repairs and caring for your listed building

Am I responsible for repairs to my listed building?

Owners of listed buildings are responsible for the repair and maintenance of their property, just like the owners of any other buildings.

For information about how to make repairs to and care for your listed building please read Scotland’s Listed Buildings, Maintaining Your Home  and Looking After Sash and Case Windows which contain essential information on caring for your building.

Will grant money be available?

Historic Scotland and local authorities may provide grants to owners of listed buildings to help with repairs and maintenance. The following grants are available:

• Building Repair Grants Scheme
  - covers grants for the repair and conservation of listed buildings.
  
  
• Repair Grants for Places of Worship
  - run in partnership with the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), this scheme provides grant-aid for urgent repairs to listed Places of Worship.
  
  
• Historic Environment Regeneration Fund
  - this fund is used to provide support for area-based conservation initiatives.
  
  
• Local authority grants
  - Local authorities may award grants to assist with the repair of historic buildings and buildings in conservation areas. They may also award grants for improvements and repairs to existing houses or for converting buildings for use as houses. Your local authority will be able to advise on the availability of these grants.
  
  

Historic Scotland has also recently established City Heritage Trusts in Aberdeen, Dundee, Inverness and Stirling, as well as helping to fund the Edinburgh World Heritage Trust and grant giving Trusts in Glasgow. All of these bodies provide grants to owners for the repair and maintenance of historic properties in these cities. Please contact the relevant local authority for more details.

Won't this make the upkeep of the house more expensive?

Although traditional materials can be more expensive, this is not necessarily true. Where the use of particular traditional materials is required, these are often likely to last significantly longer than modern materials, will save you the cost often incurred by the consequences of having used modern materials on a traditionally built house, and are usually more sustainable.

What will happen if I don't repair my listed building?

If you fail to keep a listed building in a reasonable state of repair, the planning authority may serve a Repairs Notice. If you fail to comply with this notice the planning authority, with the consent of the Scottish Ministers, may be entitled to acquire it through compulsory purchase.

If you deliberately neglect the building to justify its demolition and redevelopment of the site, the planning authority can buy the building at a price which excludes the value of the land for redevelopment.

Planning authorities are able to undertake urgent works to preserve an unoccupied listed building (or unoccupied parts of an occupied listed building), provided that the owner is given seven days notice of the intention. The cost of these urgent works can be reclaimed from the owner.

Who do I go to for advice about what is appropriate?

Contact the planning authority if you are unsure about any procedures that concern a listed building. They will be able to give you guidance on listed building policies and what will be appropriate for your building.

Who can I go to for practical advice?

If you have a technical question or are having problems finding contractors or suppliers of conservation and heritage products and services, contact our free technical helpline for advice on 0131 668 8668, email Technical Conservation Group or visit Conservation,Repair and Maintenance.

We also have a number of conservation architects who can offer advice on particular problems. There are a large number of technical publications produced by Historic Scotland dealing with repair and maintenance techniques. Many of these publications are free, for more information call 0131 668 8638.