Making an application

In Letchworth Garden City many of the properties are either Leasehold or Freehold. This means that alterations affecting the external appearance of a property require the prior consent of the Heritage Foundation. We deal with a range of requests for consent, from replacement windows to running a business from home. The conditions that are often included in a document, called the 'Scheme of Management', also cover a number of other areas, including the removal of trees'.

Is your neighbour making an application? Often we invite the views of neighbours before making a decision on a request for consent from the Heritage Foundation, plans of these works can be viewed here. Plans can also often be viewed on the North Hertfordshire District Council's website.

For details of improvements that require consent, please read the Do I need Consent page.

Making your application

You should apply direct to the Heritage Foundation for Landlord's consent:

The application should contain full details of the proposals, application fee (as appropriate) and two copies of drawings showing the proposals. Clear and accurate drawings will be needed so that we can give proper consideration to your application. It is helpful if some types of application contain either a supporting statement or further information such as for replacement windows and doors and proposals involving the loss of garaging or parking spaces.

The fees

In recent years, the number of applications received by the Heritage Foundation from Letchworth Garden City residents to alter their Garden City properties, has steadily increased. Accordingly, all applications received by the Heritage Foundation are now subject to the payment of a fee. Income generated through these charges will help to offset administration costs and, moreover, be used to fund grants to further improve the Garden City.

Residential

1. For minor applications including garden sheds, fencing, replacement windows and doors, satellite dishes, re-roofing, driveways, and front paving - No Charge.
2. For major works such as extensions (including porches and front canopies), demolitions, garages, solar panels, loft or garage conversions, new windows in the roof, balconies, outbuildings, caravan/boat storage, changes of use, conservatories and any application where the area of the property is to be altered or rebuilt in any way - £33.00 plus VAT @17.5% (£38.78).
3. For applications for new dwellings - £109 plus VAT @17.5% (£128.08)

Retrospective Applications

Retrospective applications for major works listed above, the fee level will be 150% of the usual fee.

Fees to the Heritage Foundation must accompany each application and should be paid by cheque only, made payable to 'LGCHF'. In the event that your application to the Heritage Foundation is refused, you will not be required to pay a further fee for a revised application, provided you submit the amended scheme within six months of the initial decision.

The application process

We have drawn up a Design Guide, in conjunction with North Hertfordshire District Council, to help us deal with applications for consent to carry out works in Letchworth. This outlines the criteria for granting consent. However, it must be stressed that each application will be assessed on its individual merits.

Applications take about 6-8 weeks to deal with and are often submitted in parallel with a planning application to the North Hertfordshire District Council. It is often possible to deal with some applications quicker. Similar to the Council, we charge a modest fee, and often notify neighbours and advertise applications in the local paper, 'The Comet'. If applications meet the criteria in the Design Guide and no objections are received we can, often quickly, issue a decision. If they don't meet the Design Guide or we receive objections, the applications are considered by the Board of Management. The Board of Management are Trustees of the Foundation, who meet once a month to consider the applications and other matters.

The Advisory Management Committee

If an application is refused by the Board of Management then the applicant has the right to ask for the decision to be reviewed by the Advisory Management Committee, which convenes on a quarterly basis. Click here to download a leaflet explaining the role of the Advisory Management Committee.

Planning Permission and Heritage Foundation Consent

One of the more frequent enquires we receive relate to the difference between Heritage Foundation consent and planning permission from North Hertfordshire District Council. Many of the considerations are the same such as effect on appearance of the property and impact on the Garden City. This explains why our decision letters are similarly based to those given by the Council. There are, however, a number of distinct differences.

North Hertfordshire District Council has statutory planning powers and is guided by national planning policy. Its primary consideration is the development plan, which is made up of the local plan and structure plan.

The Heritage Foundation is acting as landlord and is guided by the objective to preserve the standards of appearance and amenity in the Garden City Estate. The primary consideration in doing this is the 'Design Guide'.

The Heritage Foundation, therefore, can look at a wider and more locally based set of considerations than the local planning authority. For example, the Heritage Foundation can consider loss of view, loss of light, property devaluation, the amenity of individual residents, individual amenity requirements such as retaining pedestrian access into rear gardens, individual property rights, retention of garage spaces, fear of crime... Often these cannot be taken into account by the local planning authority.

The Architectural Heritage Advisory Group

Architectural matters in the world's first Garden City are monitored by an advisory group that was set up in 1990. The Architectural Heritage Advisory Group was set up to promote the preservation of the architectural heritage of the town. It is based on a close collaboration between the North Herts District Council, the Heritage Foundation and acknowledged LGC expert Dr Mervyn Miller.

The group is made up of District Council and Foundation representatives, the curators of the two museums, a representative of the Letchworth Garden City Society and Dr. Miller. The chairman is Paul Palmer, a member of the Heritage Foundation's Board of Management and a local archaeologist. The group, which meets bi-monthly, has a wide remit under its preservation aims. It defines the standards to be preserved, monitors architectural changes and through information and education, helps residents, architects and builders to be architecturally 'tuned.'

The group has considered alterations to the town's Conservation areas and also made recommendations to the District Council and Heritage Foundation on proposals for major new buildings in the town, instituted architectural award schemes and given a voice on environmental issues. Recently,the Architectural Heritage Advisory Group commented on the architectural impact of the new church in Norton Way North and suggested new initiatives to generally promote the architectural heritage of the town.