The Howard de Walden Estate agrees first of its kind partnership with Westminster City Council

The Howard de Walden Estate announced today that it has agreed a first of its kind Heritage Partnership Agreement (HPA) with Westminster City Council (WCC) as part of its ongoing focus on sustainability and in its role as long-term steward of Marylebone. Howard de Walden's portfolio, which spans over 800 buildings across 95 acres in Marylebone, comprises many listed and heritage buildings. More than 300 Grade II and II* listed buildings will be covered by the agreement.

The HPA covers a range of day-to-day commonplace works that Howard de Walden undertake to futureproof its properties and ensure they maintain the highest quality floorspace for residential and commercial occupiers.

The HPA allows for eight specified areas of work including fireproofing, secondary glazing, damp proofing, insulation to floors and gutter upgrades to be undertaken without the need to applying for individual Listed Building Consents, streamlining the process and improving efficiencies for both Howard de Walden and WCC. The HPA will sit alongside the Listed Building Consent and Planning Permission processes which will continue to form part of the development process for works outside of the HPA remit.

The HPA also provides a significant opportunity for both Howard de Walden and WCC to accelerate their ambitions of reducing energy consumption by allowing quicker implementation of energy efficient and protective measures and enhancing fire safety.

Andrea Merrington, Director of Planning and Place at Howard de Walden commented:

“Installing measures such as secondary glazing, installing floor insulation and undertaking upgrades to doors to increase fire protection is commonplace work for us as a Heritage Estate. These simple measures can significantly improve thermal performance and reduce the risk of fire spread in an emergency assisting in avoiding property obsolescence and planning for net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.

“The first of its kind in Westminster, this HPA will act as an additional tool in our planning arsenal allowing us to speed up the process of installation while ensuring the on-going preservation of our much-cherished listed buildings.”

Cllr Geoff Barraclough, Westminster City Council Cabinet Member for Planning and Economic Development, said: 

“This groundbreaking agreement with The Howard de Walden Estate shows how we can protect our historic environment while making real progress on sustainability. The Heritage Partnership Agreement will cut red tape, speed up vital retrofit works, and help ensure Marylebone’s historic buildings are fit for the future. It’s a model of how councils and landowners can work together to reduce emissions without compromising heritage.”