| Application Type: Full Planning Permission |
| Development Description: External Insulation applied externally to a Victorian house within a conservation area. |
| Local Authorities/Councils: Lewisham London Borough Council |
Fuller Long are delighted to have assisted our client in gaining planning permission for the installation of external insulation on a property within the Telegraph Hill Conservation Area in the London Borough of Lewisham.
The property in question was also identified as an non-designated heritage asset by the council during the application. This classification was strongly contested by Fuller Long as part of a robust heritage statement where it was argued that the dwelling failed to meet the criteria for NDHA status as laid down by Historic England. The heritage statement also outlined the impacts of the scheme upon the surrounding conservation area.
Whilst the proposals were relatively simple in nature, the application received a lot of push-back from the council’s conservation officer who was concerned that the new insulation would obscure the historic brickwork and potentially harm the fabric of the building. The conservation officer was also concerned that as the property was part of a semi-detached pair, any impact upon its appearance would distort the symmetry of the building and have a detrimental effect on the repeated patterns and building materials in this particular part of the conservation area.
Our team, having established the significance of both the subject property and the conservation area, were able to provide design guidance to the client to assist with the application. The heritage statement demonstrated that the works would have no impact upon the character and appearance of the conservation area. An assessment of the impact to the building was shown to be unnecessary, as the property, one of 3000 identical Victorian semi detached houses, was not considered to meet the criteria to be identified as an NDHA. The case officer concluded that the scheme was in accord with the policies in the NPPF, the Lewisham Local Plan and the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990.
If you are looking to make alterations to a listed building, Non-designated Heritage Asset, or a building within a conservation area, Fuller Long can assist with both planning permission and listed building consent for your scheme. To speak with one of our experienced team of planning and heritage consultants, please call us on 0808 164 1288 or email us at hello@fullerlong.com.
