The Building Conservation Directory 2015

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PROFESS IONAL SERV I CES
the railway station and the Bradford spur of
the Leeds Liverpool Canal. The area eventually
became known as Little Germany.
The area was developed fairly rapidly
during the 1860s and 1870s and the
architectural character therefore has an
unusual uniformity of colour, style and
function. Despite this, the majority of the
buildings were built individually and have
unique features, expressing the status and
wealth of those who commissioned them.
This townscape is harmonious in size, scale,
texture and colour, enlivened by eclectic
detailing. The office (or chambers) and
warehouse buildings of Little Germany are
generally in a neoclassical Italian Palazzo
style, using local, honey-coloured sandstone.
Around 50 of them are listed.
As with any new powers, there was initially
some uncertainty about how an LLBCO could
help Bradford’s aspirations for the area, but
during 2013 English Heritage and the city
council worked together to explore how this
could be done to allay developers’ fears that
LBC can be an obstacle to change. An LLBCO
came to be seen as a potentially very useful
tool for unlocking listed buildings which were
vacant, under-occupied and in need of new
investment. With the help of Little Germany
Action (a community organisation which
promotes the interests of the area’s businesses
and residents) English Heritage prepared a
draft LLBCO covering Little Germany and
consenting the necessary changes to bring
these buildings back into beneficial reuse.
The order recognises the differing
degrees of significance of the external and
internal elements of the buildings covered
and is appropriately conditioned to ensure
that elements of the highest significance,
including principal street elevations,
staircases, entrances, corridors and rooms,
including fixtures, fittings and decorative
features, are afforded the highest degrees of
protection. It is vital that the order is based
on this understanding so that it strikes the
right balance between facilitating change and
protecting what is special.
At the time of writing, officers were
preparing to gain the city council’s approval to
start consultation on the making of an LLBCO
for Little Germany, which could be in place by
the spring of 2015. English Heritage and the
city council will engage with the development
community to explain how the LLBCO will
simplify and speed up the approval process
and so help bring the buildings of Little
Germany back into use.
English Heritage is also working with
Maldon District Council on an LBHPA for
Stow Maries in Essex, the most complete
World War I airfield in Britain where an
LBHPA will facilitate a programme of repairs
by volunteers to the Grade II* listed huts.
The introduction of heritage partnership
agreements granting LBC or scheduled
monument consent was the subject of the 2013
public consultation on improvements to the
Welsh heritage system, and were generally well
received. A Welsh heritage bill is scheduled
for introduction to the National Assembly for
Wales in spring 2015. There don’t appear to be
any plans to follow this approach in Scotland
or Northern Ireland.
Further Information
Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act
2013 (ERR)
ukpga/2013/24/contents/enacted
Government guide to ERR
enterprise-and-regulatory-reform-act-2013-
a-guide
Heritage reforms in ERR
protection/heritage-protection-reform/
creating-an-efficient-system
ERR case studies
err-act-case-studies
Regulations for listed building heritage
partnership agreements (LBHPAs)
contents/made
EH advice note on drawing up LBHPAs
eh-good-practice-advice-note-drawing-
up-listed-building-heritage-partnership-
agreement
Regulations for local listed building consent
orders (LLBCOs)
contents/made
EH advice note on drawing up LLBCOs
eh-good-practice-advice-note-drawing-up-
local-listed-building-consent-order
EH briefing note for national listed building
consent orders (NLBCOs)
notes-listed-building-consent-orders
Canal and River Trust NLBCO
canalrivertrust.org.uk/about-us/heritage/
national-listed-building-consent-order
SARAH BUCKINGHAM MSc DipTP MRTPI
FSA works in the Government Advice
Team of English Heritage on reform of
heritage protection systems. Originally an
archaeologist, she has worked in planning
and conservation in local authorities and at
English Heritage for over 25 years.
RICHARD MORRICE PhD IHBC FSA is the
senior better heritage protection adviser
at English Heritage, developing EH’s Good
Practice Advice to complement the NPPF and
PPG, with policy responsibility for setting
issues. He is chairman of Canterbury DAC
and for many years was inspector of historic
buildings covering Kent and East Sussex. He
is also treasurer of the IHBC.
CRAIG BROADWITH BA DipProfPracArch
PGCertHeritMan is English Heritage’s historic
places adviser for Yorkshire. He works with
communities, parishes, local authorities and
regional bodies advising on the conservation
and promotion of the historic environment.
Previously he was principal conservation
officer for Sheffield City Council.
Stow Maries in Essex, the most complete World War I airfield in Britain: a listed building heritage partnership agreement will facilitate a programme of repairs by
volunteers to the Grade II* listed huts.