Widworthy Court, Wilmington, Honiton, Devon EX14 9JN
This is the first thing SOANE prepares on every project: a short, plain-English report on your building, what protects it, and what your plans would need. Below is a real example, for a Grade II listed house in East Devon.
Want one for your building? It starts with a short call with Giles.
Shared with the owner's permission, so you can see exactly what you would receive. Every building is different — yours is written for yours alone.
“Alterations to the existing roof form to achieve greater visual symmetry with the corresponding elevation, incorporating insertion of new windows at parapet level, together with associated internal works.”
Decided by East Devon District Council
Everything else is measured against these few lines: which permissions are needed, what the council will look at, and what could go wrong. Get it clear early, and every later step is quicker and cheaper.
Briefs almost always move as the building is understood. That is normal. But the more detail you give at the start, the sharper everything after it becomes.
Changing the roof of a Grade II listed house needs two separate permissions and a careful case for why the change is right. None of that is a reason to stop — it is a list of things to get right, in the right order.
The house is on the official national list of protected buildings, at Grade II. We check that at the source — Historic England's own register — never from memory.
Three other kinds of protection might also apply here. We flag them rather than guess — each is checked before any design work starts, because each can add rules of its own.
The grade on the National Heritage List for England (NHLE) is II, matching the grade supplied by the applicant — no discrepancy. The date of last amendment is not recorded on the NHLE.
The building dates to the 1830s and has been converted to multiple residential apartments; this subdivision and any prior consents should be confirmed as part of the heritage assessment.
The official list entry, including the architectural description that defines the building's significance, should be read in full at source before any application is finalised.
Two separate permissions, both from East Devon District Council. Doing this kind of work to a listed building without consent is a criminal offence — so this is settled before anything is drawn.
Needed because changing the roof and adding windows alters the character of a listed building.
Alterations to the roof form and insertion of new windows at parapet level constitute works affecting the character of a listed building under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, s.7, making Listed Building Consent a legal requirement.
Needed because the outside of the house would look different — and listed buildings don't get the usual freedom to make changes without asking.
Alterations to the external roof form and insertion of new windows constitute a material change to the external appearance of the building and are not permitted development for a listed building, so full planning permission is required.
Historic England — Good Practice Advice Note 2
Sets out the method for assessing significance and the impact of works on listed buildings, including roof and window alterations.
Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, s.7
Makes it a criminal offence to carry out works affecting the character of a listed building without Listed Building Consent.
The council will judge the plans by what makes this house special. The roof is one of the most important parts of its character — so changing it is possible, but it has to be done carefully and explained well.
The roof is a primary character-defining element of a Grade II listed 1830s country mansion; alterations to its form risk harming the building's architectural integrity and aesthetic significance. New window insertions at parapet level introduce elements not part of the original design and must be demonstrated to be subordinate, reversible and sympathetic to historic fabric. Without robust justification and high-quality design, the works carry a real risk of causing harm to significance, which would have to be weighed against the public benefits of the proposal.
That is exactly what the first call is for. Tell Giles what you have in mind, and he will tell you what your appraisal would need to answer.
Five questions still need answering before design starts. None of them is unusual; they are the groundwork every listed building needs. Here is what is missing, and exactly what SOANE does about it.
There is no measured drawing or photographic record of the existing roof yet. The design can't be tested without one.
No formal Statement of Heritage Significance exists yet. The council will expect one.
No Heritage Impact Assessment yet — the document that shows the design avoids or keeps harm to a minimum.
Not yet confirmed. If it is, that adds rules of its own.
The house was converted into apartments. Those earlier permissions may carry conditions that affect what can be done now.
An accurate survey of the roof
No historic building record or measured survey of the existing roof has been supplied. A measured survey and photographic record of the existing roof form, parapet and adjacent elevations is required before design options can be properly assessed.
A statement of what makes it special
No formal assessment of significance in accordance with Historic England's Conservation Principles (2008) and Good Practice Advice Note 2 has been provided. It must be prepared by a suitably qualified professional to underpin the Heritage Impact Assessment.
An assessment of the impact
No Heritage Impact Assessment has been submitted. One is required to demonstrate how the proposed works have been designed to avoid or minimise harm to significance, and to justify any residual harm against public benefit.
Whether it's in a conservation area
It has not been confirmed whether Widworthy Court or its grounds fall within a designated conservation area. East Devon District Council's mapping and the National Heritage List for England should be checked, as conservation area designation would impose additional consent requirements.
What earlier permissions allowed
The conversion of the mansion to apartments may have been subject to earlier Listed Building Consent and planning conditions. These must be reviewed to ensure the proposed works do not conflict with existing consent conditions or approved drawings.
Measured survey
SOANE arranges a measured survey and photographic record of the roof, parapet and affected walls.
What makes it special, and the impact
SOANE prepares the Statement of Heritage Significance and the Heritage Impact Assessment, to Historic England's published method.
Early advice from the council
SOANE asks East Devon's conservation officer for pre-application advice — testing the principle before full applications are prepared.
Confirm the other protections
SOANE checks the council's maps for conservation area, National Landscape and wildlife designations, and builds any extra requirements into the programme.
Check earlier permissions
SOANE gathers every earlier permission for the conversion and confirms nothing stands in the way.
Prepare and submit both applications
Once the council's early feedback is in, SOANE prepares and submits both applications together — with the Heritage Impact Assessment, the Design and Access Statement and the building record.
SOANE does the heritage, design and application work. For this roof, two specialists join the team — SOANE briefs them and coordinates them for you.
Structural engineer
Makes sure changing the roof is structurally safe and won't damage old fabric.
Conservation roofer
A contractor who knows traditional roofing materials and methods, so the specification is right for a listed building.
This appraisal is the first of four steps. Every SOANE project follows the same four, so you always know where you are and what comes next.
Your first step. We confirm what the building is, what protects it, and what you want to do — the brief everything else is built on.
We research the building properly and write down what makes it special, so every decision after this stands on firm ground.
We design the changes, set out exactly what is involved, and show how they affect the building — before anyone applies for anything.
We prepare and submit the applications, then see the work through: technical design, the builders on site, the finished rooms.
Every SOANE project begins the same way: a conversation with Giles about your building and what you want from it. Then an appraisal, written for your building alone.
Prepared by SOANE Architects Ltd
Giles Paul Shorter · RIBA Chartered Architect · ARB Registered · RIBA Conservation Registrant
An illustrative worked example, shared with the owner's permission to show the format and depth of a Preliminary Planning and Heritage Appraisal. Its findings are specific to this building and to the brief and information available at the time. It is not advice for any other property.