The Old Vicarage - Cornwall

The Old Vicarage is a property in the St Agnes parish of Cornwall. Following a refused planning application we were contacted by our client to perform a statement of significance as the property in question is grade 2 listed. As such is afforded protection under law against changes without prior consent.

Any changes wishing to be made to a listed building require “listed building consent”, this can be obtained through your local conservation officer (contact your local planning office for advice).

We were tasked with surveying the specific area mentioned in the planning application and highlighting any heritage features that were part of the historic fabric of the building. Our client wished to convert the loft space into a bedroom, this would have involved extensive works altering the structure of the roof and the installation of roof lights. The local conservation office refused permission on the grounds that the roof lights would have adversely affected the character of the building and hence they refused listed building consent.

Our job was to investigate the loft space and identify any heritage features that could then be referenced and protected during the alteration works. When planning works to a listed building it is useful to have a statement of significance as the conservation office can then work with you to identify methods of preserving the heritage of the building.

Upon out inspection, we found what were believed to be original features, including:

1. Original nails and fixings,

2. Original exposed stonework,

3. Original timbers,

4. Original carvings and numbering system.

The statement of significance found many original features and their age meant they were classified as being of considerable significance, the proposals in the planning application would have resulted in the loss of many of these features and as such we determined there would a significant loss of heritage under the current planning proposals.

Our aim for this job was to protect the heritage of the structure and to highlight the features we felt were of considerable significance. Performing any works on a heritage or listed building can be tricky and often feel very restrictive. However, gathering sufficient information before undertaking any planning applications leaves plenty of scope for adaptation of the building.

We at Desmonde Associates are happy to engage with our clients and liaise with conservation offices to achieve the best outcome for our clients, the conservation office and the building. Protecting our heritage buildings is essential for future generations and we at Desmonde Associates are proud to play a key role in this task.