CH1 Development Affecting Listed Buildings and Structures Policy
Development likely to affect a building or structure listed under Section 1 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 will be permitted where:
(i) the proposals are of a nature and scale appropriate to retaining the character and design of the building or structure and its setting; and
(ii) adequate provision is made for the preservation of the special architectural or historic features of the building or structure.
When granting consent, special regard will be given to matters of detailed design, to the nature, quality and type of materials proposed to be used, and to the need for the alteration or development proposed, in terms of securing the viable, long-term future of the building or structure.
Reasoned justification :
11.3 Listed Buildings are buildings recognised to possess special architectural or historic interest which it is especially desirable to preserve. They are formally "Listed" under a national registration scheme approved by the Secretary of State for National Heritage. Wirral has over 1,600 such buildings or structures. Ten list entries are of Grade 1 or outstanding interest, eighteen of Grade II* and another six hundred and fifty-four are listed as Grade II. Once "Listed" a building is subject to additional controls, beyond normal planning powers, which are designed to ensure that the structure and character of the buildings are not altered without specific written consent.
11.4 The Local Planning Authority are under a legal duty to pay special regard to the desirability of preserving a Listed Building and its setting, as well as any of the features of special or historic interest that it may possess. Policy CH1, therefore, sets out criteria by which development affecting a Listed Building or structure will be assessed. The objective of Policy CH1 is to ensure that development will only be permitted where its nature and scale are consistent with retaining an appropriate setting for the building and are compatible with retaining its historic or architectural interest.
11.5 Policy CH1 also indicates the matters to which the Local Planning Authority will pay special regard when granting planning consent. These primarily relate to measures which are required in order to ensure that any new development will be in keeping with the fabric and setting of the building, but also relate to practical considerations related to the effective preservation of the building in the longer term. As the key to the effective preservation of many Listed Buildings is to keep them in active use, Policy CH1 provides for instances where the changes or alterations proposed are necessary or desirable in order to secure an appropriate and viable long-term use for the building.