Protecting the Legacy: A Window of the Listing of Shops and Shopfronts

Debbie Mays

Head of Listing, Historic Scotland This morning we have discovered what a defining role shopfronts make to our streetscapes and townscapes and of their fragility in the face of commercial pressures. I plan to give an introduction to the listing process, to the range of subjects eligible for listing, their criteria and application and to consider the consequences of the consent system. Listed Buildings These are:

• Buildings of special architectural or historic interest- this is a key phrase • Legally it can be any man made structure • Registered on statutory list • c47,000 in Scotland but these are variable in size and scale • Assessed under set criteria

Listed buildings: Legal Context The relevant legislation is the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 which is the consolidation of earlier legislation from 1947. This legislation sets out the following:

• The maintenance of Lists of buildings of special architectural or historic interest • Requires consent to be sought for works which affect the character of the building or

structure • A range of powers to Local Authorities and Scottish Ministers to protect the built and

historic environment Historic Scotland maintains the Statutory List. It is an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government and works on behalf of Scottish Ministers, the Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture, currently Linda Fabiani. Listing The purpose of listing is to:

• Identify buildings and structures of significant architectural and historic merit • Set out clearly why they are of significance • Draw attention to their value and potential • Ensure that decisions about adaptation and use are made on an informed basis

There are several criteria for listing:

• Age and rarity • Architectural and historic interest • Close historical association

Criteria: Age and Rarity

There are four basic time spans applicable, the older the building the more significant it is so listing includes buildings and structures:

• Before 1840, before the watershed of changes in architecture, glass and technology • Between 1840 and 1945- this means a greater degree of selectivity • Post 1945 has greater selectivity- currently 170 are listed • Under 30 years old- for buildings under considerable threat and there is currently only

one in Scotland which is the Cummins Engine Factory outside Shotts.

Criteria: Architectural and Historic Interest This covers the following:

• Regional variations • Plan form • Interior- an important part of listing and protection is afforded to every interior • Technological excellence or innovation such as awnings and shutters • Material quality and craftsmanship • Design • Setting – how does it sit within a townscape and what does it contribute? • Building type- is it unusual or exceptional or of special interest?

Technology: shutters and awnings

Material Quality and Craftsmanship

Material Quality and Craftsmanship

Shopfronts showing different design issues Innovation Gardner’s Warehouse, Jamaica Street, Glasgow by John Baird I and R McConnel iron founder, is a 4 storey cast iron building dating to 1855-56 demonstrating innovation of materials and design. A warehouse for J D Coltart, furniture retailer, from 1874 is a full-height cast-iron-framed and glazed façade, the equivalent of Gardeners and is located in Leith.

JD Coltart, Leith Gardner’s, Glasgow

Interiors We try to go in to pharmacies, butchers and fishmongers as they may have fine interiors. New legislation requires that pharmacies have a private consulting booth, many of which must be created anew and this therefore puts these interiors under threat.

Pharmacy interior, Edinburgh Barbers shops may be plain externally but interesting internally although we cannot list fixtures such as chairs even if they complete the scheme.

Barbers interior Context/ Setting This is also very important, a good example of this being St Stephen Street in Edinburgh built 1820’s.

St Stephen Street, Edinburgh

Building Type BHS in Edinburgh was the first ‘Panel’ building erected seeking to provide a first floor walkway. It also had a central staircase and escalators which was an innovative part of its internal planning and design.

BHS, Princes Street, Edinburgh A hardware store in South Uist built around 1890 has an unusual amount of timber work for its location and is very fine inside.

Shop gates are an important component of shopfronts. These beautifully paired shopfronts at the former Co-op Wholesale tenement in Edinburgh have their shop gates intact. They are quite plain but combine together to make an interesting whole.

Chain stores have uniform designs such as Burton’s house style. We consider how often they stand as examples within their chain.

Burton’s Aberdeen Our approach There are three programmes of work:

• Area-based resurvey- looking at everything on the ground. Selected by Historic Scotland for areas under threat and currently about half-way round the survey of the country.

• Public requests for listing & list maintenance- about 270 requests for listing per year • Thematic survey- recently completed cinemas and public houses particularly as

affected by changing social patterns and recent legislation such as the smoking ban A thematic survey of shops has not been done yet. We can only attempt this if a subject is under threat and we are sufficiently resourced. Our current team of 7 people need to juggle all the different types of listing to get the best results so only a theme on a containable scale can be done. Consultation and Outreach There exists a wide process of consultation, expertise and partial external comment:

• Local Authority consultation • Owner consultation- a courtesy, not a requirement but it is a welcome one • Third party consultation- experts can be very important in the process • Outreach seminars, specialist publications, website, media opportunities • Listing Proposal Form is available on the website http://www.historic-

scotland.gov.uk/listing-proposal-form.pdf Listing Categories There are 3 categories and although there is occasional debate about whether they should be categorised the process is useful for planning:

• Category A: Buildings of national or international importance, either architectural or historic, or fine little altered examples, of some particular period, style or building type.

• Category B: Buildings of regional or more than local importance, or major examples of some particular period, style or building type which may have been altered.

• Category C(S): Buildings of local importance, lesser examples of any period, style or building type, as originally constructed or altered; and simple traditional buildings which group well with others in category A or B, or are part of a planned group such as an estate or industrial complex.

These are split up with 8% Category A, 51% Category B and 41% Category C(S) although these figures do vary. Application of criteria This is quite challenging for shopfronts in an isolated position so there needs to be other protection measures in place such as conservation areas. For example, a proposal was made for the listing of a shop in St Andrews. However, after consideration it was not listed because although it had some fine features, there was no interior of interest and the tenement in which it sat did not warrant listing. This left it to be protected by other measures.

St Andrews shopfront (left) not listed following consideration Consequences of listing

• Consent is required for changes to the character- it is about managing change and not preventing it.

• Check in process- a final say in saving the building or a welcome opportunity to bring in expertise and understanding and to explore alternative solutions

• Eligibility for grant Roles and responsibilities

• Local Authorities determine listed building consent in the great majority of cases • Historic Scotland is consulted in case of Category A and B and demolition of C(S)

and unlisted buildings in conservation areas • Call-in powers in extreme circumstances, about 6 test cases per year on average.

Common questions

• There is currently no appeal against listing as the consultation process is broad although refusal of listed building consent or enforcement action can be appealed.

• VAT Relief – is available retrospectively for certain classes of alteration • Listing does not require a higher insurance premium, it is rather the age, character and

material quality of the building, its calibre that might affect insurance • Application for Listed Building Consent has no fee • Condition is not a major factor provided enough of the building survives and the rest

of the interest is there we are not too concerned about the condition. Merit is our concern.

• The interior is included, no matter what the category