Historic buildings can be very costly to repair, and gaining consent to undertake required repairs is a difficult and specialist process. The process of obtaining Listed Building Consent is made difficult by the nuances in repair approach, with regulations safeguarding the conservation and preservation of historic buildings being tightened up due to a serious lack of due care effected during the 20th century. Historic building repairs can be made difficult by leasehold arrangements, whereby leaseholders can have a repairing covenant for specific external elements, such as windows (which is often neglected) and is unenforceable by building management companies, until termination of a leasehold agreement. Those obtaining consent for works must demonstrate a sound understanding of both the historic significance of the subject property and be able to provide a detailed repair specification having sympathy for original fabric whilst integrating new materials where required.
Our client’s Georgian Grade II Listed residence (now forming a block of apartments and maisonettes) was suffering from widespread timber rot to its windows – 35 windows in total required complete replacement or repair. 21 of these windows were slotted, non-traditional box sash windows installed in the 1980s, with a further 9 original traditional sash windows and a large, complex bowed and chain-suspended sash window unit on the upper floor.
We were fortunate to be able to work in conjunction with a local master carpenter, where we jointly provided a detailed repair specification (Schedule of Works). We also produced a Design & Access Statement incorporating a Heritage Impact Assessment. Part of the Listed Building Consent application process required producing existing and proposed elevation drawings. We were able to provide scale A1 CAD elevation drawings via a third-party draughtsman whom we work with regularly which enabled the Planning Department to understand the clients intentions.
We demonstrated to the Planning Department the items of special architectural interest and historic importance for our client’s building, as well as the technical history in terms of joinery and material context, with full justification for remedial works. This enabled our client to be granted Listed Building Consent in order to undertake the repairs to their windows in a controlled, compliant and sympathetic manor.
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