Emergency protection, and or getting a building listed.

[dhutch]

What options are there for protecting buildings from demolition?

There are a lot of nice big old houses around us, on the ridge of the Wirral overlooking the port of Liverpool, later Victorian and Edwardian mainly.

Some like ours are small enough to be split into two semis, some larger ones contain multiple apartments/dwellings which fetch strong money, but also some are quite run down and or old peoples homes of which several have closed.

There are number that are grade ii listed, but obviously plenty are not. We appear to be going through a push to redevelop sites into new homes.

Daniel

[Gavarnie]

dhutch said:

What options are there for protecting buildings from demolition?

There are a lot of nice big old houses around us, on the ridge of the Wirral overlooking the port of Liverpool, later Victorian and Edwardian mainly.

Some like ours are small enough to be split into two semis, some larger ones contain multiple apartments/dwellings which fetch strong money, but also some are quite run down and or old peoples homes of which several have closed.

There are number that are grade ii listed, but obviously plenty are not. We appear to be going through a push to redevelop sites into new homes.

Daniel

If they are not listed, it's very difficult to protect these buildings from demolition given the pressure to build more houses. Sometimes they can be sensitively adapted and divided into smaller units. But the way the VAT regime is structured tends to favour new build rather than renovation/restoration of existing buildings.

Even when they are listed, they can still be lost if the owners claim they are beyond repair for example (it's also not unheard of for some of these buildings to suddenly go up in flames).

By way of example here's a rather interesting detached house built in the 1930s I think. In south-west London. Architect-designed, decent sized plot, original windows etc. By no means beyond repair.

Now a pile of rubble, to be replaced by a couple of identikit modern properties.

[dhutch]

Another has fallen, lovely house, reduced to rubble.




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[ARHarh]

But unfortunately we can't save everything. There is no point listing a property if no one wants to use it. You just end up with crumbling properties no one can do anything with.

Yes we do need to keep some of our history but we also need to progress, and that will mean some nice property will have to be replaced. What one man likes another may not. Those houses mentioned are obviously not in demand, or else someone would be living in them and restoring them.

[dhutch]

Gavarnie said:

...sometimes they can be sensitively adapted and divided into smaller units. But the way the VAT regime is structured tends to favour new build rather than renovation/restoration of existing buildings...

But also if we set up the tax schemes to favour demolition?

[Lotobear]

There are powers to spot list buildings where there is an imminent risk or threat to a building that may be considered 'worthy' (see demolition of Firestone Building, pivotal in tightening up the rules)

However there is a significant backlog and some reluctance to add to the list. We have a very interesting cruck and cob cottage in our village that is unique in the area and IMO very much worthy of listing, however the LPA were not interested as 'we already have enough of that building type in the County', even though this one is completely off pitch and quite unique (also being built on top of Hadrians Wall).

....so unless you've found an absolute gem I think you will struggle.