Construction and Renovation of a Historic Building
Do you have plans to renovate your listed building or do you have questions about your listed building or procedures? Please contact the cultural heritage policy advisor via the general telephone number or via erfgoed@voorschoten.nl.
Protection based on conservation through development of national and municipal listed buildings and characteristically defining properties.
Designation based on the heritage act (national listed buildings and nationally protected townscapes)
The Municipal Planning and Development Department ( executive board ) of the Mayor and Aldermen is the competent authority for the renovation of national monuments. Once a permit application has been received by the municipality, it assesses the application for admissibility. If all submission requirements are met, the municipality determines whether the standard or the extended preparatory procedure applies. If the extended procedure applies, the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands must be consulted for advice. The Agency acts on behalf of the Minister of Education, Culture, and Science.
- Demolition, or partial demolition of a substantial nature
- substantial modification of a national listed building or an important part thereof, with consequences comparable to demolition or partial demolition of a substantial nature
- reconstruction of a national listed building or an important part thereof
- change of use of the listed building or an important part thereof, involving modification of the listed building
Designation based on heritage bye-law (municipal listed buildings)
The zoning plan determines the building possibilities; the WCE committee reviews a specific building plan (application for an environmental permit) against the Explanatory Description and the Aesthetics Manual. This therefore concerns the manner in which the building plan is carried out. An unconditional “ authorisation ” for an addition can only be obtained by applying for an environmental permit. If a building right is included in the zoning plan, it is not a matter of “whether,” but of “how” something is done.
Article 2 of the regulation stipulates that in applying the regulation—including, therefore, the granting of permits for modifications—“the function must be taken into account.” In short: use—tailored to contemporary needs!—must play a major role in the assessment. Heritage policy is focused on “preservation through development.” This means that adaptations to meet current needs are always possible, provided that the historic value is respected. A “modern” bathroom or kitchen can licence be freely replaced as long as the historic value is not compromised. Breaking through walls alters the structure of the building; an environmental permit must be applied for in such cases. This application will be reviewed by the Aesthetics and Cultural Heritage Committee based on the explanatory description, drawings, and photographs. Maintenance is permitted under the Environmental Law Decree, Appendix 2 licence , provided that the historic values are respected and the monument remains unchanged. Maintenance is exempt from permitting requirements under Article 2, Appendix II of the BOR (Environmental Law Decree).
Characteristically defining status in the local zoning plan
The rules regarding permit-exempt construction set forth in Article 2 of Annex II of the BOR apply here. When granting a permit, the Aesthetics and Cultural Heritage Committee will evaluate the application based on the explanatory description, drawings, and photographs. The interior is not assessed for cultural-historical value in the case of an “ licence ” application.
In all cases, a demolition licence system has been included. For national listed buildings, this is regulated by the Heritage Act. For municipal listed buildings, this is set out in the heritage bye-law and for characteristically defining properties, this is in the zoning plan. These regulations do not differ significantly. The essence of this demolition licence system is that a weighing of interests can take place upon application for demolition.