Introduction - AssetSure can quote for either
your Grade 1 or Grade 2 listed Building. We can offer cover either on a Building
only basis or coupled with your Contents & Personal Belongings. One of our
senior members of staff will deal with your request.
What is a Listed Building? - a listed
building is acknowledged by the secretary of state and noted on a register(
hence the term listed) as being of special interest and as such worthy of
special protection. Legislation has been enacted to protect and preserve any
building or structure on the list and the penalties for non compliance can be
quite severe. A listed building is not always large, stately or in
excellent condition, in fact other structure types such as schools, churches,
walls, tombstones, milestones,
barns, bridges, locks and even telephone boxes
can be included on the list. Sometimes a property was occupied by a famous
person and this in itself is enough of a reason for listed status.
Listed buildings are considered to be part of our heritage and of national
importance often people or groups of people campaign to have a property listed
and thus preserved for future generations.
History of Listed Buildings in the UK - the
process of listing buildings or structures of importance first began in 1947 as
a result of extensive damage caused by bombing during World Was 2. It was
decided at this time that some registered was needed to preserve our heritage
for future generations. Nowadays; the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and
Sport is responsible for compiling the list There is not a definitive reason as
to why one a building or structure is chosen to be listed but usually, if they
are of historical importance or perhaps “ a focal point “ of a community they
they will be considered..
Categories of Listed Buildings - Listed
Buildings fall in to different categories and below are the listings for England
& Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are slightly different:-
Grade 1 - These buildings are considered to
be an exceptional interest.
Grade 2* - These Buildings are considered to
particularly important examples of special interest
Grade 2 - These Buildings are consider to be
of special Interest
At the present time approx 2 %
of buildings are Grade 1 , 4% of buildings are Grade 2* and 94% are Grade 2
*** In Scotland & Northern Ireland, buildings are listed are Grade A, B, C
Why are Buildings Listed? - Buildings become listed for the following important
reasons:-
Buildings are listed so that their particular
qualities can be protected by legislation.
The listing of a building brings to its owner a
degree of responsibility for part of the nation's heritage.
Any works to a listed building including any form
of demolition, alteration, extension, internally or externally which in anyway
affect it’s special character will require listed building consent.
It is illegal to alter, extend or
in any way change the character of a listed building without first obtaining the
necessary listed building consent from the relevant local planning authority as
mentioned above, the penalties are severe, you may face a large fine or even
imprisonment.
In general terms, the older a
building or structure is, the more likely it is to be listed, all buildings
which are still standing in anything like their original condition that were
built before 1700 are listed. Most buildings that were constructed between 1700
and 1840 are also listed. Between the years 1840 and 1914 the tendency is only
to list properties of “character & quality” and only then if they are under
threat. Any building constructed after this period has to be exceptional for it
be be considered of a listing.
The Listing Process - as the process of
listing can be long and complicated, in the first instance you should check the
local land charge register, to ascertain if the building is already listed or
not. Your local authority should be able to help you with this If the building
is not registered, then contact English Heritage who will consider your
application. In considering your proposal, they will require you to come up with
some basic information, including the following:-
As much background information to the property as
you can find.
When was the the property built
Who was the Builder
Who was the architect
Does the property have any historical links to
famous people or events.
Why you think the property should be listed
The name and contact details of the owner
Other Useful Tips -
submitting a detailed application to English Heritage will help your
chances of success Try including as much support from local groups and
organizations. You could also;
Draw attention to any recent threat to the
Building - perhaps it has become empty or has falling in to disrepair
Photographs of the property will help
Include location details of the property with the
aid of an ordnance survey map
Listing Building Maintenance -
to help protect our heritage, listed buildings or
property in a conservation area needs to have a sustained program of maintenance
and any restoration work should be only carried out after consulting a
specialist company . It is recommended that historic features are preserved by
re using existing materials where ever possible. Maintenance is important to buildings of all
ages and all shapes and sizes but with listed or historic buildings, it is an absolute
necessity, owners of buildings in conservation areas can consider themselves environmentally
responsible to make sure their building is kept in keeping with the local area. Owners of
listed buildings are often seen as wealthy persons who have money to spend on
the up keep of their property, this is not always the case and often owners of
listed buildings have normal occupations and do not possess a bottomless
pit of money to spend on the up keep of their property. Often many jobs are
undertaken by owners but without proper preparation and planning
, this can actually end up causing more damage. For most of us that have to work, maintenance
can seem like a tiresome chore, often we do not have a great deal of time and
at weekends we would much rather spend our time relaxing. However, property maintenance
is not only necessary, it makes good economic sense, property prices in the Uk
are increasing all the time but if you want to sell your property, having it it
good condition will certainly help to sell yours quicker than someone else's.
