Issue 47 JUNE - Flipbook - Page 95
The many historic features including the roof structure,
stone walls and original openings have been retained and
repaired as part of the project, creating an individual
home with character and a contemporary feel.
process. The process was filmed in the format of a
time-lapse video and submitted to the Conservation
Officer as a record that the structure was moved intact
and thus fulfilling the terms of the planning condition.
The Application Process
Cotswold District Council
When the client purchased the property the barn had an
extant consent, submitted by another design team, to
convert the building into a two-bedroomed dwelling. The
principle of conversion had initially been resisted by the
Conservation Officer, due to a lack of detail in the
application and concerns over the sensitivity of the
scheme, however it was eventually approved via planning
committee.
The next phase of construction involved the removal of
the existing modern concrete slab. This produced an
unexpected and serendipitous discovery, the lost staddle
stones were found buried under the later floor. It is still a
mystery as to why they were buried, as they were all in
good condition and were able to be reused, allowing
the historic façade of the building to be reinstated. The
project is a testament to a close and successful collaboration between an enlightened client, a conservation-led
architect, acting as the heritage consultant, a skilled
structural engineer and a willing conservation officer.
The consented scheme was also not to the current
owner’s brief; therefore, it was decided that the best approach would be to review the design and resubmit the
listed building consent and planning permission applications with an alternative design. This provided an opportunity to add in additional details to the application
particularly regarding the structural repairs and strategies
to address damp, the integration of services, as well as tailoring the design to the new owner’s brief. In addition, in
order to expedite the start on site, an architectural recording of the building was also carried out to pre-empt one
being added as a pre-commencement condition.
Q and A
Q. My Grade II Listed house is in a Conservation Area.
What does this mean and how would it impact my
proposals to extend my property?
Conservation Areas are those areas which are considered
to be of special architectural and historic interest, the
character and appearance of which is afforded statutory
protection through the Planning (Listed Buildings and
Conservation Areas) Act 1990. Conservation Areas also
fall under the definition of a designated heritage asset
within the Government’s National Planning Policy
Framework and, along with other designated heritage assets such as Listed Buildings, would be a key consideration
in any applications for planning permission within their
boundaries or their setting.
The design strategy was to celebrate the simplicity and
honesty of the barn by making use of existing openings
where possible. The new glazing is simple and agricultural
in style and new interventions use a limited material
palette. It was proposed to repair the historic posts by
carefully splicing in new timber and replacing the missing
staddle stones at the bases, reinstating the elevation of
the barn. The project received LBC and planning permission in August 2021, subject to a number of conditions. The Conservation Officer praised the sensitivity of
the scheme and the ambition to address the concerns
raised by the previous approval.
Outside of London, Conservation Areas are usually
designated by the Local Authority and unlike Listed
Buildings are not subject to a grading system. Latest figures suggest there are now nearly 10,000 Conservation
Areas in England, and every Local Authority in England
has at least one within its boundaries.
Many, but certainly not all Conservation Areas will have
Conservation Area Appraisals published by the Local
Authority which set out the reasons for designation and
also what the special architectural and historic interest
of the area is.
During the consent process there was much discussion
with the Conservation Officer on how to address
the structural issue of the tilted trusses. The structural
engineer suggested a strategy to move the roof trusses into
their historic location, realigning the roof structure and raising the eaves to their former height, supporting the posts
by reinstating the padstones. The Conservation Officer
agreed to this approach although there was a concern as to
whether this manoeuvre would be physically possible.
A Conservation Area designation brings with it some
additional planning controls, such that you may be required to secure planning permission for some works
which may otherwise be considered permitted development, if the property were outside of the boundaries of
the Conservation Area. It is also however important to
note that regardless of the Conservation Area, Listed
Building Consent would be required in any case for
any works which would affect the specific historic or
architectural interest of your Listed Building.
When the project started on site, the joints between the
timbers were cleaned to allow the structure to move, using
a lift which enabled the building to be almost miraculously
restored to its original position. The exercise only took a
few hours and was undertaken under the supervision of a
structural engineer, with conservation experience, to
ensure that the overall structure was not damaged by the
It is also important to note that a Conservation Area
designation brings with it additional controls over demo-
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Conservation & Heritage Journal
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