A listed building is one which has been placed on the Statutory List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest. There are some half a million buildings in the UK with this status, and the London boroughs of Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster, have many listed buildings as private residences.
listed building architects
If you own a listed property, you need special permission from the local planning authority before you may demolish, extend or even alter it. Local planners generally need to consult the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (the Government department with responsibility) before they sanction your application to modify a listed building. As experienced residential architects in West London, we help walk you through this.
Rules governing what is and is not permitted are rigorous and, unfortunately, a little arbitrary. They have become more complicated and restrictive over time. Simply because the owners of an identical listed building a few doors along were successful in obtaining permission to excavate a basement a few years ago does not mean that you will be allowed to do similar renovations today.
Listed buildings experience
Being residential architects based in a conservation area, we have vast experience working on listed buildings. This is in no small part the result of our long client association with Cadogan Estates, the second largest of London’s aristocratic freehold estates. Infact, around 50% of the properties we renovate are listed buildings.
We are thus in an excellent position to advise owners of Grade I or Grade II listed buildings on what changes are likely or unlikely to be approved by the Planning authorities. We are often able to help resolve issues that may at first glance seem insurmountable, and enjoy an excellent track record for obtaining planning permission for refurbishment work on listed buildings.
