Grand designs
Sebastian Dekker
Unless you want to break the law, incur a substantial fine Or, even worse, a prison sentence, you must be very cautious about trying to improve your home. Property development is big business, but even if planning permission has been granted it is worth checking with the local authority or English Heritage whether a building is listed or situated within a conservation area before work begins.
Individual buildings are noted for their 'special architectural or historic interest' and there are three categories of listing: Grade I, Grade II* and Grade II. Listed building consent and other statutory controls apply equally to all three grades. Grade 1 and IP buildings are generally of 'outstanding architectural or historical interest' and of 'particularly great importance to the nation'. The majority of listed buildings were built before 1840, but some exceptional modern buildings are listed. The Trellick Tower, designed by the Hungarian architect Erno Goldfinger in 1968 and inspired by Le Corbusier's Unite d'Habitation in Marseilles, became the unwanted symbol of modem design and the Brutalisrn movement. More recently, though, the tower's reputation has been revived: the installation of a concierge and basic security system has largely eliminated the overwhelming social problems of old, and the building has become something of a pop-culture icon. In 1998, it was awarded a Grade II* listing. A flat on the 30th floor is available through Foundation (020 7266 2888) at £330,000: 'viewing is highly recommended'.
Further up the price spectrum is Garden Corner on Chelsea Embankment. Also listed Grade II*, it is a substantial doublefronted house built in 1879 but remodelled internally by C.F.A. Voysey in 1906-07. Daniel Corbett (020 7225 1500) comments that 'the property, which has wonderful aspect over the river Thames towards Battersea Park, is one of only two remaining houses on Chelsea Embankment'. There are also views over the Chelsea Physic Garden. Joint life membership of this 'tranquil oasis' founded in 1673 is included in the asking price of £7,500,000.
One of the grandest of the palatial terraces that overlook Regent's Park is Hanover Terrace, designed by John Nash in 1822-23. It is a row of 20 houses with a loggia running along the ground floor and porticoes projecting at each end and in the centre, with Doric pillars linking the first and second floors. Aston Chase (020 7724 4724) are the agents for a Grade I listed house priced at £4,250,000, which has recently been restored `to an exceptional standard' and has a separate mews house to the rear, as well as a double-width garage. Although Grade I listed houses are rare, they can be a doubleedged sword, as scope for refurbishment is often severely restricted.
Listed building consent, which is obtained from the local planning authority, is required for any internal or external alterations that affect the special architectural or historic interest of the building. Local planning authorities are required to consult English Heritage on listed building applications that affect Grade I and II* listed buildings, as well as Grade II applications which involve substantial or complete demolition. Examples of work which may need consent include changing windows and doors, painting over brickwork or removing external surfaces, putting in dormer windows, changing roofing materials, moving or removing internal walls, making new doorways, and removing or altering fireplaces, panelling or staircases. Owners should also be aware of PPG15 Planning and the Historic Environment. Melbury Road, which forms part of the Ilchester Estate, takes its name from the Dorset home of the Earls of Ilchester. Number eight, which is listed Grade II, is by Norman Shaw and was built in 1876 for the painter Marcus Stone. Sir Nikolaus Pevsner describes it as having 'an asymmetrical ground floor and exceedingly slim Queen Anne windows with three symmetrical oriels on the first floor'. Jeremy Davidson (020 7235 8146) adds that it has been 'beautifully refurbished by the architects Collett Zarzycki'. The asking price is £1.350.000.
English Heritage also publish an annual Buildings at Risk register, with information on Grade I and II* listed buildings which suffer from neglect and decay. The register for Greater London also includes Grade II listed buildings. However, there are various grants available to the owners of individual historic buildings. Grants are intended for major structural repairs and normally only buildings which are listed Grades I or II* will qualify, although those that are Grade II in London are included. They are not provided for routine maintenance or works of alteration, conversion, improvement or demolition. In Folgate Street, which is in the Spitalfields conservation area, there is an exceptional Georgian house for sale at £1,300,000 with Jackson-Stops & Staff (020 7664 6644). Believed to date from 1724, the house has been restored with the aid of craftsmen trained by the Spitalfields Historic Buildings Trust and features a courtyard garden and reception rooms with period panelling.
Changes of use are also considered where such an alteration would rejuvenate the building and its environment — there is a delicate balancing act between historical preservation and economic viability. In 2001, the City of London granted permission to convert the Grade II listed Rectory House in Laurence Pountney Hill from offices to residential. According to the agents Knight Frank (020 7499 1012), English Heritage were 'particularly encouraged' by the scheme. The property is on the market for £4 million.
There are more than 370,000 entries protected by listing, of which 92 per cent are Grade II — riverside Hammersmith contains some fine examples. In Black Lion Lane, there is a short terrace of Grade II listed houses that share a forecourt, and one house is for sale through Knight Frank (020 7591 8600) at £950,000. Named after the Black Lion public house, which dates back to the 18th century, it is reputed to be the original model for St Peter's Square, where Knight Frank are also marketing (at £2,100.000) a substantial Grade II semidetached house designed by J.C. Loudon.
On the south side of the river, Martyr's House is a fine example of an 18th-century house. It dates from about 1721 and is one of the few examples of Georgian architecture to survive in Putney. The house has been 'sensitively restored' and is set back from the road behind a high brick wall; it has a courtyard garden. It is for sale with Jackson-Stops and Staff (020 7664 6644) at £700,000.
But you do not have to be a lottery winner to buy a listed property. Richard James & Co (020 7223 7500) describe Nutford Place as 'an exciting Grade II listed development in the heart of London's West End'. At £249,950, the first-floor flat would make an ideal pied-a-terre.
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