Planning and the Heritage

Refurbishment is big business - and an industry that is growing quickly. In Britain there are over 1/2 million listed buildings. More than half the construction work going on in Kent, for example, which has more listed buildings than any other county in England, involves the refurbishment of listed buildings. Yet many are unsure of the legislation and procedures surrounding this work and often proceed without consent, which can result in prosecution, fines or even imprisonment. This text should be a useful tool for property developers, architects, planners and all those fighting to protect the heritage around them. Michael Ross, the former Head of Listing at the Department of the Environment, has written this guide, accessible to non-lawyers, to the jungle of legislation concerning historic buildings. Set out in plain, jargon-free terms, it provides a guide to all aspects of conservation policy. It includes spot listing, the granting of listed building consent, conservation area controls, ancient monuments legislation, the provisions relating to rescue archaeology, sanctions against the neglect of listed buildings and the grants and loans available.
This handbook doesn't limit itself to cathedrals and stately homes, it also concentrates on local buildings of historic importance, such as the Victorian brick corner shop or local factory and explains how you can save them. It will be particularly valuable to the work of the local conservation group. This book should be of interest to planning officers, developers, architects and builders, local history groups and amentity societies, and final year undergraduate students on planning courses.