A listed building is a building that is of special architectural
or historic interest. Buildings are listed in order to identify and
protect the nation’s architectural heritage. Listed buildings can
include telephone and letter boxes, milestones, windmills,
watermills, farmhouses, town houses, military structures, bridges,
walls and churches. There are approximately 2,700 listed buildings
in the Suffolk Coastal district, 59 of which are Grade I
quality.
Listed buildings are protected by the Planning (Listed Buildings
and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 which is designed to ensure that
such buildings are properly protected from neglect, inappropriate
alteration, extension or demolition. All of a building is listed,
including its interior and any object or structure fixed to the
building or sited within its curtilage that is older than 1 July
1948.
Suffolk Coastal is responsible for ensuring that listed
buildings are properly protected and for
taking enforcement action when appropriate.
How buildings are listed and the criteria used
The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport is
responsible for compiling the statutory list of buildings of
special architectural or historic interest. English Heritage is
responsible for providing expert advice on which buildings meet the
criteria for listing, and for administering the process.
Suffolk Coastal holds a copy of the statutory list which
includes a general description of the building and occasionally a
guide to some of the important features of the property. It is a
general misconception that only the items identified in the
description are listed.
You
can search online for listed buildings (new
window) on the Heritage Gateway website.
Making an application for listing
Anyone can apply to English Heritage for a building to be
listed. If you wish to have a building considered, you will find an
application form and guidance notes (new
window) on the English Heritage website which you can submit by
post or email.
Alternatively, you can write to:
Heritage Protection East Territory,
English Heritage,
Brooklands,
24 Brooklands Avenue,
Cambridge CB2 8BU.
Telephone: 01223 582700
Email:
applicationseast@english-heritage.org.uk
The application should be supported by as much information as
possible, including:
- Address of the building.
- Reasons why you believe it may merit listing.
- Clear original external and internal photographs.
- Name and contact details of the owner.
- Location map.
The more information that is supplied, the quicker a listing
application can be dealt with. The age, completeness, rarity,
special features, materials, original use and designer of a
building are some of the criteria used to determine whether a
building can be listed.
The following points provide a guide as to which buildings may
be listed or are eligible for listing:
- All buildings built before 1700 that still resemble their
original condition e.g. timber framed, clay lump and thatched
buildings.
- Most buildings built between 1700 and 1840 e.g. timber framed,
brick and thatched buildings.
- Buildings between 1840 and 1914 with particular quality and
character; the work of specific architects may be chosen.
- Selected buildings built between 1914 to 1939 as above.
- Buildings built later in the C20th have to be of exceptional
value or interest.
When an assessment is completed and any comments from the owner
and local authority considered a recommendation is forwarded to the
Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Before taking a decision
the Secretary of State may seek advice from others with special
knowledge or interest in historic buildings. After the Secretary of
State has come to a decision, the owner, applicant and local
authority are notified, and sent a letter detailing the
reasons for the decision.
Further information can be found on these websites:
Listed building consent and unauthorised work to a listed
building
Listed building consent is required for any work that affects
the character of the building including alterations, extensions and
demolition. It is a criminal offence to carry out
unauthorised work to a listed building.
If unauthorised work has taken place to a listed building an
enforcement notice can be served. This may require the work to be
remedied or reversed. Follow this link for more
information about planning enforcement and how
to report a breach of planning control.
Repairs that do not alter the character of a listed building do
not require consent; such as splicing in a new section of timber to
a window or replacing a section of guttering. The work should match
the existing exactly in all respects. Replacing a window or other
architectural feature and sandblasting finishes would in most cases
require consent.
An application for listed building consent must contain
sufficient information to identify the building and include scaled
plans and specifications that properly describe the work proposed.
Follow this link for more
information about making planning
applications.
The following guidance leaflets are available:
Essential repairs to a listed building
If reasonable repairs are not carried out to preserve a listed
building the local authority can serve the owner with a repairs
notice. This will identify the work required to be carried out and
the time period in which it is to be completed. Failure
to comply can result in compulsory purchase by the
authority.
Grade I and II* buildings and Scheduled Ancient Monuments may
qualify for
grant aid from English Heritage (new window),
especially if they appear on the English Heritage Buildings at Risk
Register.
Historic buildings at risk
Historic buildings which are known to be ‘at risk' through
neglect and decay, or vulnerable to becoming so, are added to a
Buildings at Risk register.
The
national Buildings at Risk register (new
window), containing listed buildings of the higher grades, I
and II*, is published annually by English Heritage.
A
county-wide Buildings at Risk register (new
window) is produced by the Suffolk local planning
authorities. It includes the same buildings as the national
list plus those of grade II and is published every other
year. Suffolk County Council and Suffolk Coastal have
a small grant fund for repairs to these buildings.
Follow this link to see
Suffolk Coastal's Buildings at Risk register
entries.
Advice and further information
To check whether your property is listed or for advice on the
need for listed building consent, contact our Planning
Helpdesk on 01394 444423 / 444403
/ 444428 or email
d.c.admin@suffolkcoastal.gov.uk.
You
can search online for listed buildings (new
window) on the Heritage Gateway website.
For advice on the repair and maintenance of historic buildings
contact:
Robert Scrimgeour, Senior Design and
Conservation Officer, on 01394 444616 or
email
robert.scrimgeour@suffolkcoastal.gov.uk
Adrian Craddock, Design and Conservation
Officer, on 01394 444470 or email
adrian.craddock@suffolkcoastal.gov.uk.
Useful links