Advice wanted re listed building

keld

Hi,

I wonder if anyone's got some advice for me:o Basically we live in a 1690/1710 listed building. We have three floors, but only living accomodation of ground floor and first floor. There is a full staircase all the way from ground floor to third floor. The third floor is the full size of the house and minimum 7feet in head height at the eaves upto 30feet? at apex. On the walls you can see that at some time in the past the room had been split up and possibly had a ceiling. I've got listed building consent for a new ceiling. We now want to make this into living space extra bedrooms and possibly a bathroom. Who do I need to contact? We don't plan on moving (possibly ever), my DH wants to do it on the QT but I'm not sure. Any advice would be welcome. Oh and its already got windows.

Doozergirl

If they've been out to look at the ceiling, they know what's there. Putting in walls on the QT might upset them if you have them out for any other reason. I have family who have done stuff on the QT and I disagree with what they've done really. I think if you take on a Grade 2 listed building then you need to be prepared to do things properly, but that's only my opinion. We didn't have many difficulties with our application except for the time it took as the council at the time didn't have a conservation officer so they just left us! In the end - after about 6 months, my H phoned them up and told them that we were starting work and if they wanted a proper say, they'd better send someone out!

I would speak to the Conservation Officer at your local council before you spend any money on plans.

mollymunchkin

Speak to your local Conservation Officer. It's a criminal offence to make any unauthorised changes to a listed building without consent. This includes any material changes made to the inside.

benood

By the sound of things you should be able to get the consent without too much trouble so I'd have a chat with the conservation officer.

We moved in to a listed place a few years back where some pretty unsympathetic work have been done and the vendors ended up having to get retrospective consent and change windows and doors etc.

MsAnderson

Check out the details of the listing - depending on when it was listed, different layouts and arrangements may have been in place...you might find that it was listed with the arrangement you would like, and previous inhabitants had rearranged it.

The Conservation Officer is the best bet, but ask them to bring details of the listing with them - the details on that will be the layout and arrangement the officer will expect to be there or replaced.

Living in a listed building can be very limiting on what you'd like to do!

JorgAlBear

Where are you Keld? I have a PM who deals in period properties, and for a small fee would be happy to advise if you are in our area (Berkshire).

keld

Thanks everyone.:T

JorgAlBear, thanks a lot, (unfortunately?:o ) we live in the north east, (it's a much under rated part of the country.)

I'm quite happy to contact the listings officer, but will I also need planning permission and building control?

MsAnderson

If changes have been made by previous occupant, and they are not what was there when the building was listed, you can revert to the actual listed layout without planning permission.

If you want to alter the layout, and the conservation officer is happy with your proposals, you will require planning permission & conservation area consent (your local authority may combine the two when CAC is required.)

If you are doing structural changes, putting in bathrooms/kitchens, etc you may need a building warrant, regardless of planning consent requirements.

The conservation officer will be a planner. The warrant is dealt with by surveyors. Both will work in the planning department but do different things.

I love planning...

planning_officer

MsAnderson wrote: »

If changes have been made by previous occupant, and they are not what was there when the building was listed, you can revert to the actual listed layout without planning permission.

Only if it's internal alterations, but you will still need listed building consent.

MsAnderson wrote: »

If you want to alter the layout, and the conservation officer is happy with your proposals, you will require planning permission & conservation area consent (your local authority may combine the two when CAC is required.)

Only need conservation area consent if it involves demolition in a conservation area. Again, only need planning permission if it's external alterations (provided they're not permitted development, or if they are, depending on whether permitted development rights have been removed by an Article 4 direction, which would be quite common in a conservation area).

MsAnderson wrote: »

The conservation officer will be a planner.

Not necessarily. For example, our conservation officer is an ex-English Heritage buildings inspector.

planning_officer

keld wrote: »

I've got listed building consent for a new ceiling. We now want to make this into living space extra bedrooms and possibly a bathroom. Who do I need to contact? We don't plan on moving (possibly ever), my DH wants to do it on the QT but I'm not sure. Any advice would be welcome. Oh and its already got windows.

You need to contact the Conservation Officer or Listed Buildings Officer (they have varying job titles depending on the authority!) at your local council to seek advice. I strongly would not recommend doing it on the quiet, as someone (neighbours, parish council etc) is bound to realise and report it to the LPA - the builders, materials, skips, etc are a dead give away! And doing works to a listed building without consent is a criminal offence - authorities take a pretty dim view of those who do works to listed buildings illegally!

Incapuppy

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