Newbie seeks advice on Period Features and Planning Consent

[adam232]

Hi all

I am brand spanking new to all this, but am currently 2 days away from completing on the purchase of my very own (and very first) period property.

Take a look at the estate agents photos here <http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-24580170.html>

It is a 19th century (1880’s I believe) Grade 2 listed Lodge house on the gate to a park in Carshalton, Surrey. It’s been pretty well modernised throughout but I wanted to introduce some period touches as a nod to its heritage. That’s why I’m here, as I would love to hear your thoughts on the following;

• How would you best describe the style of the house? I’ve been told it’s Victorian but I’m sure there are mixed references within the property – especially the arched windows?
• I’m going to build solid wood shutters for the arched windows as a noise / sound insulation and interior decoration. Using reclaimed scaffold planks as a basis. I’ve just made an 8 person dining table in the same way but really want some reference material, or tips as to what original interior shutters might have looked like. Also, would they have been painted, waxed or stained, and what about hinges and furniture?
• The very large window in the living room is more of a standard size, so I might try to find a standard set of solid shutters for this one – any ideas again on what it might have looked like or what I should aim for? Also, any reclamation yards or other tips for picking them up cheap?
• I want to re-instate both fireplaces to their original look. I am considering installing a wood burning fire in one of them and having an open fireplace in the other. Again, any ideas as to what they would have looked like originally?

As much as this is me wanting to return some period features to the property, I also have the added complexity of planning consent as it’s a listed building. And part of the planning consent is obviously making sure I’m doing justice to the property by keeping it within its own character.

And as a last question, I could really do some guidance with navigating through the perils of planning consent. I’m pretty handy in form filling and enjoy a good challenge. I also can produce basic interior diagrams through a computer programme called visio. So ideally I would like to undertake most of the planning work and documentation. And one final, final question, what’s best regarding securing planning consent. Should you do it in stages (applying for one thing at a time) as it’s easier to sign off, or do you group all of the work together and risk one aspect of it slowing down everything else?

Sorry for the length, but I really want to understand what we’ve just embarked on through falling in love with a period and listed property.

Thanks very much all in advance for your replies

Adam

 

[Gareth Hughes]

Welcome!
Just bumping this up as new posters' thread fall down the list.
Here's the link you supplied
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-24580170.html

I must say the recent renovations have made it a fairly blank canvas internally, but it looks unlikely ever to have been grand enough to have had window shutters and the like. Though Victorian gothic, its interiors would have been like those of most small terraced houses of the period, nothing fancy - but also nothing "rustic".
There seem to me to be three courses of action, of differing degrees of difficulty and possibility (depending on your Conservation Officer's point of view)
1. Keep it as it is (easy, but dull)
2. Put more of it back, as it probably was (requires research into what local houses of a similar size and status were like - slightly more difficult, but not impossible)
3. Fantasy Victorian gothic palace, an unashamed pastiche of period style originally meant for buildings of far higher status (might, or might not, be hard to get past the CO, certainly hard, but rewarding, to research and do really well and would show off the surviving period features very well). Have a google for St Pancras Station Hotel, and Castell Coch (in both cases, interiors in particular), and consider whether you could live with it. Half-measures won't do

 

[plasticpigeon]

I've been in some smaller Victorian houses that are quite fancy inside. Certainly more fancy than yours is now. Here is a picture I have taken off the web of a gate house down the road from me. They certainly didn't hold back on the ornamentation despite its small size.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/milkybar_kid/4332628343/in/photostream/

I would recommend "modern practical joinery" by Ellis if you want to get an idea of period woodwork.

http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/book/9780941936088?redirected=true&gclid=CNXpvbL0h7cCFcXKtAodk1QA2g

There are other books too, many on archive.org, but the Ellis book is still in print and very practical.

 

[Flyfisher]

If you're brand-spanking new to PPUK then you won't be aware that Gareth is a CO, so you should consider his post very carefully indeed.

As for the listed building consent process, I see no reason why you could not prepare all the required information and forms yourself. I've successfully done it three times and there are no particular technicalities involved. If you can consisely and clearly describe your proposed changes then you should have few problems - and if you can't then you're probably not ready to make the submission anyway. Check the planning pages on your local council's website as it may have lots of guidance notes.

