There is a wide range of organizations happy to give advice on all aspects of owning and caring for historic buildings. Many publish leaflets and guidance notes on specific issues, others offer practical courses and events.

Conservation Organisations

The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings

offer excellent technical advice on all aspects of maintaining historic buildings, publish a series of guidance notes for repair works and run home-owners’ courses and other events nationwide. The SPAB is primarily concerned with buildings pre-dating 1714.

Telephone: 020 7377 1644 (Switchboard)

Telephone: 020 7456 0916 (technical advice line, 9.30am-12.30)

The Georgian Group

publish a series of advisory leaflets aimed at the house owner for buildings dated between 1714 and 1837.

Telephone: 020 7387 1720

The Victorian Society

publish a series of illustrated booklets - Care for Victorian Houses – for owners of Victorian and Edwardian houses, as well as organize events nationwide. The website includes an advice section for frequently asked questions.

Telephone: 020 8994 1019

Building Conservation

This online source publishes excellent articles on all aspects of historic building conservation; practical, legislative and theoretical. Also, information on publications, courses and events.

Period Property UK

A useful website offering advice to owners of historic buildings; particularly useful are the Discussion Forum, Agony Uncle and Information sections.

The Institution of Historic Building Conservation

organise an extensive range of short courses aimed primarily at educating craftsmen and contractors in specialist conservation fields.

Government Departments and Agencies

English Heritage

An excellent source of a wide range of practical and informative advice concerning Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and Historic Parks and Gardens.

Telephone: 020 7973 3000 (Switchboard)

Telephone: 0870 333 1181 (Customer Services for leaflet requests)

And their Listed Buildings Information Service can advise on whether or not a building is listed, and can provide copies of the list description.

Telephone: 020 7208 8221

Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)

DCMS is the government department responsible for the identification, conservation, enhancement of the historic environment, under whom English Heritage operate.

DCMS is also responsible for the compilation and maintaining of the Statutory Lists – for information in this respect go to the English Heritage webpage on listing buildings.

Department of Communities and Local Government

publishes Planning Policy Guidance Note 15 – Planning and the Historic Environment, the Government’s guidance to ourselves as the Local Planning Authority regarding both the formulation of our Local Development Plan and the consideration of individual applications. Annex contains Guidance on Alterations to Listed Buildings.

Legislation

Office of Public Sector Information

publishes the two statutory instruments relating to planning and the historic environment, the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990.

Professionals, Contractors, Products and Suppliers

Please be aware that the Council as a Local Planning Authority can neither endorse nor recommend any individual professional, contractor, product or service.

Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors

co-ordinates an accreditation scheme, and publishes a list in this respect, for Chartered Surveyors in Historic Building Conservation. Organises training events for building professionals.

Telephone: 020 7222 7000

Royal Institute of British Architects

can give details of Chartered Architects in this region.

Telephone: 020 7580 5533

Telephone: 01892 515878 (South East Branch)

Building Conservation

This online directory of products and services includes a large section on historic building professionals ranging from architects to surveyors, historians to structural engineers, as well as specialist products and contracts.

Other Sites Of Interest

Images Of England

An online directory of the National Monuments Record’s digital library of photographs and list descriptions of every listed building in England.

If you require any further general advice about listed buildings or conservation areas please contact our Planning Enquiries Team on 01233 330264 or via email.

For detailed advice on works to particular listed buildings please contact one of the Conservation Officers on either 01233 330729 or 01233 330739.