Listed Buildings

[maltaron]

Did anyone see "Grand Designs" last night. Who is responsible for classing such a building as grade2 listed. It was on an unsafe buildings register and if the young couple (who paid a stupid sum of £400,000 for it) had not bought it, it would have collapsed down the hill in a short time. The people responsible for listing do not seem concerned if a building falls down, but if some one buys it they make all sorts of expensive conditions to planning permission. As most of these buildings have been added to in different styles over the years, why should a purchaser not have the right to repair or rebuild as they wish with the only condition as being in keeping with the location. The listing authorities never make any attempt to fund the repairs so should have no say in those repairs.

 

[AndrewSchofield]

You would not believe what the Listed Building Officer said of a listed barn that someone wanted to convert to a dwelling in a planning committee meeting once!!!

I totally understand where you are coming from on this!

 

[^woody^]

The whole listing system is a farce, and is generally enforced by little hitlers.

Many buildings are listed purely because "they are old" but have little merit or even any benefit to the wider public.

Taking this particular house as an example, can I go and mooch around the garden and check out the frames and architectural details? Can I go inside and look at the trusses and floor structure?

Or must I perv from 1/4 mile away with some binoculars? Or view it as some little matchbox house amongst the trees?

In which case would it be better to knock the poxy thing down and build something that looks better than some ad-hoc factory unit?

But I love McCloud's nonsense commentary and attempts to justify stupid architectural thinking

 

[noseall]

In which case would it be better to knock the poxy thing down and build something that looks better than some ad-hoc factory unit?

hilarious.

But I love McCloud's nonsense commentary and attempts to justify stupid architectural thinking

moi aussi

i think 'stupid' is a bit harsh.

but McCloud does have a rather addictive pessimism and is constantly pressing the grand design-ees as to whether they have made the right choice.

 

[Thermo]

has a very good way with words though....

the staircase is the main feature running like a ribbon through the building, pulling it all together so it doesnt look out of place..........in a vistor centre!

 

[johnny_t]

Did anyone see "Grand Designs" last night. Who is responsible for classing such a building as grade2 listed. It was on an unsafe buildings register and if the young couple (who paid a stupid sum of £400,000 for it) had not bought it, it would have collapsed down the hill in a short time. The people responsible for listing do not seem concerned if a building falls down, but if some one buys it they make all sorts of expensive conditions to planning permission. As most of these buildings have been added to in different styles over the years, why should a purchaser not have the right to repair or rebuild as they wish with the only condition as being in keeping with the location. The listing authorities never make any attempt to fund the repairs so should have no say in those repairs.

I agree. It was a fugly building, and they spent unnecessary thousands on keeping in line with the listing for a building that would have fell down anyway.

The worst thing is that, like planning, a lot of listing criteria seems to be applied in a purely arbitrary manner.

 

[Steve]

I'd have put white PVC DG in, and white BG's finest radiators everywhere.

Sarah Beeny (the one with the boobs and is always up duff), she's always the best at critisizing their decisions. Normally "why wont you take my advice?" "its good" "i thought it up myself" "I'm an expert" "££££££"

SHUT UP!!!!

 

[securespark]

I've seen a few programmes involving doing up listed structures & I agree it is totally backwards.

If these folk had bought the site, left it (say) 3 years & the structure then collapsed, what then?

Oh, dear, back to the drawing board?

 

[Shytalkz]

Unfortunately, it doesn't work like that. If they'd have left it, as it was o the register of buildings at risk, the LA would have stepped in, done whatever they considered to safeguard the structure and then sent them an enormous bill.
A case in point.