I would also recommend an early discussion with your CO, if possible. Have a basic idea of your plans but be flexible at this stage and preferably discuss things on site. If you can reach a basic agreement of your plans for the property early on then you should avoid problems later. But all that is based on my own experience of having a very helpful and accessible CO and I'm aware that's not always the case in different areas of the country. You'll have to discover that for yourself.

 

[Penners]

All good advice above and, as Flyfisher has said, you should particularly note Gareth's authoritative comments.

I suggest that, if they are to try to be vaguely accurate to the type and period of the property, your window shutters should not be "rustic" planked affairs. A Victorian "Gothic" lodge* such as this would - in my inexpert view - have had (if any at all) shutters that are framed, fielded panels. And they would probably have been painted.

As regards your listed building consent application, I certainly would not advocate doing this in dribs and drabs. As has been suggested above, I would get clear in my own mind what I wanted to do with the property, then ask the Conservation Officer for an informal meeting to discuss your plans. Try not to be too dogmatic in this discussion - indicate your preferences and ask the CO to help you with suggestions as to how to achieve your wishes in a way that will be acceptable. Try to make it clear that you have the best interests of the building at heart, and remember that the CO's first duty is to the historic character of the building - not to you.

* That's how I would describe the building - I don't know how accurate the terminology is!

 

[adam232]

Thanks for the reply so far all, really appreciate your thoughts.

I've picked up a couple of books off the back of the responses below. One about Victorian Gothic architecture and interiors which looks interesting;

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0715309692/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

And the other is the recommended book on Joinery;

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0941936082/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I might revise my approach to the build of the shutters too, based on the thoughts below. I do need to pick up a router so I can 'panel' the shutters, not too sure how I feel about painting them though as I love the look of stained or waxed wood, much more than painted wood any day!

So far as the planning goes, I'll spend a few weeks collecting my thoughts on interior design from reference material and possibly even a visit to the St Pancras hotel (I travel to Paris every few weeks on the Eurostar so not much of a detour at all). Then condense down my thoughts into something I can share with the CO during an initial face to face. Then go from there really.

Thanks again for your responses, and please do keep them coming for any further references, websites or locations that spring to mind.

I also want to do some research on the history of the property too, but that's another job entirely.

Happy Thursday afternoons to you all..

 

[JoceAndChris]

You've had some very good answers from the above luminaries, I heartily agree. And what a pretty lodge! Very sweet, I also live in a sort of lodge type house - not actually one but in that vein, though about 80 yrs older than yours.

The Gothic windows are a lovely feature and I'd let that be a guide in your choice of decorations - there are some nice Gothic trefoil papers you could use -I'm thinking of Bayham Abbey by Little Greene. I think it looks bland and very modern currently, on the inside, and I don't know what your taste is, but I'd be looking at a much bolder use of colour, antiques, and rich, warm fabrics with antique lighting and rugs.

Good luck - now the fun really starts!

 

[JoceAndChris]

Regarding the question about shutters, is there room? Shutters usually fold back into shutter housing which means really really thick walls.

In my 30s extension, I've got shutters that fold back flat against the wall. It means that as they swing back to the wall curtains would be impossible because they'd swing into them. So, in the evening, you just have to close the shutters without curtains and it's rather stark and plain, I wouldn't recommend this as a way to go. 1890s loved frills and flounces, there must have been fancy curtains at your windows at one point. I'd be looking at spending the budget on that.

Your little lodge is polite architecture rather than rustic so I'd be looking at antique brass catches and knobs,etc, rather than black iron. All sorts of websites to look through - http://www.periodfeatures.co.uk/period-hardware-ironmongery-c-1.html?osCsid=8i95qcnvcuhk51aei9off26kt5 as an example - just put period fittings into google and you get dozens

For fireplaces, you might want to look at Britains Heritage
http://www.britainsheritage.co.uk/antique-fireplaces/antique-arch-inserts.htm

 

[Zebra]

Lovely house!

 

[discobarry]

I don't have any real pointers for you but that house is lovely! well done on finding such a place.