Listed Buildings Alterations and Repairs

Who should read this?
This information is written for owners of listed buildings and for people who are considering buying a listed building. It will also be of interest to estate agents, solicitors, surveyors and architects and indeed any professional person who deals at some time with listed buildings. Its purpose is to outline briefly the responsibilities of owning a listed building and to provide some guidance on alterations which may require 'Listed Building Consent' from Winchester City Council.

What requires Listed Building Consent?
Buildings are listed for their special architectural or historical character and are graded I, II* or II. All listed buildings are protected under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 and the listing covers both the interior and the exterior of the building and also any structure within its curtilage dating from before 1st July 1948. Listed Building Consent is required for any alterations which affect the special character of the listed building and the Council will not grant consent if it is considered that the proposed work will adversely affect that character.

The Importance of Internal Features
Listing therefore includes not only the main external features such as the walls and roof, but also the internal features which are fixed to the building and which contribute to the building's historic character. For example, fireplaces, fitted cupboards, panelling, staircases, and plasterwork are all protected and Listed Building Consent must be sought before altering or removing them. Some owners believe that the list description in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport's statutory list contains all of the 'listed' features but these descriptions are for identification purposes only.

Extensions to Listed Buildings
Listed buildings are important as they contribute to the architectural heritage of the Winchester area, providing interest and variety to the streetscene and giving an important 'sense of place' to the locality. Extensions to such buildings must take their original plan form, scale and use of materials into account, and should be carefully designed so as not to dominate the original structure. However, there will always be some historic buildings where any extension would be considered damaging and therefore unacceptable. Also many listed buildings have already been substantially extended in the past and the Council may decide that further additions would so damage the character of the original building that consent should not be given. Potential purchasers of listed buildings are therefore advised to consider the suitability of the existing building for their purposes before they buy it, or alternatively submit an application for their required alterations before they purchase to avoid disappointment if their proposals are rejected.

Repairs to Listed Buildings
Repairs to listed buildings using traditional materials and building techniques on a 'like-for-like' basis will not usually require Listed Building Consent, but it is always wise to check with the Council before commencing work. You may be required to submit a detailed specification even if consent is not later required, but if an application is asked for you are advised to appoint a professionally qualified person to prepare the necessary drawings and to supervise the repairs on site. Further advice can be obtained from the Council about suitable repair techniques, and the Council can also provide details of a range of detailed advisory leaflets published by the national amenity societies which cover such topics as the use of lime mortar or timber-frame repairs.

What work requires Listed Building Consent?
The type of work which normally requires Listed Building Consent includes:

• Extensions and demolitions
• Repairs not carried out in matching materials (e.g. changing from a hand-made clay tile to a machinemade tile)
• Demolition and rebuilding of important features like chimney stacks
• Sand-blasting stonework, brickwork and timbers (internal and external)
• Exposing timbers and brickwork previously hidden beneath plaster or limewash
• Stripping out internal plasterwork (where it is not being replaced as original)
• Removal or alteration to internal features such as doors, cupboards, panelling and fireplaces
• Changes to the plan form of internal rooms (e.g. blocking-up door openings, removing partitions or staircases)
• Timber treatment where this involves destructive techniques such as sand-blasting
• New pipework (where this has an impact on the listed building)
• Replacement windows including double glazing
• Insertion of suspended ceilings or removal of existing ceilings
• Fitting of new ovens or stoves which require flues
• Painting of previously unpainted surfaces such as brick or stone
• Painting of external stucco, render or timber where this will have a visual impact

This list is by no means comprehensive and is intended for guidance only. If you are in any doubt as to whether you need Listed Building Consent, please contact the Conservation Section before you start work. Don't forget that it is a criminal offence to alter a listed building without first obtaining Listed Building Consent and the owner, his or her agent, and the builder, can all be held responsible. Ignorance of the law is no defence and new owners should be told by their solicitor at the time of purchase that the building is listed as this information will show up on the solicitor's searches. Copies of the Statutory List are also held by the Planning Department in Winchester and are available for inspection. Compliance with

Building Regulations or Public Health legislation does not mean that the work is acceptable from the listed building point of view and a separate application for Listed Building Consent may be needed.

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