Court Design & Conservation undertakes commissions to design new buildings and extensions to existing structures. Their philosophy is one of good design, good use of space, and integration with the surroundings, both through the use of traditional and contemporary features.
He is a Chartered Building Surveyor elected a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in 1987. In 1997, he established Court Design & Conservation to specialise in historic buildings and assist their owners with the issues peculiar to these unique buildings and settings.
He holds the RICS Diploma in Building Conservation and is a member of the RICS Conservation Forum and the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings. At the beginning of 2003, he was elected a member of the Institute of Historic Building Conservation.
In 2006, he was successfully appointed to the approved Church Architects and Surveyors list for both the Diocese of Bath & Wells and the City of Exeter.
The same year, he received the highest accolade, the RICS Accreditation in Building Conservation.
The renovation or change of use of an historic building requires great care, a sympathetic approach and a thorough understanding of the building’s development.
Court Design & Conservation was established in 1997 by Andrew Hayes, a Chartered Building Surveyor, to advise and assist owners of period, listed, or historic buildings with appropriate building repair methods and to develop and adopt a sympathetic approach to alterations, extensions, and conversions.
Court Design & Conservation can provide extensive professional services, from individual survey reports to a complete building project package.
Yes you do. This is a common misunderstanding. All listed buildings,
irrespective of their listed grade status, CANNOT be altered INSIDE OR OUTSIDE, extended or demolished, unless listed building consent has been obtained through the Local Authority.
This also applies to any object or structure fixed to the listed building or which forms part of its historic curtilage.
Firstly, prior to purchase consult either someone like ourselves or the local
Conservation Officer to establish what alterations may be considered appropriate and acceptable within the confines of the protected building and curtilage.
Do not buy an old building unless you are prepared to accept its particular character and quirks. It is essential that you adapt to it rather than trying to impose inappropriate alterations and extensions on to it.
It is a criminal offence to undertake such works and both you and your
building contractor commit an offence punishable by a fine of up to £20,000.00 and / or up to 6 months' imprisonment at County Court Level. At Crown Court the penalties can be an unlimited fine and up to 2 years' imprisonment.
In addition to the legal action further enforcement action in order to remedy the damage or reinstate the building as it was may be taken against the owner of the building (current owner) and there is no time limit for this enforcement action.
In the first instance your solicitor or yourself should contact the Local
Authority to establish what listed building consent has been granted for works to the property and then compare this with what is found on site.
This is not always easy to decipher and it is therefore essential to employ someone like ourselves to inspect the property to try and identify such unauthorised work.
The obvious ones may be uPVC gutters, downpipes, windows, modern partitioning, kitchen fittings, etc, which must be checked against the Local Authority records.
It is important to note that, as with question 3 above, enforcement action is
without time limit and is taken against the current owner of the building.
Therefore, should you purchase the property without checking and clearing any unauthorised works, you will be responsible, and therefore liable, for remedying damage carried out by previous owners.
Local Councils do operate discretionary grant schemes for appropriate repair but their resources are small and usually over-stretched. English Heritage grants are available for properties listed Grade II* and Grade I.
Certain criteria have to be met, however, and it is unusual for normal domestic listed structures to receive grant-aided repair work, particularly in the more rural areas. Heritage Lottery grant funding may be available if the buildings and settings can offer a public access and use but this is not available for private premises which are not open to the public.
We aim to reply to all enquiries within 24 hours
Do you need help, or are you looking for a quote? Simply fill in our contact form or call our friendly team.
The Coach House Trevissome, Flushing Falmouth, Cornwall TR11 5TA
Phone : 01823 272155 Phone : 01326 376000
Mon-Fri : 9am-5pm
Sat-Sun : Closed