YOUR VOICE IN PARLIAMENT
CAMPAIGNING TO REDUCE THE COST OF OWNERSHIP
The Club’s political campaign, which lobbies Government on behalf of owners, seeking a reduction of VAT on repair, maintenance and approved works, simplification of the planning process, a cut in Inheritance Tax and Insurance Premium Tax, energy efficiency support, opposing Listed Building Consent fees and growing building conservation skills.
Owners of listed properties have had some dreadful hits over the past years. We lost the VAT benefits in the 2012 budget, some owners are being pursued for chancel repairs, homes that were affected by recent floods are being offered little assistance and the grant system is virtually non-existent and yet we are still required, by law, to maintain our properties out of our own pocket, to the highest standard. Some politicians believe this is acceptable; it’s the price we pay for living in the homes that we choose.
When we lost the VAT benefits, churches were provided with extra funding to compensate, when English Heritage divided into two organisations £80 million of tax payers money was made available to bring certain buildings up-to-date and up to £5,000 was made available for each of 6,500 homes that suffered damage in the recent floods. (As the £1 billion cost of repairing the flood damage carried VAT, contributing £200 million to the government, a payment of £32.5 million seems rather insignificant).
We all agree this seems unbelievably unfair, but it is probably our own fault as we have never had representation in government to fight our corner. This has now all changed.
Working under the chairmanship of Lord Mackinlay of Richborough, we created the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Listed Properties to provide owners with a voice in Westminster, with similar organisations in Holyrood and the Senedd.
Now with over 100 MPs and Peers (and counting!), we are delighted that the APPG has more members in Parliament now than ever before.
We need your help
Our campaign is a grassroots movement that depends on its members. We need all our members to get involved in our efforts by writing letters to their MPs, attending our Parliamentary meetings and creating groups in their local area. This will force politicians at all levels to take listed property owners seriously and have a position on our issues. There are over 1.5 million people who are directly affected by listed buildings, a huge group of voters that is presently not being represented. The Club is the only organisation that is campaigning for owners and giving you a voice in Parliament.
As you can imagine this task is very expensive which is why we need your help. We’re not asking you for money but if you could give some thought to moving your home insurance to the Club’s providers they will pass an introductory fee back to us and it is this fee that will finance our efforts. As the policies they offer provide an exceptional combination of reasonable cost and comprehensive cover, it’s a true win/win situation.
If you would like to support us, talk to our insurance team on 01795 844939, or let us know your current policy’s renewal date by clicking HERE, and we’ll contact you at the appropriate time.
Please scroll down for detailed information on our Campaign for Owners. You can also contact our Campaign Officer on 01795 844939 and [email protected]
The campaign has now reached a seven-year milestone, and during those years, we have been tirelessly lobbying MPs and Ministers for changes to benefit you as listed building owners.
Listed buildings face a wide range of challenges, including both legislative inaction and regulatory issues. Get more information about the issues our campaign is focused on, and read our latest policy documents.
Our campaign guide explains our efforts to lobby government at the national, regional and local levels as well as the issues we are seeking reform on.
Click here to find out more on the latest news and updates for LPOC’s political campaign for owners, and have your say in our comments.
CAMPAIGN ISSUES
VAT RELIEF
The shock removal of the VAT exemption on listed building alterations in 2012 has had a huge impact on owners. The increase in costs led to an immediate drop in the number of owners carrying out approved works to their property. We are campaigning for a reduction of VAT on all repairs, maintenance and approved works to listed properties to make owning a listed building more affordable and ensure they are preserved for years to come.
LISTED BUILDING CONSENT
The present listed building consent process comes with long delays and high costs. It can take months to gain consent and often only after spending a significant sum to produce the supporting documents required. We are lobbying for a streamlined system that would be more proportional to the works being undertaken, and as a result would reduce red tape and improve efficiency.
COUNCIL RESOURCING
Local councils have faced major reductions in resources in the past decade which has hurt their ability to deliver a quality planning service. This has had a huge impact on listed building owners, who need to work with their local planning authority more frequently than any other type of property owner. We are campaigning for improved council funding, and ring-fenced resources for conservation officers and planning services.
CURTILAGE REFORM
The present listing system leaves many buildings in legal limbo, with no clear answer if they are protected or not. This can have a major impact on owners, often forcing them to assume all outbuildings and structures are listed and incurring significant costs to maintain and alter them. We are campaigning for enhanced listing to become cheaper and more widely available, providing owners with more certainty.
