Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990

Grants for repair and maintenance

57 Power of local authority to contribute to preservation of listed buildings etc

(1) A local authority may contribute towards the expenses incurred or to be incurred in the repair or maintenance—

(a) of a listed building which is situate in or in the vicinity of their area; or

(b) of a building in their area which is not listed but appears to them to be of architectural or historic interest.

(2) At the time of making such a contribution the local authority may also contribute towards the expenses incurred, or to be incurred, in the upkeep of any garden occupied with the building and contiguous or adjacent to it.

(3) A contribution under this section may be made by grant or loan.

(4) A contribution by way of loan may be made upon such terms and conditions as the local authority may determine including (but without prejudice to the foregoing) a term that the loan shall be free of interest.

(5) A local authority—

(a) may renounce their right to repayment of such a loan or any interest for the time being outstanding, and

(b) by agreement with the borrower may otherwise vary any of the terms and conditions on which such a loan is made.

(6) A local authority may require as a condition of the making by them of a contribution under this section by way of grant towards the expenses of the repair or maintenance or upkeep of any property that the person to whom the grant is made shall enter into an agreement with them for the purpose of enabling the public to have access to the property or part of it during such period and at such times as the agreement may provide.

(7) In this section and in section 58 “local authority” means—

(a) the council of a county, borough or district,

(b) a joint planning board constituted under section 2 of the principal Act, and

(c) in relation to a building or land in the Broads, the Broads Authority.

58 Recovery of grants under s. 57

(1) If, during the period of three years beginning with the day on which a grant is made under section 57 towards the repair or maintenance or upkeep of any property (“the grant property”), the grantee disposes of the interest held by him in the property on that day or any part of that interest, by way of sale or exchange or lease for a term of not less than 21 years, the local authority may recover the amount of the grant, or such part of it as they think fit, from the grantee in any court of competent jurisdiction.

(2) If the grantee gives the whole of that interest to any person (whether directly or indirectly, but otherwise than by will) subsection (1) shall have effect as if the donee were the grantee.

(3) If the grantee gives part of that interest to any person (whether directly or indirectly, but otherwise than by will) subsection (1) shall have effect as if any disposal or part disposal of that interest by the donee were a disposal by the grantee.

(4) If any condition imposed on the making of a grant to which this section applies is contravened or not complied with, the grantor may recover the amount of the grant, or such part of it as he thinks fit, from the grantee.

(5) Nothing in this section entitles a grantor to recover amounts in the aggregate exceeding the amount of the grant (for example by virtue of a breach of more than one condition or disposals of several parts of an interest in the grant property).