Buying a listed building with no evidence of consent

Alan_M_2

I have to say whilst I understand and appreciate the process and idea behind the listing of buildings it does itself no favours a lot of the time.

Any conversation about listing reminds me of the first in the new series of Grand Designs where that chap saved a derelict castle. English Heritage were obtuse in the extreme with their requirements.

The castle was a bad winter away from being rubble never mind a ruin and here was a guy that was willing to use his own money to restore it to it's former glory. They made him waste over £30,000 on site surveys so they were happy.

I wish these people would employ a modicum of common sense and latitude in these cases where someone is obviously passionate about a property and saving it from oblivion. Rant over:)

Doozergirl

A lot of people don't care though, Alan. In the village where we spent a fortune restoring our house, most of the buildings were listed and it is also a conservation area. There were PVC windows and conservatories splattered all over the place!

Apart from looking entirely stupid and probably devaluing your property, it's a great way to alienate yourself from the neighbours. Before we moved in, one of the neighbours introduced herself to me. When talking to another neighbour I mentioned that I had met this lady. "Oh, SHE has PVC windows" was the curt reply and that was the end of that (conservation) conversation. LOL!

Alan_M_2

I completely agree, but whenever I've come across these people they are jobsworths with no comprehension for the cost of what they're asking people to do.
In many cases don't appreciate the fact that the building will be destroyed if they don't employ a modicum of latitude, it's this blind insistence on absolute originality at all costs that need addressing.

After all, they have no objection to electricity in a Jacobean manor....hardly original but you get my drift....