WILDLIFE SURVEYS
Over the past decade planning authorities have become increasingly stringent in their requests for wildlife surveys, particularly for listed buildings. This is a result of unclear legal guidance that leads councils to be overly cautious in their interpretation. We are asking for improved guidance to be issued to clarify where surveys are needed.
UNAUTHORISED ALTERATIONS
Unauthorised alterations made by previous owners are a major worry for all listed building owners. They can present a significant financial challenge when they are discovered no matter when they were made. We are campaigning for common sense reforms that would protect owners from being held responsible for previous unauthorised works.
Have you been struggling with any of these issues? Contact the club on 01795 844939 for advice and support.
You can share your story here, which helps us build evidence for change and put pressure on government.
ABOUT THE APPG
The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Listed Properties was created after tireless campaigning by The Listed Property Owners’ Club. Realising we needed a strong voice in Parliament speaking up for listed property owners we worked with sympathetic MPs from all parties to help establish the Group.
The APPG on Listed Properties exists to speak up for listed properties in the UK and raise awareness in Parliament of the role played by their owners in protecting the nation’s heritage; to advocate policies that support owners in preserving listed properties including tax and planning reform.
The Listed Property Owners’ Club acts as the Secretariat for the APPG on Listed Properties, providing the MPs with evidence of the challenges of owning a listed property, organising meetings and opportunities for owners to meet MPs and Ministers and put the case for reform.
Recent highlights include meetings with Local Government and Planning Minister, Baroness Taylor of Stevenage and senior representatives of Historic England to discuss the streamlining of consent orders, and a Parliamentary Listed Property Briefing Session and Photocall in Parliament for MPs and peers. The Club also held a successful Listed Property Forum with APPG member, Rt Hon Priti Patel MP, where Club specialists gave advice to listed property owners in her Witham constituency.
I am delighted that the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) is working with LPOC in campaigning for vital reforms that will help listed property owners. The APPG on Listed Properties has already won strong support from across all parties and it will provide a powerful voice in Parliament, raising the challenges listed property owners face and pressing for necessary reforms.
Lord Mackinlay of Richborough, APPG Co-Chairman
LIST OF APPG MEMBERS
MP or Peer |
Constituency |
Party |
|---|---|---|
| Lord Mackinlay of Richborough JP (APPG Co-Chair) | Con | |
| Tom Tugendhat MP (APPG Chair) | Tonbridge | Con |
| Sarah Edwards MP (APPG Officer) | Tamworth | Lab |
| Ben Maguire MP (APPG Officer) | North Cornwall | Lib Dem |
| Kirsty Blackman MP | Aberdeen North | SNP |
| Seamus Logan MP | Aberdeenshire North and Moray East | SNP |
| Andrew Griffith MP | Arundel and South Downs | Con |
| Lee Anderson MP | Ashfield | Reform |
| Jo White MP | Bassettlaw | Lab |
| Wera Hobhouse MP | Bath | Lib Dem |
| Joy Morrissey MP | Beaconsfield | Con |
| Ayoub Khan MP | Birmingham Perry Bar | Indep |
| Dr Sam Rushworth MP | Bishop Auckland | Lab |
| Richard Tice MP | Boston and Skegness | Reform |
| The Rt Hon Sir James Cleverly MP | Braintree | Con |
| Carla Denyer MP | Bristol Central | Green |
| Dr Peter Prinsley MP | Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket | Lab |
| Ann Davies MP | Caerfyrddin | Plaid Cymru |
| Josh Fenton-Glynn MP | Calder Valley | Lab |
| Rosie Duffield MP | Canterbury | Indep |
| Julie Minns MP | Carlisle | Lab |
| Jess Brown-Fuller MP | Chichester | Lib Dem |
| Rachel Blake MP | Cities of London and Westminster | Lab |
| Lee Barron MP | Corby and East Northamptonshire | Lab |
