Grade 2 listed houses - new front doors

I am a tenant of bartholomew street and the local housing office are renewing doors on estates. There is nothing wrong with my front door and the leaflet I had posted to me showed doors that were completely out of character for a Grade 2 listed terrace of Georgian dwellings. Looking like cheap plywood painted doors with a letter box about 20" from the floor, in a variety of colours.

My neighbour gave me a number from the company and when I phoned I had great difficulty in making myself understood and understanding him as he was not from these shores.

I have looked at english heritage site and it said to ring the local authority, rather than the call centre that the switchboard has become can anyone point me in the right direction?

Plus we are not part of the Lawson Estate that are having these doors on!

Southwark Housing major Works Team not paying attention?
Shocking!

Not my field of expertise, Jan, but they'd need listed building consent to replace your front door. And that would usually only be allowed if it was past repair, and even then only on a like-for-like basis - same material and design as the original.

For Southwark advice see
http://www.southwark.gov.uk/info/200023/design_conservation_and_archaeology/595/listed_buildings_and_buildings_at_risk/2

It gives a direct phone number for advice from a duty planner as 020 7525 5438 - I don't know if it works!

When we had major works they kept my current door and put some fire resistant stuff in the middle, which I preferred as our door is actually quite solid and the replacement ones didn't seem as good. Perhaps you should request this? (You should also speak to planning as well of course).

Jan, I advise you to write directly to the Head of Housing, Richard Livingstone([email protected]).

Be sure to CC all three of your Councillors as well as English heritage.

Then email again your Councillors separately and ask them to intervene on behalf of you and your neighbours.

Given that we are only a few weeks away from the General Elections, it wouldn't hurt to CC Simon Hughes as well.

I suggest you demand that the replacement doors be specially made to resemble the ones they are replacing, and that they use a similar outer finish (otherwise you just get an anonymous 'off the peg' door).

Tell Livingstone that you will not allow a new door to be fitted unless it is of a design that is appropriate for your home.

Also, lobby your fellow residents and get them to also send their objections. This is vital: the more of you there are who are willing to fight this, the more seriously you will be taken.

Best wishes!

Jules62 wrote:

Jan, I advise you to write directly to the Head of Housing, Richard Livingstone(Richard.Livingstone@southwark.gov.uk).
Be sure to CC all three of your Councillors as well as English heritage. ....

Don't bother with English Heritage, listing is local and responsibility for consent to alterations to listed buildings lies with Southwark Council.

By the way, Jan, when I replied earlier I assumed when you said 'front door' you meant an external, street door - listed building consent would be needed to replace that.

If you mean the door of a flat within a listed building, unless it's part of the original fittings of the house it is unlikely to be protected, and you'll need to follow some of the advice given by others. (I live in a similar situation, and the landlords recently fireproofed all the flat doors.)

Thank you everyone for your kind replies. I really should have said external street door. When we moved in no one was permitted to have a different coloured door and initially no visible telephone line! When a neighbour had a break in many moons ago the council put in a temporary flat plywood door that was changed to a solid wooden panelled one. Come to think of it the temporary door looked like the one the contractors want to use! Will do as suggested.. Thank you all again.😊😊

That terrace looks very nice: it would be a real shame if the wrong doors were fitted there.

Thanks for the pic, Jules62.

The windows have obviously been altered, but I'm pretty sure those fine doors will be protected by the listing.

As Southwark's own website says:
'Works to the interior or exterior of a listed building must be authorised through granting listed building consent. It is a criminal offence to carry out works to a listed building without prior listed building consent.'

And Southwark Council can't give even its own Housing Dept listed building consent without public consultation.

The Housing Dept can't simply override the law - but they are probably not even aware of it!