate that an exception to local Planning Policy was justified because the extension had been designed to do no harm to the character of the building.

We have also been successful this month in helping clients achieve alterations allowing them to renovate a listed building. Picking the right architect is crucial to achieving listed building consents and we work with several highly respected local architects.

We have several similar projects in the pipeline including converting a Grade 1 listed building to commercial use, converting large and small listed buildings to flats and several developments in the grounds of listed buildings. We are always happy to discuss any new jobs with clients.