This is my first post but I have been reading the posts on this site with interest for a little while.
We live in a Grade 2 listed house (1852) which is one of a number of similar properties arranged in a crescent made up of detached and semi detached properties.
The attics of the house have been made into several rooms and looking at cornices, mouldings and staicases etc it looks to me as if this was principally done soon after the house was built. However, sometime in the 70's (at a guess) the attics were remodelled with a good deal of plaster board, general pointless kicking around and some big fat veluxes slapped on the front of the roof (each about 4 foot square). This 70's work floored over a large rooflight that orginally sent a big shaft of light (the gap in the corncing on the landing indicates that the hole was about 5 foot square) into the now dingy hall below. There are also three orginal cast iron roof lights to the side and rear elevations.
I am afraid its now time to give the roof some serious attention and it struck me that the big veluxes should be replaced with something that looks more in keeping. In addition, the 70's remodelling would be remodelled again. This would reinstate the light into the hall and move a bathroom. The only external change apart from the replacement of the veluxes would be the addition of one rooflight (approx 1 foot by 2 feet) into the rear elevation. However, under the proposed changes the overall area of rooflights will be less than there is now.
The conservation officers are not happy with additional roof light - or indeed any rooflights (existing or otherwise!!). I feel this is unreasonable as I am actually improving the look of the existing building.
I am not surprised that the planners have now asked when the veluxes were put in....the building was listed in March 1984. My neighbours can't say for certain but they are pretty sure they have been there since before the date of the listing. After all of the above, my question is who has the burden of proof if the council attempted to use an enforcement notice - do they have to prove the building was altered after 1984 or do I have to prove it wasn't.
Since the whole crescent is listed, various council officers have been visiting the place with some regularity for some time and no one has ever made an issue of it before.....
We live in a Grade 2 listed house (1852) which is one of a number of similar properties arranged in a crescent made up of detached and semi detached properties.
The attics of the house have been made into several rooms and looking at cornices, mouldings and staicases etc it looks to me as if this was principally done soon after the house was built. However, sometime in the 70's (at a guess) the attics were remodelled with a good deal of plaster board, general pointless kicking around and some big fat veluxes slapped on the front of the roof (each about 4 foot square). This 70's work floored over a large rooflight that orginally sent a big shaft of light (the gap in the corncing on the landing indicates that the hole was about 5 foot square) into the now dingy hall below. There are also three orginal cast iron roof lights to the side and rear elevations.
I am afraid its now time to give the roof some serious attention and it struck me that the big veluxes should be replaced with something that looks more in keeping. In addition, the 70's remodelling would be remodelled again. This would reinstate the light into the hall and move a bathroom. The only external change apart from the replacement of the veluxes would be the addition of one rooflight (approx 1 foot by 2 feet) into the rear elevation. However, under the proposed changes the overall area of rooflights will be less than there is now.
The conservation officers are not happy with additional roof light - or indeed any rooflights (existing or otherwise!!). I feel this is unreasonable as I am actually improving the look of the existing building.
I am not surprised that the planners have now asked when the veluxes were put in....the building was listed in March 1984. My neighbours can't say for certain but they are pretty sure they have been there since before the date of the listing. After all of the above, my question is who has the burden of proof if the council attempted to use an enforcement notice - do they have to prove the building was altered after 1984 or do I have to prove it wasn't.
Since the whole crescent is listed, various council officers have been visiting the place with some regularity for some time and no one has ever made an issue of it before.....