Adapting any home can be a complicated process, but when you add in the complexity of heritage considerations, it can take it to a whole new level.
Heritage can mean lots of things in the UK; for the purpose of this blog, I am using it to refer to properties which are either Listed, of Local Interest, within a Conservation Area or Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and even working within Scheduled Ancient Monuments!
Understanding Different Heritage Designations
It is important to understand the differences between the different types of heritage assets. As mentioned above, these can be categorised into the following:
Conservation Areas
Local Authorities designate Conservation Areas to recognise a particular area for its special architectural or historic interest, where the character and appearance of the area are considered worth preserving or enhancing.
Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) is an area of countryside designated because of its exceptional landscape quality and natural beauty.
Its purpose is to conserve and enhance the character and appearance of the landscape. Often these areas are subject to quite strict limitations as to the amount of development which can take place.
Buildings of Local Interest
A Building of Local Interest (BLI) is a building that is not nationally listed, but has been identified by the local planning authority as having local architectural, historic or cultural importance.
These are often subject to “Article 4” directions, which severely limit the extent of permitted development works and mean that the Local Authority’s Conservation Officer will be consulted on any proposals.
Listed Buildings
A Listed Building is a building recognised by the government as having special architectural or historic interest and is included on the National Heritage List for England.
Listing gives the building statutory protection, meaning that works which affect its character require Listed Building Consent in addition to any planning permission.
Buildings can either be Grade I listed, Grade II* listed, or Grade II (In order of level of importance).
Scheduled Ancient Monuments
A Scheduled Monument is a nationally important archaeological or historic site that has been given legal protection by being included on the Schedule of Monuments maintained by the Secretary of State.
It is very unlikely that a property for adaptation would be classified as such; however, we have worked on properties adjacent to them, for which they have had to have proper consideration throughout, as any perceived effect on views of the monument, or elements which may affect the setting, will be assessed by the Local Authority and Historic England.
The Principle of Harm
When planners, conservation areas, and consultees are assessing applications involving heritage assets, they will often refer to the principle of harm.
In planning terms, the principle of harm is essentially about assessing whether a proposal would negatively affect the significance of a heritage asset.
There are two broad levels of harm:
- Less than substantial harm – This means the proposal causes some degree of adverse impact on the significance of the heritage asset but does not seriously undermine it.
- Substantial harm – This means that the proposal has a serious impact on the significance of the heritage asset, potentially to the extent that important elements of its character or significance are lost. It is very unlikely that any proposal which is deemed to cause substantial harm will gain permission.
It is important to note, though, that “less than substantial” does not mean a proposal will be acceptable.
The harm needs to be identified, assessed and given appropriate justification within the Planning Application.
This would be in the quality of drawn information submitted, and robustly supported in an accompanying Heritage Statement.
Permitted Development
Often when dealing with non-heritage assets, significant adaptations can be carried out under “Permitted Development Rights”; these are rules which allow certain extensions, provided they fit strict criteria.
Depending on the type of designation, these rights will either be severely limited or removed entirely.
Meaning any amount of adaptation/extension will need local authority approval.
Design Considerations
When first looking at a project which involves a heritage setting, there are some very simple principles which can be followed to increase the likelihood of achieving a favourable outcome with your Planning / Listed Building Applications.
Although by no means an exhaustive list, here is a summary of some of these:
Subservience
Any proposal should be visibly subservient to the host property; this can be achieved by utilising scale, mass, or design language to make sure that the heritage asset is also perceived first and foremost after the development has been carried out.
Should it match or should it stand out?
This is a difficult one, as there is no set rule, but the general principle most adhered to is that if you are working in a sensitive area, then the easiest route to acceptance is to be respectful of the existing style and design language of the locality.
However, when working specifically with listed buildings, a contrasting yet complementary approach should be adopted; this allows the “story” of the building to be easily read and avoids diluting the original property by mimicking or badly reimagining its existing features.
Long Term Considerations
Obviously, our principal concern always is, and always will be, making sure that we create beautiful homes which work for an individual’s specific needs.
When working in heritage locations, it is important to also look at it through a long-term lens and ask yourself questions such as, “In a hundred or two hundred years, do I still think this will contribute positively to this setting?”
Respect
This is the simplest to explain and the most important.
Think deeply, consider extensively, and look at things from every angle.
These buildings are designated as Heritage Assets for a reason, and respect that when considering the works.
Simple things such as limiting larger scale interventions into the existing fabric, and focusing areas which need to work the hardest (stricter temperature control, specialist equipment, etc) into the new parts (or newer parts) will help to ensure that you are making the right decisions for the building, as well as your client.
Conclusion
I hope the above has helped to give some insight into what can be a very complicated area of home adaptations, but I also hope that it has made it clear that just because a property is designated as being of importance, it does not necessarily mean it cannot be adapted and must be discounted.
It just means that we need to look extra hard at every little detail, and make sure that design decisions are being made in the relevant context.
At PLG we have a wealth of experience working in sensitive areas, and we are always happy to have a chat, so please do get in touch if you ever want to talk through the possibilities for a project in a more challenging setting.