| Iqbal Mohamed MP | Dewsbury and Batley | Indep |
| Liz Saville-Roberts MP | Dwyfor Meirionnydd | Plaid Cymru |
| Grahame Morris MP | Easington | Lab |
| Rt Hon Sammy Wilson MP | East Antrim | DUP |
| Damian Hinds MP | East Hampshire | Con |
| Helen Maguire MP | Epsom and Ewell | Lib Dem |
| Steve Race MP | Exeter | Lab |
| Greg Stafford MP | Farnham and Bordon | Con |
| Matt Bishop MP | Forest of Dean | Lab |
| Andrew Snowden MP | Fylde | Con |
| Sarah Dyke MP | Glastonbury and Somerton | Lib Dem |
| Dame Caroline Dinenage MP | Gosport | Con |
| Sir Bernard Jenkin MP | Harwich and North Essex | Con |
| Jo Platt MP | Leigh and Atherton | Lab |
| Jess Asato MP | Lowestoft | Lab |
| Sir John Whittingdale OBE MP | Maldon | Con |
| Blake Stephenson MP | Mid Bedfordshire | Con |
| Greg Smith MP | Mid Buckinghamshire | Con |
| Jonathan Davies MP | Mid Derbyshire | Lab |
| Catherine Fookes MP | Monmouthshire | Lab |
| Pamela Nash MP | Motherwell, Wishaw and Carluke | Lab |
| Ruth Jones MP | Newport West and Islwyn | Lab |
| Wendy Chamberlain MP | North East Fife | Lib Dem |
| Amanda Hack MP | North West Leicestershire | Lab |
| Mike Reader MP | Northampton South | Lab |
| Alison Taylor MP | Paisley and Renfrewshire North | Lab |
| Fred Thomas MP | Plymouth Moor View | Lab |
| Rebecca Paul MP | Reigate | Con |
| Maya Ellis MP | Ribble Valley | Lab |
| Lauren Edwards MP | Rochester and Strood | Lab |
| Andrew Rosindell MP | Romford | Reform |
| Clive Betts MP | Sheffield South East | Lab |
| Gurinder Singh Joasan CBE MP | Smethwick | Lab |
| James McMurdock MP | South Basildon and East Thurrock | Indep |
| Dr Roz Savage MP | South Cotswolds | Lib Dem |
| Sir John Hayes MP | South Holland and the Deepings | Con |
| James Cartlidge MP | South Suffolk | Con |
| Rebecca Smith MP | South West Devon | Con |
| Gagan Mohindra MP | South West Hertfordshire | Con |
| Terry Jermy MP | South West Norfolk | Lab |
| Andrew Murrison MP | South West Wiltshire | Con |
| Bayo Alaba MP | Southend East and Rochford | Lab |
| Kevin Bonavia MP | Stevenage | Lab |
| Navendu Mishra MP | Stockport | Lab |
| Jim Shannon MP | Strangford | DUP |
| Gideon Amos MP | Taunton and Wellington | Lib Dem |
| Kevin Hollinrake MP | Thirsk and Malton | Con |
| Jayne Kirkham MP | Truro and Falmouth | Lab |
| Carla Lockhart MP | Upper Bann | DUP |
| Edward Morello MP | West Dorset | Lib Dem |
| Tim Farron MP | Westmorland and Lonsdale | Lib Dem |
| Danny Chambers MP | Winchester | Lib Dem |
| Jack Rankin MP | Windsor | Con |
| Lord Dear Kt QPM DL | Cross | |
| Lord Leigh of Hurley | Con | |
| Baroness Young of Old Scone | Non-affiliated | |
| Baroness Hodgson of Abinger CBE | Con | |
| The Rt Hon Lord Lansley CBE PC | Con | |
| The Baroness Noakes DBE | Con | |
| Rt Hon Lord Brady of Altrincham PC | Con | |
| The Baroness Cox | Cross | |
| Lord Truscott | Non-affiliated | |
| Lord Taylor of Warwick | Non-affiliated | |
| Baroness Wolf of Dulwich | Cross | |
| Earl of Leicester | Con | |
| Lord Carrington | Cross | |
| Lord Jopling | Con | |
| Lord Murray of Blidworth | Con | |
| Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay | Con | |
| Lord Ashcombe | Con | |
| Lord Stewart of Dirleton K.C | Con | |
| Lord Tope CBE | Lib Dem | |
| Baroness Sarah Ludford | Lib Dem | |
| Lord Roborough | Con | |
| Lord Camoys | Lib Dem | |
| Lord Moynihan of Chelsea | Con | |
| Lord Chartres | Cross | |
| Lord Harlech | Con | |
| Baroness Morrissey | Con | |
| Baroness Janke | Lib Dem | |
| Lord Mann of Holbeck Moor | Lab | |
| Earl of Clancarty | Cross |
WALES AND SCOTLAND
THE LANDSCAPE TODAY
Listed buildings in Wales and Scotland face a slightly different control scheme than in England. There are many similarities, but new laws affecting listed buildings are now made in Holyrood and Cardiff. Over the past decade the laws have diverged somewhat as the devolved parliaments have legislated.
Despite these changes, there have not been any major reforms to the issues that affect listed building owners such as consent law, planning resources and pre-application paperwork.
