Part I Listed Buildings

Chapter II Authorisation of Works Affecting Listed Buildings

Control of works in respect of listed buildings

6 Restriction on works affecting listed buildings.

Subject to the following provisions of this Act, no person shall execute or cause to be executed any works for the demolition of a listed building or for its alteration or extension in any manner which would affect its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest, unless the works are authorised.

7 Authorisation of works: listed building consent.

(1)

Works for the alteration or extension of a listed building are authorised if—

(a)

the planning authority or the Secretary of State has granted written consent for the execution of the works, and

(b)

the works are executed in accordance with the terms of the consent and of any conditions attached to it.

(2)

Works for the demolition of a listed building are authorised if—

(a)

such consent has been granted for their execution,

(b)

notice of the proposal to execute the works has been given to F1Historic Environment Scotland ,

(c)

after such notice has been given either—

(i)

for a period of at least 3 months following the grant of listed building consent, and before the commencement of the works, reasonable access to the building has been made available to F2Historic Environment Scotland for the purpose of recording it, or

F3(ii)

Historic Environment Scotland has stated in writing that it has completed its recording of that building or that it does not wish to record it, and

(d)

the works are executed in accordance with the terms of the consent and of any conditions attached to it.

(3)

Where—

(a)

works for the alteration, extension or demolition of a listed building have been executed without such consent, and

(b)

written consent is granted by the planning authority or the Secretary of State for the retention of the works,

the works are authorised from the grant of that consent.

F4(4)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(5)

The Secretary of State may by order provide that subsection (2) shall have effect with the substitution for the reference to F5Historic Environment Scotland of a reference to such other body as may be so specified.

(6)

Such an order shall apply in the case of works executed or to be executed on or after such date as may be specified in the order.

(7)

Consent under subsection (1), (2) or (3) is referred to in this Act as “listed building consent”.

8 Offences.

(1)

If a person contravenes section 6 he shall be guilty of an offence.

(2)

Without prejudice to subsection (1), if a person executing or causing to be executed any works in relation to a listed building under a listed building consent fails to comply with any condition attached to the consent, he shall be guilty of an offence.

(3)

In proceedings for an offence under this section it shall be a defence to prove the following matters—

(a)

that works to the building were urgently necessary in the interests of safety or health or for the preservation of the building,

(b)

that it was not practicable to secure safety or health or, as the case may be, the preservation of the building by works of repair or works for affording temporary support or shelter,

(c)

that the works carried out were limited to the minimum measures immediately necessary, and

(d)

that notice in writing justifying in detail the carrying out of the works was given to the planning authority as soon as reasonably practicable.

(4)

A person guilty of an offence under this section shall be liable—

(a)

on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or a fine not exceeding F6£50,000 , or both, or

(b)

on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years or a fine, or both.

(5)

In determining the amount of any fine to be imposed on a person convicted of an offence under this section, the court shall in particular have regard to any financial benefit which has accrued or appears likely to accrue to him in consequence of the offence.

Appeals

18 Right to appeal against decision or failure to take decision.

(1)

Where a planning authority—

(a)

refuse an application for listed building consent or grant it subject to conditions,

(b)

refuse an application for variation or discharge of conditions subject to which such consent has been granted or grant it and add new conditions, or

(c)

refuse an application for approval required by a condition imposed on the granting of listed building consent with respect to details of works or grant it subject to conditions,

the applicant, if he is aggrieved by the decision, may appeal to the Secretary of State.

(2)

A person who has made such an application may also appeal to the Secretary of State if the planning authority have F26not

(a)

given notice to the applicant of their decision on the application, F27...

F28(aa)

given notice to the applicant that they have exercised their power under section 10A to decline to determine the application, or

(b)

in the case of such an application as is mentioned in subsection (1)(a) or (b), given notice to the applicant that the application has been referred to the Secretary of State in accordance with directions given under section 11,

within the relevant period from the date of the receipt of the application or within such extended period as may at any time be agreed upon in writing between the applicant and the authority.

(3)

In this section “the relevant period” means—

(a)

in the case of such an application as is mentioned in subsection (1)(a) or (b), such period as may be prescribed, and

(b)

in the case of such an application for approval as is mentioned in subsection (1)(c), the period of two months from the date of the receipt of the application.

(4)

For the purposes of the application of sections 20(1) and 58(7)(a) in relation to an appeal under subsection (2), the authority shall be treated as having refused the application in question.

19 Appeals: supplementary provisions.

(1)

An appeal under section 18 must be made by notice served in the prescribed manner within such period as may be prescribed.

(2)

The period which may be prescribed under subsection (1) must not be less than—

(a)

in the case of an appeal under section 18(1), 28 days from the receipt by the applicant of notification of the decision, or

(b)

in the case of an appeal under section 18(2), 28 days from the end of the relevant period within the meaning of that section or, as the case may be, the extended period there mentioned.

(3)

The notice of appeal may include as the ground or one of the grounds of the appeal a claim that the building is not of special architectural or historic interest and ought to be removed from any list compiled or approved by F29Historic Environment Scotland under section 1.

(4)

In the case of a building in respect of which a building preservation notice is in force, the notice may include a claim that the building should not be included in such a list.

(5)

Regulations may provide that an appeal in respect of an application for listed building consent, or for the variation or discharge of conditions subject to which such consent has been granted, shall not be entertained unless it is accompanied by a certificate in the prescribed form as to the interests in the building to which the appeal relates.

(6)

Any such regulations may include provisions corresponding to those which may be included in regulations under section 10 by virtue of section 10(2).

(7)

If any person—

(a)

issues a certificate which purports to comply with the requirements of regulations made by virtue of subsection (5) or (6) and which contains a statement which he knows to be false or misleading in a material particular, or

(b)

recklessly issues a certificate which purports to comply with those requirements and which contains a statement which is false or misleading in a material particular,

he shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.

20 Determination of appeals.

(1)

The Secretary of State may allow or dismiss an appeal under section 18, or may reverse or vary any part of the decision of the authority, whether or not the appeal relates to that part, and—

(a)

may deal with the application as if it had been made to him in the first instance, and

(b)

F30where the Scottish Ministers allow an appeal, they may direct Historic Environment Scotland to exercise its power under section 1 to amend the list compiled or approved under that section to give effect to their decision.

F31(2)

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(3)

The decision of the Secretary of State on the appeal shall be final.

(4)

Schedule 3 (which makes provision regarding the determination of certain appeals by a person appointed by the Secretary of State) applies to appeals under section 18.