Be careful -The interior of
historic of listed buildings can be quite fragile and thus the utmost care is
needed when entering roof spaces for example. Old electrical cables are also
best left untouched, for one thing they could be dangerous and you may without
realising it end up precipitating an electrical fire by disturbing wire that may
have been in situ for many many years. Similar care should always be take with
gas appliances and these should only ever be handled by a professional. Some key
points are:-
- The first step to making sure your building
is kept in good condition is to make an inspection of the property. If this hasn't
been done for a while, you may find that you have quite a lot of work that needs
to be carried out. But remember once you've brought your building up to a
certain standard, you will find it easier to keep it there.
- If your building is
listed or in a conservation area, you may find that you will need consent before
any work can be carried out.
- You may be buying a listed building for the
first time and if you have a mortgage on the property, you will be
presented with the mortgage companies valuation report. This document is likely
to just give you a broad overview of the property and its suitability for a
mortgage, if you want to discover the true condition of a building and how much
of a money pit its likely to be, you will need to instruct a full structural
survey. Have a word with your mortgage company, they made be able to up grade
their report for a fee.
- Unless you property is large, you should be
able to carry our an initial inspection yourself
and the easiest of jobs such as unblocking gutters and drains can be carried out
as you go along. For more difficult work you may need to contact a specialist company
and seek their professional opinion.
- If you find problems as you continue with your
inspection and do not know what to do next, stop and seek guidance from an
independent and suitably qualified person. Not all builders are the same and if
you are enquiring about repair work to a listed or historic building you will
need a builder that understands traditional building techniques and has a
reputation for work in this field.
- Obtaining an expert opinion is of paramount
importance, any company with a reputation for working with listed buildings is
likely to exceedingly honest and you are unlikely to be requested to purchase
materials that are either over priced or unsuitable. Searching the internet is a
good starting point to locate a company as is talking to the many listed
building clubs and societies.
The Right Advice - The right help
- It can be a very difficult task locating the
right professional to help with your listed building work, patricianly if like
me, you don't know the first thing about building work. As mentioned above, many
people feel up to then task of spotting what remedial work needs to be dome
to keep the fabric of their building but some, want to employ a
professional from day one. A professional person should be able to produce
for you a schedule of work that gives priority to the most urgent jobs and must
be able to oversee all works that are to be carried out. If you are really
stuck, you could approach a listed building club to ask for their advise
or opinion or you could try the client advisory service of the Royal Institute
of British Architects. if they are unable to help you, you may be able to obtain
advise from your local council listing department. Working with listed buildings
on a regular basis, they may be able to recommend a professional person to help
you. Before allowing a tradesperson to start work on your property, there
are a couple of points to remember.
- Ask the person for examples of recent work,
this may help you verify the standard or workmanship you can expect.
- Always, Always ask to see evidence of Public
Liability Insurance, certificates of public liability insurance are not
common so expect to see a schedule of insurance which is in date and from an
insurance company not a broker. Any bona-fida tradesperson will not find you
asking for evidence of insurance.
- Always avoid buildings that cold call at all
costs, don't forget, they will have a vested interest in finding faults in
your building.
- "Cowboy" firms are more likely to
offer to do work in return for cash.
- Try to use a builder that is registered with
a federation.
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