Grant to repair a privately owned historic building

You can apply for a grant to repair a privately owned historic property in 1 of 11 Renfrewshire villages. 

The scheme encourages the use of materials, repair methods and techniques that fit with the age and construction of the property.

You can use the grant for structural and external repairs, reinstatement of external architectural details, or professional fees.
This grant works in conjunction with the maintenance planning grant for private historic buildings.

Before you look at repairs to your building, you should consider applying for the maintenance planning grant first.

Maintenance planning grant

You can apply for the grant if you are the owner of an historic property, and your property is in or around the centre of:

• Bishopton
• Bridge of Weir
• Brookfield
• Crosslee
• Elderslie
• Houston
• Howwood
• Inchinnan
• Kilbarchan
• Langbank 
• Lochwinnoch

Who cannot apply for the grant

If you’re a private individual or a joint owner, you cannot apply for the grant if:

• the property is not your primary residence
• the property has received a grant for which works are not complete
• you have an unpaid or outstanding debt with the council.

A constituted voluntary or community organisation or a business cannot apply for the grant if:

• your organisation owns or rents 3 or more premises
• your organisation or business has an unpaid or outstanding debt with the council
• your organisation or business’s turnover was more than £1,000,000 in the previous tax year
• the property has previously received a grant for which works are not complete
• your property is a place of worship.

For structural and external repairs

You can use the grant for repairs to roofs, leadwork, rainwater goods, walls, structural works, windows and doors, fixing damp or rot.

Roofs

This can include re-roofing with natural, traditional materials to match the historic roof covering. This should include re-using sound existing materials where possible. 

It also includes repairs to chimneys, including lining or rebuilding if structurally necessary. The chimney must be reinstated accurately to the historic height and profile. This could include replacement of the historic style of pot or can.

Leadwork

Repairs or replacement of leadwork, to the conservation standard of the Lead Sheet Association.

Rainwater goods

This includes repair or replacement of rainwater goods to match the historic material and sections. These are typically cast iron or sometimes lead, timber or stone.

Walls

You could use the grant towards:

• repair of external stonework or brickwork, including decorative elements, to an appropriate specification
• selective rebuilding of existing stonework or brickwork if structurally necessary, which usually involves using salvaged or new matching materials
• structurally necessary re-pointing, which is kept to a minimum and uses appropriate mortar – you can’t use the grant for comprehensive re-pointing for cosmetic reasons
• external render, stucco, or harling repairs and limited areas of renewal to an approved specification – you may be able to reinstate these types of coating if it has removed in recent years to the detriment of the performance and appearance of the building
• repair or reinstatement of retaining walls, boundary walls or railings that contribute to the stability of the building or enhance the character of the wider village.

Structural works

You could use the grant towards:

• consolidation or reinforcement of the existing structure using the most practicable conservative approach
• limited reconstruction in line with the existing structure, if unavoidable and supported by documentary evidence
• appropriate repairs to timber frames, roof structure, beams, floor joists, and other structural timbers - but it must be based on a careful and comprehensive survey of the existing structure.

Windows and doors

You could use the grant towards the repair or, if necessary, replacement of external windows, doors and other external joinery which contributes to the character of the building. 

The original pattern and detail should be retained or reinstated. 

We will also consider the installation of well-designed secondary glazing.

Damp and rot

You could use the grant towards dry rot eradication and appropriate conservation approved timber preservation treatments. 

These must: 

• be based on an analysis and specification by an independent consultant with conservation expertise - whose fees are also eligible for the grant
• use non-destructive techniques and non-toxic applications where possible.

You can also get damp-proofing done by traditional methods, where damp is causing structural damage to the building. 

It is better to take damp eradication measures, such as improved drainage or the lowering of ground levels, where practical.

For restoration of external architectural details

You could use the grant to reinstatement external architectural detail, where the building is in otherwise good condition or will be repaired as part of the project, for example: 

• ornamental metal work
• decorative tiling
• timber details
• stone details.

Towards professional fees

You can use the grant towards professional fees providing the professional advisor:

• inspects the work in progress
• is responsible for certification
• has conservation experience and is a member of a recognised institution like the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) or the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

For contingencies

This could include an extra amount set aside in the budget to deal with any unexpected costs, for example a repair job that requires more work than initially estimated.

What you cannot use the grant for

You cannot use the grant for:

• improvements to the fronts of shops, businesses, or commercial premises - see the Retail Improvement Scheme for this type of proposal
• routine maintenance and other minor repairs
• alterations, extensions, and internal work
• demolition of historic fabric
• upgrading or renewal of services, including underground drainage
• stone cleaning and other similar treatments
• a phase of works underway prior to approval of grant
• professional fees incurred prior to grant approval
• obtaining consents
• paying VAT on anything associated with the repair.

Contact the Regeneration and Place Team at regenerationandplace@renfrewshire.gov.uk to ask about repairs you think the grant would cover.

See also: help with essential repairs to tenement buildings.

Small grants

You can apply for a small grant of up to 60% of eligible costs for repairs costing between £3,000 and £8,000 (excluding VAT). 

For example, if the cost for repairs work was £6,000 excluding VAT, the maximum grant you could apply for is £3,600.

Standard grants

You can apply for a standard grant of up to 50% of eligible costs for repair works valued over £8,000 (excluding VAT). 