Now that powers over these issues are devolved to their respective parliaments each government needs to be lobbied separately to create truly national change. We firmly believe that this works in our favour; increasing the number of lawmakers that we can approach.
Our campaigns in Wales and Scotland are particularly important because their parliaments are more approachable, which gives our campaign a far greater chance of success. Obviously this would deliver immediate benefits for our members in Wales and Scotland, but it will also serve as proof that our policies are workable and deliver the benefits we propose.
Wales and Scotland will be key battlegrounds for listed building owners in the coming years, both for the 200,000 owners who live there, and for the wider community of owners in the UK.
MEMBERS IN WALES AND SCOTLAND
Wales and Scotland each contain thousands of listed buildings. Wales has over 40,000 while Scotland has more than 100,000. This places more than 300,000 owners under the auspices of the Welsh Assembly and Scottish Parliament; a huge number of people who are being ignored.
Much of Scotland and Wales are also rural areas, with only a few historic cities like Edinburgh containing large numbers of listed buildings in an urban setting. This naturally means that these buildings and owners are spread across a large number of councils and elected representatives, which works to keep listed buildings off the political radar.
Success in Wales or Scotland would be a huge achievement for listed building owners, helping to improve conditions and reduce costs for a quarter of all owners without needing to approach Westminster.
CROSS PARTY GROUPS
Our first goal in Wales and Scotland is to campaign for the formation of a Cross Party Group. Cross Party Groups share many similarities with All-Party Parliamentary Groups but within the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly. They are groups of AMs and MSPs from across all parties to discuss a specific issue. They can form a venue for discussion, a channel of communication or a catalyst for change.
We are actively campaigning for CPGs to be formed in Wales and Scotland, as sister groups to the APPG. As issues like planning are now administered by the national assemblies, they are just as important for us to approach. CPGs would provide a perfect opportunity to discuss policy ideas with law makers and ensure that listed buildings are not left off the agenda.
OUR LOCAL CAMPAIGN
HOW DO LOCAL GROUPS HELP?
Local groups are a central part of any campaign. Our members are spread across the whole UK which is a key strength, allowing us to reach many more councillors and MPs, but we need to marshal our supporters together and present a unified front.
We encourage all our members to start a local group. Sharing the challenges you face, as well as coordinating efforts when you approach your local council or MP can make a huge difference. The Club is happy to support all our members in forming groups, offering our advice and expertise as well as our national scale.
Register your interest and join our campaign today.
SUPPORT THE CAMPAIGN
To be successful our campaign needs to reach as many people as possible, particularly the elected officials who can make a real difference on the issues that affect us as listed building owners.
We need your help to spread our message, to tell us what issues matter to you, and to build evidence of the challenges you face.
WRITE TO YOUR REPRESENTATIVES
Writing to your MP, MSP, AM or council gives you an opportunity to tell them what matters to you. Your letters bring attention to listed buildings, and that our issues are on the political agenda. Taking the time to write shows your representatives that listed buildings matter to you. Read our letter writing guide.
GATHER SUPPORT
The Club is the only organisation that represents the community of listed building owners. The more members we have the bigger the influence that we have when meeting with MPs and ministers, so recommend your friends and neighbours to us. Every member makes a difference. Click here to join the Club and show your support, or call us on 01795 844939.
START A LOCAL GROUP
A local group can bring together listed building owners with family, friends and the general public to boost our message and show how important listed buildings are to our communities. Even small groups can have a huge impact on a local level by writing letters and attending meetings. Working together helps our message to spread and shows a united front.
SUPPORT THE CLUB
Another way to support the Club is to use our insurance providers for your home they offer comprehensive cover at a reasonable price.
If you would like to talk to our insurance team, call us on 01795 844939, or let us know your current policy’s renewal date by clicking here, and we’ll contact you at the appropriate time.
SHARE YOUR STORIES
The personal impact of policies can be lost behind a wall of statistics, so we want to hear about your experiences as a listed building owner. Sharing your story helps us to personalise the issues when we speak with MPs and illustrate how their policies are effecting real people. Share your stories here or email us at [email protected].
KEEP FIGHTING
The longer that we keep campaigning the more support we build, the greater pressure we can exert and the more fronts we can work on.
To support the campaign call us on 01795 844939 or e-mail [email protected]
CAMPAIGN NEWS
The full news and analysis from our campaign are in each edition of Listed Heritage, our bi-monthly 155 page magazine published for our members.
You can stay up to date with the headlines from our campaign below, and click here to sign up for our monthly newsletter.