More listed building advice,please.

harry438

I bought a Grade2 listed flat 14 years ago. It was a townhouse converted into 2 flats.I have the ground floor. The cellar had been blocked off. I had it opened up & renovated -it was a complete wreck when we started- that was 14 years ago. The question is if I wished to sell would I need planning permission for the cellar or should I just block it off again?

motherofstudents

Carrying out work without listed building consent is a criminal offence and the local authority may well insist that all work without consent is reversed. Although you can apply for listed building consent retrospectively, it may well be rejected and the work undone. In addition, a property to which unauthorised work has been carried out will be very hard to sell on.

It may be advisable to contact someone informally for advice before contacting anyone officially just to see what options you have. Even though the work may not have altered the outside of the building, you really should have taken advice before doing any work.

harry438

Thanks for the info. So its option 2 - put the panel back.

harry438

Just woken up in the early hours. I seem to recall that up until maybe 7? yrs. ago no permission was required to alter the inside of a Grade2 listed? just the outside.Would this affect the work I've had done?

Eellogofusciouhipoppokunu

Just have a chat to your listed building officer and tell him what you have done. The rules aren't as stringent for grade 2 for internal modifications as they are for grade 2* and grade 1.

What work have you actually done in the cellar? Have you torn down any internal walls, put in tanking, just plastered it? Some internal work requires LBC, most doesn't (for a grade 2).

motherofstudents

Oh, don't lose sleep over it. As above, just speak to someone and find out for sure. As it's a cellar, depending on what you've done, you may well find it will turn out ok.

harry438

Eellogofusciouhipoppokunu wrote: »

Just have a chat to your listed building officer and tell him what you have done. The rules aren't as stringent for grade 2 for internal modifications as they are for grade 2* and grade 1.

What work have you actually done in the cellar? Have you torn down any internal walls, put in tanking, just plastered it? Some internal work requires LBC, most doesn't (for a grade 2).

When I opened it there was just a heap of rubble on the floor & a huge rubber gas pipe hanging down the length of the cellar .I boxed in the ceiling ( before the floorboards of the room above were exposed) & added a power point & extra lights to the existing electrical system. The walls were dry & in good condition.I am V. wary of seeking advice from the authorities after being made aware of the £25K+ fine.But I will find a way of getting local info.Problem is,like the rest of UKplc. I am short of the readies at the moment & it wouldn't take much to upset the apple cart.
Thank you all for your positive responses ,I will take your advice & sleep on it.
PS. This is bog standard Grade 2.
Funny thing is, that having a cellar puts no extra on the value of the property.

Eellogofusciouhipoppokunu

harry438 wrote: »

When I opened it there was just a heap of rubble on the floor & a huge rubber gas pipe hanging down the length of the cellar .I boxed in the ceiling ( before the floorboards of the room above were exposed) & added a power point & extra lights to the existing electrical system. The walls were dry & in good condition.I am V. wary of seeking advice from the authorities after being made aware of the £25K+ fine.But I will find a way of getting local info.Problem is,like the rest of UKplc. I am short of the readies at the moment & it wouldn't take much to upset the apple cart.
Thank you all for your positive responses ,I will take your advice & sleep on it.
PS. This is bog standard Grade 2.
Funny thing is, that having a cellar puts no extra on the value of the property.

There is nothing in your alterations that would require listed building consent. If you had phoned your LBO prior to doing the work, he would have told you it was fine to carry on. Give them a ring (anonymously if you like) to just double check.

I think a cellar for storage wouldn't add much to a propery, but a converted celler that provides useable living space would. Naturally, it would add more in Central London than Central Hull.

The council fines people for 'accidently' knocking down listed buildings, not for doing some minor repairs or decorating.

harry438

Breathing sighs of relief...thank you once again -weight off my shoulders. The loose intention is to test the market in the early Spring.
This is a small town & I believe, to add a cellar as a room it must have a window which it has not. Also its an ambient temperature & slightly damp & looks & feels like a wine cellar.