Historic Buildings
Background
County Durham is fortunate in possessing a unique pattern of settlements; attractive small towns, villages and hamlets are set in fine industrial and agricultural landscapes which contain many clues to the fascinating history of the area.
The protection of this distinctive character is of grant importance and this is borne out by the number of settlements designated as Conservation Areas; areas specifically identified for their special architectural or historic merit, the character and appearance of which should be preserved and enhanced.
Conservation and Designation
The Conservation Areas in the County range from urban market places and greens to loose knit dales villages and industrial settlements. The statutory definition of a Conservation Area - Section 6 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 - gives recognition of ‘"areas of special architectural of historic interest, the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance"’.
Durham County Council, along with the district councils, has defined Conservation Areas which recognise the group value and importance of specific buildings as well as trees, open spaces, village greens, street and village patterns and features of historic and archaeological interest.
Within the county there are at present 94 Conservation Areas:
- Derwentside - Beamish Burn, Blackhill, Burnopfield, Cornsay, Ebchester, Esh, Iveston, Lanchester, Lintzford, Low Westwood, Medomsley, Muggleswick, Satley, Tanfield, Shotley Bridge.
- Chester-le-Street - Plawsworth.
- Wear Valley District - Bishop Auckland, Cockton Hill, Cowshill, Crook, East Blackdene, Edmondbyers, Eastgate, Frosterley, Hunstanworth, West Auckland, Hunwick, St Johns Chapel, Stanhope, Thornley, West Blackdene, Ireshopeburn/Newhouse, Witton le Wear, Wolsingham, Wearhead, Westgate.
- Durham - Bowburn, Brancepeth, Brandon, Burn Hall, Durham City, Hallgarth, Hett, Holywell, Old Cassop, Shadforth, Sherburn, Sherburn House, Shincliffe, Sunderland Bridge.
- Easington - Castle Eden, Easington Village, Hawthorn.
- Teesdale - Barnard Castle, Barningham, Bowes, Cleatlam, Cockfield, Cotherstone, Egglestone, Gainford, Greta Bridge, Hedlam, Hilton, Ingleton, Langton, Lartington, Little Newsham, Mickleton, Middleton in Teesdale, Newbiggin, Romaldkirk, Staindrop, Wackerfield, Whorlton.
- Sedgefield - Aycliffe, Bishop Middleham, Brusselton, Cornforth, Hardwick Park, Kirk Merrington, Brusselton, Cornforth, Hardwick Park, Kirk Merrington, Mainsforth, Middridge, Mordon, Sedgefield, Shildon, Tudhoe, Windlestone, Whitworth, Trimdon.
What does Conservation Area Designation Mean?
This designation means that special consideration is given to proposals for change. In order to assist the local authority some special planning controls are applied in Conservation Areas.1. Demolition of Buildings
Conservation Area Consent must be obtained from the district council for your area (the local planning authority) before demolishing almost any building or structure in a Conservation Area.2. New buildings and alterations to existing buildings
The same planning controls apply to development in a Conservation Area as in any other area. However, when determining any planning application relating to a Conservation Area, the local planning authority will give especially careful consideration to the design of any new buildings or alterations to existing buildings. This is to ensure that any proposals are in character with existing buildings in the area, and that they accord with area’s special qualities.3. Trees
If work is to be carried out on a tree in a Conservation Area, the local planning authority must be given six weeks notice in writing. This applies whether the proposed work involves felling, topping, lopping or merely pruning. The six week notice period enables the local authority to assess whether the tree is of sufficient environmental value to warrant protection by a Tree Preservation Order. The local planning authority can also give you advice on tree surgery.What are the benefits for Community Groups and people living in the Conservation Area?
