Kitchen flooring LBC

[Mickey]

Hi All,

We have been making progress on our (badly) converted 1846 school, gone are brown and mustard bathroom suites and we have installed central heating, cast iron 'school' rads. We are now looking to refurbish the kitchen after Christmas, we will need to redo the floor which is currently something like Amtico flooring laid over woodchop boarding over suspended joists (all of our floors are wood chip boarding ) will we need to apply for LBC to redo the floor hopefully in something like slate or stone tiling?

Many thanks
Mickey

 

[Roger H]

You should check with your CO but if you are laying what is essentially a cosmetic surface on existing modern flooring, I can't think LBC would be required. Make it clear you aren't interfering with any historic elements e.g. surviving orginal doors needing to be modified in height.

 

[Mickey]

Many thnks Roger,

here in Cornwall if you want advice from CO you have to pay £150 to arrange a visit. We sadly have no original remaining doors either stemming from the fact I guess that the house was not listed when converted from a school but afterwards, so no floors, no skirtings, modern ceilings instead of full height lath ceilings with trusses on show except for our main room. All very sad to think what has been lost.

Mickey

 

[Roger H]

Goodness. Perhaps drop them a line with a description of the existing floor, description of the proposed floor, details of the doors and state that you assume that as the works have no bearing on the significance of the listed building, and do not impact on any original fabric, LBC ought not to be required. If they believe that it is required, please advise you within (say) 21 days.
As of Spring 2014 this particular issue will be facilitated by means of a ‘Certificate of lawful proposed works’, arising from the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013 - http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/professional/advice/hpg/HP/

 

[88v8]

As of Spring 2014 this particular issue will be facilitated by means of a ‘Certificate of lawful proposed works’, arising from the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013 - http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/professional/advice/hpg/HP/

Urrgh. This sounds like a dilution of the CO's role to justify lower staffing levels. The setting (curtilage) of the listed building can be of great importance.

Anyway, mustn't hijack the thread.
Flooring... stone floors are very unforgiving. Everything that falls, breaks. Perhaps some form of sheet material in the kitchen? There are wood-effects that are quite... effective.

Ivor

 

[garnett]

Roger

I think you have picked an ideal way to wind the conservation officer up! There aren’t enough of us left and putting that sort of pressure on is just unfriendly. I have dealt with three similar cases today. In each case I have emailed back saying that we have a fee for the service that you are requesting. In our area £120 representing 2 hours for the site visit advice and letter (half the cost of the cheapest qualified architect in the area). However this is my phone number and I am happy for you to get as much advice by phone as you need for free.

A listed building consent is free so you can always apply just to be certain.

Sending the sort of letter that you suggest would mean that I am wasting time with bureaucracy rather than helping other listed building owners. It is their council tax that you are spending.

We conservation officers love our jobs and put in many hours over and above what we are paid for. I know I am lucky to have this job and am doing my best so please try to work with us rather than against!

Rant over!

Garnett

 

[Mickey]

Many thanks all, at the bottom of the advise I received re roofing etc after we first bought the property it clearly states that any further advice will incur a fee I have tried emailing about a serious issue we had with the roof but never received a reply and I could never get through on the phone so I gave up. Currently putting in an application to reinstate some windows and change some other inappropriate windows and the back door so I guess I'll put the flooring in with that. I do realise that CO's are under real pressure etc I would just have liked a brief phone conversation. Garnet I wish you were my CO!

cheers
Mickey

 

[Roger H]

Hi Garnett.

Since I'm also a CO I have similar pressures. However, luckily my authority does not charge for advice/visits. I think the likely result of charging, or of not giving timely advice in situations such as this is that a lot more works which genuinely do warrant lbc will be undertaken in secret at potentially greater risk to the integrity of a building.