Heritage Building Improvement Grant
Guidance notes
Scheme description
The Heritage Building Improvement Grant is a grant scheme for property owners and tenants to undertake repairs and other works to improve the condition and appearance of their building and therefore enhance the character of conservation areas within the borough.
This grant scheme is funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).
There is £5,000 available to allocate in year two (2023/24) and £45,000 available to allocate in year three (2024/25).
Who can apply for a grant?
To be eligible for a grant, you must be the registered owner of a building or have a repairing lease which covers the external fabric of the building, with the lease running until at least 31 March 2025. The building must be located within a conservation area within the borough or its immediate setting: find the location of conservation areas within the borough
What types of works will be funded by a grant?
- Eligible works:
- Repairs to the external fabric of the building. Works could include repairs to facing walls, roofs, windows and doors, shop fronts, rainwater goods and any other elements of the external fabric of the building. For works to be eligible for a grant they must use appropriate and where relevant traditional building methods and materials. A grant rate of 50% of the costs will be applied to such works
- Restoration and reinstatement of key architectural features upon the external elevations of the building. Works could include the restoration and/or reinstatement of lost or hidden historic features, such as upper floor windows, rainwater goods, roof coverings, facing walls materials, architectural details, and shopfront elements such as signage. For works to be eligible, there must be evidence of the feature from old photographs or physical remains and the works must use appropriate and where relevant traditional building methods and materials. A grant rate of 80% of the costs will be applied to such works
- Ineligible works:
- Any works within the interior of the building
- Any works that have already commenced or been completed
- Any fees associated with required permissions and consents
Grant application process
The scheme was opened to applications on Wednesday 28 February 2024, and will remain open until all funds have been allocated when it shall then be closed.
We aim to acknowledge your grant application by email within five days from receipt. Please answer all questions in the application form to ensure it is a valid application.
If your grant application is not eligible for funding (due to the location of the building and/or the works being ineligible), we aim to advise you within five days from receipt.
If your grant application is valid, then we aim to provide you with a formal response by email as to whether a grant will be offered within 10 working days from receipt.
Grant rates will be offered at 50% of the cost of works of repair and 80% of the costs restoration and reinstatement of key architectural features unless special circumstances dictate otherwise. The maximum grant offer will be £5,000 during year two (financial year 2023/24). The maximum grant offer will be £12,250 during year three (financial year 2024/25).
All proposed works must comply with UKSPF procurement procedures. This includes seeking three quotes for the purchase of any goods or services between the value of £2,500 and £25,000. For proposed works below the value of £2,500, it is still requested that up to three quotes are sought where possible to demonstrate best value. We will request quotes prior to issuing a funding agreement and a minimum of one quote should be submitted with your application. For more information, please visit UK Shared Prosperity Fund: procurement (8) (GOV.UK)
Assessment process
Applications will be assessed by the Conservation Officer with a recommendation made to a panel of relevant officers to confirm whether the grant application meets UKSPF outcomes and the objectives of the grant scheme. The primary objectives of the scheme are set out below.
Objective - answer: yes or no
- Are the proposed works to a listed building or a building of local heritage interest?
- Will the proposed works improve the condition of the building? And/or will the proposed works result in the restoration or reinstatement of a key architectural feature?
- Will the proposed works result in an enhancement to the character of the conservation area and its street scene?
Only grant applications that answer yes to each question will have met the primary objectives of the grant scheme.
Throughout the application period, grants will be allocated in date order of receiving a valid application and until all available funds are fully allocated, subject to complying with the objectives of the grant scheme.
If the full allocation of funds has not been met at the end of the application period and applications for works to buildings that are not listed or of local heritage interest (objective 1) have been received, such applications will be considered for a grant should they meet objectives 2 and 3.
If there is an oversubscription against the full allocation of funds at the end of the application period, then grants will be allocated to building types in the following order:
- A statutory listed building
- A building of local heritage building
- Any other type of building
Once the full allocation of funds has been met, the council will retain a 'stand by' list of grant applications that will be considered should any proposed works become unviable or not be delivered.
Grant funding arrangements
Successful grant applicants will enter into a grant agreement with the council. If we approve your application and offer you a grant you must:
- Ensure required consents and permissions have been obtained before starting with the works. Such consents may include:
- If the grant recipient is the tenant, providing confirmation that the landlord/freeholder has given permission for the undertaking of the proposed works
- Planning permission / advertisement consent
- Listed building consent
- Building regulations approval
- Ensure any required Insurance is in place for the works
- Ensure compliance with the UK Subsidy Control regime
- Ensure the works will commence and be completed within certain timescales unless agreed otherwise in writing with the council
Consents and permissions
Due to the type of works eligible for a grant, in most cases it is unlikely that planning permission or advertisement consent will be required before the works can start. If the proposed works are to a listed building, then appropriate or like-for-like repairs are also unlikely to require consent. If required, the Conservation Officer will provide advice on the need for such permissions and consents prior to the submission of a grant application or will discuss the need during the assessment of the application.
Due to the type of works subject to the grant scheme, it is unlikely that many works will require compliance with building regulations. However, it is strongly recommended that advice is sought from the Leicestershire Building Control Partnership (lbcp.co.uk) before submitting a grant application. Your preferred contractor should also be able to advise.
UK Subsidy Control
Applicants must ensure that any proposed works are compliant with the UK Subsidy Control regime and will be asked to demonstrate this within the application form and any subsequent grant agreement. Applicants will be asked to declare whether they or any businesses/organisations they are formally linked with have received funding from EU or other public sources when they apply.
For further information, see Annex 1 of the grant application form.
Grant payment
Grants will be paid in arrears. This means you will need to pay your chosen contractor in full before you receive the grant money. You will need to provide proof of payment to enable the Council to pay you the grant funding.
A single grant payment will be made in full to the grant recipient upon completion of the works to an appropriate standard. All costs shall have to be defrayed and grants claimed for by 31 January 2025, unless agreed otherwise in writing with the council.
The council shall request payment details upon completion of the works.
Value added tax (VAT)
VAT may be payable on eligible items of the proposed works. Where it cannot be recovered by the grant recipient, it is eligible for grant. Any costs that are inclusive of VAT should be clearly identified on submitted quotations.
Contact details
For further information please contact:
Paul Grundy
Conservation Officer
Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council
Hinckley Hub, Rugby Road, Leicestershire, LE10 0FR
Contact us online: Conservation contact form
Telephone: 01455 255671
Last updated: 03/05/2024 11:53
