FOR MORE PROPERTIES VISIT winkworth.co.uk
Heritage at home Living in a listed building can have lots of benefits – but beware of the regulations
I
f you love old houses, you might be thrilled at the idea that your home is special enough to be deemed worthy of protection by Historic England. After all, only about 2% of the UK’s buildings are considered to be of enough architectural or historical interest to appear on the famous list – that’s about 450,000 buildings, and the majority of them are private homes. The National Heritage List for England is a comprehensive and searchable record of all significant buildings in the country: living in one of them is a privilege that comes with a series of significant responsibilities. In practical terms, this means that you’ll need Listed Building Consent (potentially in addition to planning permission) for any changes that you might want to make, however minor. Doing anything without it is a criminal offence, so
10
WM · 2023
this is not something to be taken lightly. Don’t let this put you off, however. Living in a home of historical interest can be a huge source of pride and a fascinating insight into the past. There are three different categories for listing, and 92% of listed properties are Grade II, the lowest group, while 5.5% are Grade II* and 2.5% are Grade I, for buildings of the highest significance. Age is key: anything pre-1700 is certain to be listed, and anything pre-1840 is highly likely to have been added as well. Any building with a thatched roof is usually listed. More modern buildings can be on the list if they’re believed to have particular significance or are under threat. The problem is that old buildings are often impractical by modern standards. They can be expensive to heat, leaky, damp and cold. You might want to add a kitchen extension
or convert the loft, but any plans will be scrutinised by the local council’s conservation officers who on the whole take a dim view of architectural additions. It’s not that you’re not allowed to make any changes to a listed building, but all changes will need to be approved for their suitability. One obvious point is windows: maintaining traditional windows is a priority, and conservation officers will always want to repair rather than replace them, however dilapidated they may be. New UPVC windows will almost never be suitable and it’s unlikely that applications to install double glazing will be approved. Changes to the interior are also restricted: you will usually be expected to keep old walls, all the roof timbers, old floors and plaster ceilings. You cannot remove or alter doors, fireplaces, panelling, stonework or floorboards. This doesn’t mean that it’s not
