Do you own or lease a listed or historically sensitive building in Bath that you are remodelling, extending or maintaining? 

If you are looking for someone to design a suitable and sensitive extension or for advice about planning permission and listed building consent then you have come to the right place. We provide specialist advice surrounding the alteration, repair, enlargement or change of use associated of historically sensitive buildings in Bath and beyond.

Do you need advice about a problem with your listed building?

If you own or rent a historic building in Bath and have specific issues or defects we are able to provide a defect analysis recommending further investigation, recording defects or repair methodology. We usually carryout an initial survey based on an hourly inspection rate. If this service sounds suitable please call our offices on 01225789307 and they will arrange for an inspector to visit the property.

Why are we different to other heritage architectural consultants?

Our multidisciplinary team is made up of professionals with varying skills. We have a unique practical surveying, engineering and architectural approach and have a wide variety of experience working on several different types of project, Including Grade I listed buildings in Bath. Our team are experts at negotiating with conservation officers and have a wide knowledge of the planning and conservation framework. We actively monitor our application and liaise with the conservation department within your local authority to ensure a proactive approach. Our current staff includes a conservation focused architect, an architectural technologist with a conservation masters degree and an architectural assistant with a conservation masters degree.

We are usually able to produce all of the required planning documentation in house including, statements of significance, architectural detailing, design & access statements, schedules of repair and specialist defect reports.

How did you get your experience?

Our experience was developed from working within the historically sensitive World heritage City of Bath and from our Clifton office in the predominantly Georgian area of Bristol City. We have often applied our experience across the wider South West including sensitive barn conversions in the Wiltshire and Mendip areas. Our staff have also studied Masters level conservation modules at local universities, lectured at Bath University and studied under retired Conservation Architect Peter Johnston.

Planning to alter or extend a listed building in a way that could affect its character? 

Most people are not aware that unauthorised works to a listed building is a criminal offence and you can be prosecuted, fortunately WBC can arrange all of the required consents for you and advise on what alterations may be considered acceptable.

You are required by law to apply for listed building consent from your local authority. Listed buildings are usually given a grading based on their significance, WBC has working knowledge and experience working with all grades including Grade I and II*.

You can’t extend listed buildings, right?

Wrong! If suitable you can sometimes extend listed buildings especially if there are elements of improvement that can be made on the original building, however it is of the up most importance that you employ a designer or surveyor in Bath with the correct knowledge.

We have a large portfolio of designs in both traditional and contemporary styles in Bath. Site dependant the design response is often balanced on the clients requirements, the setting and BANES advice. We are able to design projects in rural settings for to extend listed farm houses, barn conversions, or even urban extensions to listed properties.

How long does the process of Listed Building approval take?

Although the application process itself only takes 8 weeks (the same as planning consent), the design team will need to assemble the required research and information, usually there is a large number of drawings and information required to register the application, far in excess of a normal planning application. We also usually recommend that a pre application submission is made to BANES prior to making the formal application. The process could take around 4-6 months to get a permission in place, especially where conditions are applied to the consent.

Buying a Listed Building or Historic Property?

Commissioning a full Building Survey opposed to a homebuyers report or valuation is vital. Purchasing your home or commercial property is probably the biggest outlay you are ever going to make, listed buildings are much more likely to have serious defects and a RICS full building survey will help to reduce, or inform you about, some of the unknown risks involved.

Our RICS Building Surveyors in Bath carryout surveys for a variety of properties both residential and commercial. This service may also be required when applying for listed building consent or a similar schedule of repairs.

Should you get a survey of your existing property before refurbishing it?

A listed building condition survey is a perfect start to planning your refurbishment, it will help identify defects and prioritise them with planned maintenance. As a complimentary service it will inform our architectural team of what out remedial works may need to be applied for.

Why should you use our Building Surveyors over other practices?

Our clients are people not numbers, we are not in the business of volume surveys, we provide quality bespoke surveys, market leading upfront information and explanations tailored to your needs. We can tailor our survey to investigate specific issues during our survey and can review options for restoration and extension to your needs.

We provide an unrivalled after service, we will call you after the survey to discuss any major issues identified, our surveys contain an approximation of the costs involved to bring the property up to a reasonable standard.

Our after service can also include firming up costs with a quantity surveyor, drawing up of a schedule of work and project administration for the repairs.

Please call 01225789307 to arrange a survey view our T&Cs and book in a survey.

Mark Wiltshire BSc (Hons) GradDip MCIAT