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Managing and Protecting our Historic ... - Historic Scotland

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The <strong>Historic</strong> Environment (Amendment) (Scotl<strong>and</strong>) Act Explained | 23<br />

Hearings in connection with applications for<br />

listed building consent <strong>and</strong> appeals<br />

Under the present legislative arrangements<br />

applicants <strong>and</strong> appellants can insist on being<br />

given an opportunity of appearing <strong>and</strong> being<br />

heard before a person appointed for that<br />

purpose. This may be done by means of an<br />

oral hearing or by means of a public local<br />

inquiry. The Act removes this automatic right<br />

to be heard in connection with listed building<br />

applications <strong>and</strong> appeals under the 1997 Act.<br />

This will enable Scottish Ministers to determine<br />

the most suitable means of determining each<br />

application, through written submissions, a<br />

hearing or an inquiry or any combination of<br />

these. This is in line with the model used in<br />

planning.<br />

Fines<br />

The Act also increases the maximum level of<br />

fines from £20,000 to £50,000 on summary<br />

conviction for the offences of executing,<br />

or causing to be executed, unauthorised<br />

works for the demolition of a listed building<br />

or for the alteration or extension of a listed<br />

building which affects its character as a<br />

building of special architectural or historic<br />

interest <strong>and</strong> failure to comply with conditions<br />

attached to listed building consent.<br />

Urgent works costs<br />

At present the planning authority <strong>and</strong> Scottish<br />

Ministers are limited to pursuing recovery of<br />

expenses for urgent works on a listed building<br />

from whoever was the owner at the time of<br />

notification. A new power in the Act enables a<br />

notice of liability for expenses for urgent works<br />

to be registered in the appropriate property<br />

register against the listed building. By enabling,<br />

in effect, a charge to be placed against the<br />

property itself, the new provision will provide<br />

that any new owner from time to time of the<br />

property will also be liable to pay the costs.<br />

Urgent works to preserve unoccupied listed<br />

buildings<br />

The Act provides an additional example of the<br />

types of works which may be carried out where<br />

such works appear to be urgently necessary<br />

for the preservation of a listed building.<br />

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