Contact our Expert Surveyors

London Office
The Building Centre
26 Store Street
London
WC1E 7BT

T: 020 3667 1510
enquiries@earlkendrick.com

Brighton Office
Earl Kendrick
Maritime House, Basin Road North
Portslade
Brighton
BN41 1WR

T: 01273 974 416
EKAsouth@earlkendrick.com

Manchester Office
Earl Kendrick
9 Charlotte Street
Manchester M1 4ET

T: 0161 706 0676
EKAnorth@earlkendrick.com

About EK Historic Building Repair and Maintenance

Listing marks a building’s special architectural and historic interest, with the aim of protecting it for posterity. This does not mean the owner is prohibited from doing anything to the building at all, or even to demolish it. Alterations and certain maintenance obligations are brought under the remit of the planning system so that any proposed changes are considered in the context of its special interest.

At Earl Kendrick, we have a demonstrable track record of managing maintenance and refurbishment works on listed buildings, and the expertise to deal with statutory requirements and liaise with planning authorities to ensure works are completed efficiently and economically – all while preserving the unique heritage of the building itself.

We are expert in dealing with leaseholder alterations and licence to alter matters on behalf of both landlords and leaseholders, including for Listed buildings.

  • Listed Building Applications
  • Conservation and Repair Strategy Advice
  • Planned Maintenance
  • Management of Major Works Projects/Repair and Restoration
  • Window Repair and Replacement Projects
  • Licence to Alter.

Heritage Flat Conversions

Earl Kendrick is one of a small number of surveying firms in the UK that specialise in grade listed properties that have been converted into flats. We bring together knowledge of the challenges that are unique to blocks of flats with extensive experience of dealing with Listed buildings. Above all, we use our expertise to ensure converted buildings serve both the needs of their owners and residents, and remain true to the vision of their original architects.

Obtaining Listed Building Consent: an Overview

In the first instance, the local authority’s Planning Department will confirm whether consent is required for the proposed work and indicate what might be acceptable or how the proposals could be adapted to make them more likely to succeed. Once an application has been submitted, in the case of relatively small-scale projects, the Planning Department should be able to reach a decision within eight weeks; major proposals can take up to 13 weeks. This includes a statutory 21 day consultation period. In particularly important or complicated cases, the Planning Department will contact English Heritage for expert advice.

If consent is refused the applicant has six months within which to appeal to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, or they can amend their plans, based on the written advice provided, and re-apply. A Planning Authority can insist that any and all work carried out without consent is reversed. Moreover, an owner will have a great deal of trouble selling a property which has not been granted Listed Building Consent for work undertaken. Earl Kendrick can help get the process right from the very beginning, ensuring proper consent is in place and the heritage of the building is properly protected.

Windows in Listed buildings

A window repair or replacement project is far from straightforward in the best of circumstances. As with almost every other element of building maintenance and major works, it will benefit from detailed planning and objective decision making. This is especially so in the case of Listed buildings. In the context of residential blocks, the key legal question is who is responsible for maintenance and replacement of the windows themselves. In some cases it is unclear where ownership of the windows lies and legal interpretation is required. Matters are complicated further by the fact that the Landlord is responsible for scaffolding and windows in communal areas even when the Leaseholder has responsibility for the windows themselves. Earl Kendrick are experts in all the procedural (including lease) as well as technical aspects of repairing or replacing windows in Listed buildings and can manage the whole process from obtaining consent to the replacement itself.

We understand the need to take into account the requirements of landlords, leaseholders, contractors, planning and Construction (Design and Management) regulations (CDM). We calculate a life-cycle cost for the project, balancing initial prices with long-term maintenance along with the secondary considerations, including the effect of the project on the rest of the property. In the case of replacing windows, we ensure the new windows are both functional and attractive and do justice to the heritage of the building itself.

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