According to Historic England, there are approximately 500,000 listed buildings on the National Heritage List for England (NHLE), varying from Grade I, II, II* listed buildings marking their contribution to special architectural and heritage interests and to protect these assets for future generations. Those who own a listed building and intend to undertake repairs, restorations, alterations, or extensions to their property may likely require either planning permission or listed building consent (possibly both!).

The challenge with determining whether you need Listed Building Consent is that often even works which may be considered “simple” may require consent. It is often a fact and degree assessment, considering the level, scale or intensity of the work proposed. If you undertake works to a listed building, where consent is required, it is a criminal offence, and the Council could take Enforcement Action.

This uncertainty can often prove challenging when trying to retrofit and improve the energy efficiency of listed buildings (EPC rating) to provide a more sustainable home or business. For example, installing an EV charging point, replacing, or adding secondary glazing or installing an air source heat pump/solar panel often require Listed Building Consent and/or Planning Permission. As Listed Building Consent applications can take approximately 8 weeks to be determined from validation as well, ensuring you capture all works within your application is important to help avoid delays to your project.

Seeking expert advice can help in determining before work commences whether Planning or Listed Building Consent is required. Working in partnership with experienced heritage consultants and architects, we have helped guide and support owners in securing their retrofit aspirations. Some examples to illustrate our recent experience working with listed buildings include:

• Consent for an EV Charging Point to a Grade II Listed Manor in the Cotswolds with Cotswold District Council.

• Replacement Windows and other Internal/External Alterations and Upgrades on a Grade II listed Hotel adjoining Hyde Park with Westminster City Council.

• Retrospective Listed Building Consent for the installation of Windows, Doors, and Internal Appliances in a Grade II listed home with Cheltenham Borough Council.

• Alterations to Shopfront on a Grade II* listed shop on Cheltenham’s Promenade with Cheltenham Borough Council.

• Replacing Roof Tiles on a High Street Store in Wooten under Edge with Stroud District Council.

• Providing a Planning Appraisal and Advice for the holistic enhancement of a Grade I Listed Manor in the Southwest of England.

If you are considering works to your listed property and are not sure whether you may require planning or listed building consent, then please get in touch with one of our experienced planning consultants for an initial FREE consultation.

T: 01242895008

E: info@mplanning.co.uk

Alternatively, you can book a meeting via the “book an appointment” contact form on our website.

McLoughlin Planning are delighted to obtain planning permission on behalf of our client to construct an outbuilding to the rear of their property to be used as a garden office. This is a development that is becoming ever more popular in the aftermath of the Covid-19 Pandemic which has seen working patterns change with a greater propensity for people to work from home.

The property in question is in the village of Upper Dowdeswell in the Cotswolds. The period building is within a Conservation Area where the design of extensions and outbuildings are more strictly controlled. The property is also next door to a Grade II* listed building which meant the design of the outbuilding could not harm the setting of the nearby designated heritage asset.

Despite these constraints, McLoughlin Planning achieved planning permission for a contemporary garden office constructed with vertical timber cladding, slimline aluminium windows and doors and an asymmetric sloping roof expertly made by Koto Design. The Local Planning Authority agreed that the modern design was a refreshing addition to a period building, and it blended in with its surroundings seamlessly.

Outbuildings are often seen by Local Planning Authorities as a good compromise for allowing additional floor space to be created at historic buildings without causing harm to their historic fabric, as is often the case with an extension.

The result of this development is a quiet working space away from the noise and disruption of a family home. If you are considering the construction of your own home office please feel free to contact us to discuss your project further.

McLoughlin Planning is pleased to have helped a homeowner in the London Borough of Camden in securing planning permission for amendments and improvements to an existing roof terrace space.

The existing property had a centrally located roof outbuilding which housed a staircase leading up to the outdoor space. However, the structure leaked both heat and rain due to historically poor construction. Furthermore, its central location meant the outdoor space could not be used to its full advantage.

As the property is also located in a conservation area, care was taken to ensure the proposal would also find ways to visually reduce its impact on the street scene and support the visual interest of the historically significant surrounding built form.

Working closely with the architect the initial proposal sought to move the stair opening to the southern edge of the building to provide a modern interpretation of the existing outbuilding which would visually reduce its built form and architecturally provide a distinction between the historic and modern built form. The scheme also includes an air source heat pump to help improve the property’s energy efficiency and overall sustainability.

Unfortunately, the Council raised concerns during the application about the overall design and height of the proposed cover and that this would likely be refused. Despite efforts to demonstrate how the structure complied with planning policies and would not result in the alleged harm, the Council’s position remained too far apart from the applicants to reach a suitable comprise on the design presented. However, in the interest of securing planning permission and a functional alternative, we worked with the architect to address the Council’s objections and proposed an amended opening with shared visual similarities to a Velux window. This would also help provide further access to sunlight/daylight internally.

The Council agreed that the amended proposal addressed their concerns and planning permission has now been granted. We are pleased that working proactively with the Council, architect, and the applicant meant a solution could be presented, providing a more aesthetically pleasing and functional outdoor space in time for the summer!

Following a lengthy proactive negotiation process with Tewkesbury Borough Council, we are pleased to have secured planning permission for a beautiful new self-build replacement dwelling on the doorstep of Cheltenham Racecourse.

Our client approached us with a planning application which sought to replace a post-war rendered bungalow with a new highly sustainable and beautifully designed 1.5 storey timber cladded family home.

Whilst the Council supported the design and agreed that it was high quality, there was a debate due to the proposed size of the new dwelling versus the existing home and what impact this change would have on the Green Belt and wider countryside. Concern was raised particularly in regard of the increase in ridge height.

Working closely with the applicant, we made a case on how the careful highly sustainable design responded to its context to ensure impact on the Green Belt remained very localised. Furthermore, the introduction of Class AA permitted development rights allowing the extension upwards (in addition to other PD rights), enabled us to demonstrate that the fallback position would result in a proposal which would be larger and result in greater harm than the current scheme.

We also emphasised the Government’s push to support new self-build development which has become an increasingly important planning consideration with recent recommendations coming through the Bacon Review (see our recent article on self-build here https://mplanning.co.uk/news/2…).

Working closely with the case officer it was agreed that the proposal would provide a scheme which would comply with Green Belt policy requirements. Furthermore, working closely with the officer, we were able to reduce the number of planning conditions to help ensure the swift delivery of the development.

This is a great case study on the importance of considering your available fallback positions, including development sites in the Green Belt, and taking the time to adopt a well-considered design approach and planning strategy.

We are delighted that we could be part of the applicant’s journey in securing their new family home and believe it will provide a new attractive addition to the Cheltenham area – particularly for those passing to attend the Cheltenham races!