Public investment can be directed towards improving the environment of Conservation Area, in terms of Historic Grant Schemes and Environmental Improvement Schemes.Historic Grant Schemes
This work is aimed at conserving and enhancing the county’s rich architectural heritage of historic buildings mainly within the Conservation Areas. These are partnership schemes with the county council, district douncil, English Heritage and the Heritage Lottery.Environmental Improvement Schemes
These schemes are aimed at upgrading the Conservation Areas in the towns and villages of the county to retain and enhance the environment and the special quality by repaving in good quality materials, providing new street lighting and street furniture, traffic management and traffic calming to create a safer environment for pedestrians.Listed buildings - background
County Durham is fortunate in having a rich heritage of old buildings which gives it a distinctive character. These buildings are historically important. They tell us much about our ancestors how they lived and worked. They create the character of our villages, towns and countryside. A number of these historic buildings are listed.The statutory list of buildings of ‘Special Architectural and Historic Importance’ is prepared by the Department of National Heritage and Listed Buildings are given legal protection by the Government under the Town and Country Planning Acts. This means that in order to alter the character of, extend or demolish a listed building, listed building consent has to be obtained from the local district council.
The term ‘building’ as used in the Acts covers a wide range of man-made structures and can include things like bridges, walls, gate piers, tombs, pumps, mills and even milestones.
The list covers the whole of the country and this list is periodically reviewed. There are now 3536 listed buildings in the county and full details and descriptions are available from the county council’s Specialist team - contact Nicola Duckworth on 0191 3834104.
Listed buildings are classified into three grades according to their importance:
Grade I
There are buildings of outstanding national significance. There are 105 of these in County Durham.Grade II*
Buildings of particular importance but of less national significance than Grade I. There are 188 of these in the county.Grade II
Buildings of special interest which make up the bulk of the list. County Durham possess 3243 of these.When a building is listed, what is included?
When a building is listed, it is the whole of that building including its internal as well as external features which are protected. In addition any object or structure fixed to the building is covered by the listing. Also any object or structure contained within the ‘curtilage’ of the building since before 1st July 1948 is covered by the listing (curtilage means the area attached to the building, within its boundary, for example the front and rear gardens).What effect does listing have?
Extensions and Alterations
If you propose to carry out internal or external alterations or extensions to a listed building which would affect its character, then you will need to apply for listed building consent to the local planning authority. Planning permission and buildings regulations may also be required; please check with your Planning Officer at your local district council. It is against the law to demolish, extend or alter a listed building without consent and the penalties can be heavy.The county council has a specialist team which will give advice on works to historic buildings. For further information contact the Design and Conservation team on 0191 383 3236/4104. Leaflets and details about listed buildings are also available by contacting the above number or writing to the Design and Conservation Team, Environment and Technical Services Department, Durham County Council, County Hall, Durham, DH1 5UQ.
Demolition
Listed building consent is needed before a listed building can be totally or partly demolished. Listed building consent for demolition is not given lightly and the District Council may not approve such an application without giving the Department of National Heritage an opportunity to ‘call in’ the application for special consideration.Is there any help for owners of Listed Buildings?
The financial burden can be a problem for some owners. The cost of maintenance and repair of historic buildings is generally higher than that of comparable repairs to modern buildings, owing to the need to preserve their character by using well tried traditional methods and materials.
In some circumstances, assistance may be available to owners and occupiers where the costs of repair are high.
Repairs Grant
Grants for repair may be available from:1. Durham County Council/District Council
At present the County only considers grants under the following circumstances:a) Where a building is identified as part of a Historic Building Scheme. These can be operated jointly by Durham county council, the district council, English Heritage and the Heritage Lottery. This procedure enables the authorities to combine their resources to greater effect.
b) Where a community building such as a church or meeting hall or an important historic building at risk. There is a small budget allocated for this type of work.
For further information on historic building grants, please contact the Design and Conservation Team, on 0191 383 3237/4104.
2. English Heritage
a) English Heritage grants are generally only available for buildings of outstanding historic or architectural interest, those in the categories of Grade I and II*. It should be noted however that funding is limited and not all Grade I or Grade II* buildings will qualify for these grants.
b) English Heritage may provide grants for the repair to historic churches. These buildings can be of any denomination and do not necessarily have to be listed.
For more information on English Heritage grants, please contact English Heritage:
English Heritage
Bessie Surtees House
41 Sandhill
Newcastle
NE1 3JF
Tel: 0191 2611585
Requests to Consider Listing a Building
Requests to consider adding a building to the list can be made by providing the following information: a location map and grid reference, historical and architectural information and clear external and internal photographs. These should be sent to:Department of National Heritage
Listings Branch
2-4 Cockspur Street
London
SW1Y 5DH