This includes the cost of professional advisors to plan, prepare or arrange consents, tenders, and repairs; not just the repairs work itself. 

We will only pay the professional advisor fees if a grant application is successful, and the conditions of the grant are fully met.

The maximum amount awarded for standard grants is £25,000. 

Grants more than £25,000

If you're planning to apply for more than £25,000, contact the Regeneration team at regenerationandplace@renfrewshire.gov.uk first.

If you’re applying for a shared ownership property, like a tenement building, you can apply for up to £25,000 for the building, not for each flat.

Your proposed repairs

Before you apply for the grant, you should contact us at an early stage to discuss your ideas for the property. You should have a clear idea of the extent of works and the potential cost, either from estimates or professional advice.

We can give you guidance on eligibility, what supporting information you need, and how long it will take to process your grant application. We may also visit your property to discuss your proposals for repairs.

Email us with any questions you have at regenerationandplace@renfrewshire.gov.uk.

Guidance to support your proposal

Before you begin your application, read the guidance on:

• research
• small scale works
• consultants and professional advisors
• contractors 
• quotes for costs
• planning consents and building warrants
• scale drawings
• owner and leaseholder details
• other guidance on repairs and maintenance

When you are ready to apply, make sure you have:

• at least 1 quote for each type of professional advice or work in your plan, but you should aim to have up to 3 quotes
• ownership or leaseholder information of the property.

You may also need to get:

• scaled drawings
• planning or building consent 
• listed building consent
• conservation area consent

Guidance to support your proposal

Data Protection

We need to collect certain information to process your grant application and to contact you about it.

See our privacy policy on how we use your data and rights.

We'll review all applications within 4 weeks of the closing date.

How we assess your application

We apply a scoring system to determine if you will get the grant and how much you will get.

We'll assess your application based on the impact, quality, and delivery of the proposed repairs work.

This will include if the property is: 

• a listed building - you can check on the Historic Environment Scotland website
• on the Buildings at Risk Register
• in a village conservation area
• prominently placed within a village
• of historical significance to the local community.

It will also depend on:

• input from a professional advisor 
• the contractor's experience of working on heritage buildings
• specification of materials appropriate for the conservation of the building
• if the property is occupied, when and how it's occupied
• how many owners there are of the property
• evidence of the owner or leaseholder's commitment to repair and maintain the property
• whether the property has a long-term sustainable function, such as a home or a business premises.

This will determine if you get the grant and how much you get.

As funding is limited, you may not get the full amount you applied for. 

If you are awarded a grant, you can't apply again until the repair works are complete, and you've been paid the full amount. 

If you've previously been awarded a maintenance planning grant, it does not guarantee you will get this grant.

If we approve your application

If we approve your application, we'll make you a provisional 'offer of grant' and send you a 'contract of grant' to sign.

When we've received your signed contract, and you've met the conditions of the grant, we'll send you a 'permission to start' letter.

The date of your 'permission to start' letter will determine when works must start, usually 3 months after the date of the letter. There may be scope to extend the plan if necessary.

If the repairs are not completed by the expiration date stated in your contract of grant, we may withdraw the offer of the grant.

During the repairs, you must clearly display boards where the public can see them, acknowledging the Council's grant. We will supply you with notice boards to do this.

If we cannot offer you a grant at this time, you may be able to submit your application again at a future round, providing there is still funding available.

Conditions of the grant

Your project must be completed:

• to what was agreed when you were awarded the grant
• with any statutory consents that were required for the work.

You must make sure you have:

• all relevant planning permissions or building consents, in line with the approved grant scheme
• enough money to pay in full the contractors and any conservation accredited professional advisors before they start
• provided us with proof of the leaseholder or owner
• provided us with proof of contractor's insurances.

You'll also need to provide us with evidence that the contractors and any other professional advisors you've hired have invoiced you and have been paid. 

We won't pay the grant until you have met all the conditions of the offer.

You must send us the receipts for this work within a month of completing the project. 

How we pay the grant

We will pay the grant when the works have been completed to a satisfactory standard, following an inspection by us, and you have sent us:

• a copy of your Completion Certificate (if applicable)
• proof of payment by bank or building society transfer (BACS) to the contractors and any other professional advisors you've hired
• the receipted invoices from your contractors and any other professional advisors you've hired
• evidence of all necessary planning permissions or building consent, or written confirmation that these are not needed.

We can't award the grant for cash payments to your contractors or professional advisors.

We'll make the payment to your nominated bank or building society account.

If you have an online bank statement, make sure this information is visible on every page:

• name of your bank
• your name
• your bank account number and sort code
• the debit, credit, and balance columns
• name of the professional advisor and the amounts paid to them
• the footer, showing the webpage.

We can only accept proof of original receipts or statements. We can't accept screenshots.

You can scan and send us your:

• original receipts
• print outs of your bank statements.

If we have all the relevant information with your completed application for payment, we aim to pay you within 28 days of receiving your application.

Interim payments

We can't make interim payments on small grants up to £8,000.

We can only make interim payments on standard grants up to £25,000.

You'll need to provide us with proof of payment, invoices, and any required consents outlined above for each payment request.

If you need an interim payment towards materials for the work, we may be able to give you up to 25% of the costs of the materials.

We can only make any other interim payments towards work done on the site. This will only be up to 90% of the amount of your grant.

If you need a building warrant for the work, we will pay the final 10% of the grant when we receive a completion certificate from you.