The Building Conservation Directory 2022

28 T H E B U I L D I N G C O N S E R VAT I O N D I R E C T O R Y 2 0 2 2 C AT H E D R A L C O MM U N I C AT I O N S Buildings of a lower grade or category than those in the table above have no statutory protection, although local planning policy may seek to protect them through the control of development. These are called ‘locally listed’ buildings in England and ‘record only’ in Northern Ireland. Each of the UK’s four nations operates slightly different planning and heritage protection systems, but the fundamentals are the same, applying protection for historic buildings through primary legislation supplemented by government policy and guidance, as shown in the table below. These policies and guidance fall into the category of ‘material consideration’ which the local planning authority is required to take into account when considering proposals for listed building consent. Local government heritage protection policies which have been through public consultation will also be considered. These provide specific guidance tailored to suit, for example, the character and significance of a local area. The primary legislation enables buildings to be listed, makes it a criminal Glass separates Amanda Levete Architects’ modern extension from the original fabric of the V&A Museum, allowing the original architecture to be read while minimising the physical intervention. offence to alter one without LBC, and gives the criteria for granting LBC. So, all three acts state that LBC is required for ‘any works for the demolition of a listed building or for its alteration or extension in any manner which would affect its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest’ (1990 Act Section 7, ’97 Act Section 6 respectively, and 2011 Act Article 85 – the wording is identical). The criterion for assessing the proposal is ‘the desirability of preserving the building or its setting or any features of special architectural or historic interest which it possesses’ (Sections 16 and 14 respectively and Article 85). APPLYING FOR LISTED BUILDING CONSENT Like a planning application, an application for listed building consent would be required to include appropriately scaled drawings and photos showing the existing building and comparable drawings showing the proposals. In addition, the local planning authority may require statements outlining: • why the building or component affected is significant in heritage terms • how that significance will be affected by the proposal, and • how any harm caused to the significance of the building or component can be justified. This information is usually presented in a heritage statement. For a minor alteration this can be a relatively simple document, but it becomes more complicated where harm needs to be evaluated and justified. Historic Environment Scotland in its Managing Change guidance on extensions points out that “most historic buildings can sustain some degree of sensitive alteration or extension to accommodate continuing or new uses. Yet historic buildings vary in the extent to which they can accommodate change without loss to special interest. Some present the opportunity to promote design intervention that would not have been possible without the historic building as a creative spark. Others are sensitive even to slight alterations.” Harm can often be mitigated by making the alterations reversible. New components such as partitions must be cut around the existing fabric rather than cutting into the original components, and all interventions should always be kept to the minimum. WORKS NOT REQUIRING LISTED BUILDING CONSENT Like-for-like repairs do not require consent provided they do not involve any alteration or demolition. This means using materials to match the existing materials (even if the existing materials were used inappropriately), and the repairs must be limited to the area that needs repairing. All works should be carefully documented with before and after photos and notes detailing what was done. However, most repairs will involve a degree of alteration, so to avoid any misunderstandings the local authority should be notified before the work commences. Likewise, works which would not affect the building’s ‘character as a building of special architectural or historic interest’ may also be carried out without listed building consent. Works in both the above categories can also inadvertently lead to incidental alterations, particularly where non- specialist craftspeople are unsupervised. For all works to historic buildings it is essential to engage the services of professional consultants who specialise in the conservation of historic buildings, both to specify the works and to liaise with the local authority. Where minor works are unlikely to need LBC, they can present a specification that gives the local authority and the owners the confidence they need to proceed without fear of sagging floors, mouldy roof spaces or criminal prosecution. JONATHAN TAYLOR MSc, IHBC is the editor of The Building Conservation Directory .